Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1890-08-02
A HEROINE.
A True Story OF Storm and Shipwreuh.
BY NJ E. W.

fair to be one of the worst nights of the
season, at least so said the fishermen al
the little village on the cape. The
winds blew as if the very fury of HadeE
itself had been let loose and the sea
surged and beat upon the cuckles,
those cruel rocks that turned skyward
Just outside the harbor, until it threat
ened to tear them from their very foun-
dalton and hurl them with mighty
force against the village. It was night
such as few men cared to be abroad in,
unless the stern call of duty brought
them out.
And yet far out on the cliff that
formed the southern boundary of Wood
Island stood young girl. She was
closely mufled by cape and hood, and
yet the face, as it showed in the dim
twilight, was singularly beautiful
face that one could scarce expect to
meet in such town as Cape Newaggen,
and one that would certainly make a
person stop to take a second look were
it met in the heart of some big city.
Six years before Kate Johnscn's
father had sailed away in his good ship,
the Water Witch, taking with him as
second mate young Ned Bolton.
I'VE will be back inside the year,
lass" the old sea-dog had said as he
kissed his pretty daughter goodbye,
%and if this trip is successful it will be
my last, and Ned can have the ship and
you"
And Kate had blushed and hoped
that all might be well.
But the time had flown and nothing
had been heard of the Witch until one
day there had come to the village news
that the stern board of a ships boat
had been picked up in the south seas
bearing the name of Water Witch, "
and that was all the tidings that had
ever been heard from the proud ship
that sailed from the little port that
bright June morning, so full of life,
and Joy and hope.
The days grew into months, the
months into years, and the subject of
the disaster was drowned in that of
more recent calamities, for not
q winter passed that did not
bring to that little fishing town news of
one or more disasters, and sometimes
many lives were sacrificed to the mer-
CHESS deep.
But though others might forget, there
was one who never would. Kate John
son held the memory of her father and
sweetheart as fresh as when she had last
seen them, and there were some among
the people of the little hamlet who de-
clared she was grieving herself to
death.
Be this as it may, she had never
given up hope that some day, in some
mysterious manner-she never even
dared to think when or how-her father
and her sweetheart would be restored to
her. When the storm beat fiercest and
the tempest was at its height, she was
wont to creep out on the lodges near
the dangerous reefs and watch the cruel
sea, andmany were the alarms of danger
she had given in the little town back by
the harbor, for this was one of the most
dangerous reefs on the coast of
Maine.
But tonight, as she stood and
watched the great breakers
IS they beat against the giant
rocks, she seemed to feel o vague I'M
easiness, dread that she had never felt
before. Was it premonition of some
thing-some tragedy that was about to
happen beneath her very eyes, and she
unable to lend helping hand?
How long she had stood, silent and
alone, upon the ledge she never knew,
when suddenly she was aroused from
her reverie by a dull, sullen boom!
She started as though she had been
shot, and putting her hands to her eyes,
peered out into the gloom. How well
she knew what that sound foreboded.
Two years ago she had heard a SINH
lar sound, and the next morning the
coast was strewn with wreckage and the;
dead bodies of the crew and passengers
of one of the mightiest steamers that
plowed the deep, had been gathered up
by the fishermen for days.
A moment more and the sound was
repeated. It was no trick of the sea,
no cruel Authorization there was ves'
sci in the offing in deadly peril What
should she do? To fly and alarm the
town was her first impulse, but she
knew that the men at the life-saving
station, two miles beyond, had heard the
sound and would soon be on the scene;
but alasl they would come too late.
She must act at once if she would be
Of any assistance to the imperiled craft.
By fash of lightning she could see q
full-sized ship Just inside the deadly
cuckles, . quarter of mile to the
south and east. Could she reach it?
There was possibility slight hope,
but a hope, neverthsless-that she
might be able to pilot them safely into
harbor. Only last summer the coast
improvement service had blasted the
big rocks at Devils Ledge; but even
now nothing but fishing vessels entered
the hsrbor by that channel, and they
only in fair weather.
Again came the ominous boom OF the
gun, and this time a rocket was sent up
into the air. She started as though
abe had been shot. How well she knew
that light Years before, Capt. john
son had had set of rockets made in
Boston of special kind, so that he
cnuld announce to his wife and daughter
A.s arrival in the Ofing; the Water