Los Angeles herald., 1891-02-20

help, the words Marie Joseph written in
white on a dark ground.
climbed on this corpse of ship on
the lowest side, and, once on deck, went
inside. The sun, entering through the
open portfolios and cracks in her side,
lghtened sadly those long, dark caverns
filled with broken woodwork.
commenced taking notes upon the
condition of the vessel. I sat upon an
empty, broken barrel and wrote by the
light entering slit, through which
saw the limitless extension of beach. A
shudder, born of the cold and solitude,
ran through me from time to time, and
stopped writing occasionally to listen
to the vague noises of the wreck, the
noise of the crabs scratching the corylage
with their crooked claws; of the numer-
GUS tiny animals of the sea already de-
youring this dead body; to the soft and
regular sound of the ship worm gnawing
the woodwork.
Suddenly l heard voices near me.
started up. l thought for an instant
was in the presence of some drowned
wretch who wanted to tell me of his
death. Iquickly climbed on deck and
saw tall gentleman with three ladies.
They were even more startled than at
seeing me emerge upon the deck of the
abandoned vessel. The youngest of the
three rushed off; the others caught their
fathers arm; as to him, he opened his
mouth, the only sign of emotion he
showed. After a second he spoke.
sYou must be the owner of this ship?'
eyes" 'Can visit her?'' Yes" He
murmured few words of thanks, and
seeing he was looking for a place to
climb showed him the easiest, and as
sisted him up. He joined me and then
we helped the young girls.
They were charming, particularly the
eldest, a blonde of eighteen, as fresh as
a rose; so delicate, so dainty. Really
English women are like sea fruits. That
one looked as if she might have sprung
from the sand, and her hair had retained
its color. They remind one, with their
exquisite freshness, of delicate pink
shells of mother Of pearl, beautiful and
mysterious, born in the depths of the
ocean.
She spoke French more huently than
her father and acted as interpreter. I
had to give the history of the wreck;
many of the details I invented as if l
had assisted at the catastrophe. Then
the whole family went below. When
they reached the gloomy gallery they
took out their sketch books and began to
draw the scene.
The eldest daughter while working
spoke to me, and 1 learned that they had
come from Biarritz expressly to see the
wreck. They had none of the English
haughtiness. They were simple enthu-
siasts; some of those eternal wanderers
with which England covers the globe.
The father. tall and wiry, his red face
framed in white whiskers, living sand
wich, slice of ham fashioned into
face between two pads of hair. The
daughters little growing stills, thin also,
except the eldest; pretty all three, par
ticularly the eldest. She had such
quaint way of speaking, of laughing, of
understanding and not understanding,
Of raising her eyes to question me, eyes
as blue as deep water; Of interrupting
her drawing to guess of resuming her
work, of saying yes and no, that could
have staid there forever listening and
looking.
After awhile she exclaimed, 81 hear
a noise" listened and distinguished a
slight sound, unusual and continuous.
What was it? l rose to look through
crack and gave loud cry. The sea was
upon us. In no time we would be sur
rounded. We were on deck in an in
slant. 1t was too late. The water en-
us and was rushing toward
shore with great rapidity. The English
man wished to rush forward. I hello
him back; flight was impossible on ac-
count of the deep pools that we had to
avoid in coming, and into which we
would probably fall in attempting to re-
turn. 1t was moment of horrible ag-
ony. Then the young English girl ex-
claimed, I'VE are the ones who are
wreckedv' 1 wanted to laugh, but was
strangled by fright; a cowardly, awful
fright, low and treacherous. And this
tide. I realized all the danger of our
position and wanted to cry for help. To
whom?
The youngest girls covered against
their father, who in CONSERVATION watch
ed the boundless sea around us.
And night was coming as rapidly as
the tide; heavy, damp darkness. We
remained there half an hour, an hour, l
hardly know how long, looking at the
yellow water which thickened and boiled
and played upon the reconquered beach
One of the girls complained of the
cold, and we thought we would go in
for protection against the light but cold
breeze which stung our faces. leaned
over the trap door. The ship was full of
water and we were obliged to crouch
against the stern, which gave us some
protection. Night was now upon us and
we drew closer together, surrounded by
water and darkness. felt the shoulder
of the young English girl, whose teeth
chartered at times, tremble against mine.
I also felt the soft warmth of her body,
and that warmth was to me as delicious
as kiss. We no longer spoke; we were
motionless, silent, crouching like ami
mails in ditch during storm.
And somehow, in spite of all; in spite
of the darkness, in spite of the terrible
and growing danger, I commenced to
feel happy at being there, happy at the
co11 or1 1o7,po,. OF tho 1oncr hCr,rc >F