St. Landry democrat., 1891-09-12

some Of its subtle poison had been in
stilled. Howbeit, to-day she found
nothing. She was sadly hiding her
pick and shovel, as was her custom,
when she discovered the fresh track OF
an alien foot in the sand. Robinson
Crusoe was not more astounded at the
savage footprint than Jenny Miller at
this damning proof of the invasion OF
ler sacred territory. The footprints
came from and returned to the copse of
shrubs. Some one might have seen her
at work!
But singular change in the weather,
overlooked in her excitement. here
forced itself upon her. A light film
over sea and sky, lifted only by ftful
| gusts Of wind, seemed to have suddenly
thickened until it became on opaque
vault. narrowing in circumference rs
the wind increased. The promontory
behind her disappeared, as if swallowed
up, the distance before her seemed to
contract; the ocean at her side, the
color of dull pewter, vanished III q
sheet of slanting rain, and by the time
she reached the house, half running
half carried along by the Guarterine
force of the wind, q full gale was blow
ing.
1t blew all the evening, reaching a
climax and fury at asst midnight that
was remembered for many years along
that coast In the midst of it they
heard the booming of cannon, and til en-
the voices of neighbors in the road.
"There was said the voices, "a big
steamer ashore just afore the house..
They dressed quickly and ran out.
Hugging the edge of the copse to
breathe and evade the fury of the wind,
they struggled to the sands. At first
looking out to sea the girl saw nothing
but foam. But following the direction
of neighbor's arm, for in that wild
tumult man alone seemed speechless.
she saw directly before her, so close
upon her that she could have thrown
pebble on board, the high bows of q
ship. Indeed, its very nearness gave
her the feeling that it was already saved,
and its occasional heavy roll to leeward,
drunken, helpless, ludcrous, but never
awful, brought a hysteric laugh to hel
lips. But when livid blue light, lit
in the swinging top, showed number
Of black objects clinging to bulwarks and
rigging, and the sea with languid, heavy
cruelty. pushing, rather than beating
them away, one b. one, she knew that
death was there.
The neighbors, her father with the
others, had been running hopelessly to
and fro. or covering in groups against
the copse, when suddenly they uttered
cry their 1irst-of joyful welcome
And with that shout, the man she most
despised and hated, Sol Catlin, mounted
On a calico" mustang. as outrageous
and bizarre as himself, dashed among
them.
In another moment, what had been
fear, bewilderment, and hesitation, was
changed to courage, confidence, and
action. The men pressed eagerly
around him, and as eagerly dispersed
under his quick command. Galloping
at his heels was the team with the
whaleboat brought from the river miles
away. He was here, there, and every
where; catching the line thrown by the
rocket from the ship, marshaling the
mon to haul it in, answering the hail
from those on board above the tempest;
pervading everything and everybody
with the fury of the storm loud, i'm
perious, domineering. self-asserting,
allsufficient, and successfully And
when the boat was launched the last
mighty impulse came from his shoulder.
He rode at the helm into the first haug-
ing wall of foam, erect and triumphant!
Dazzled and bewiIdered, crying, and
laughing, she hated him more than
ever.
The boat made three trips, brisging
off, with the aid of the hawser, all but
the sailors she had seen perish before
her own eyes. The passengers-they
we're few-the captain, and officers
found refuge in her fathers house, and
were loud in their praises Of Sol Catlin.
But in that grateful chorus single
gloomy voice arose, the voice of
wealthy and troubled passenger. 81
will give" he said, "$5, 900 to the man
who brings me box of securities l left
III my state-room." Every eye turned
instinctively to Sol; ne answered only
those of Jenny's. Say ten thousand,
and if the dod- blasted hulk holds to.
gether two hours longer III do it, d--n
me! You hear NE! My names Sol.
Catlin, and When say thing, by God!
l do it." Jenny's disgust here reached
it's climax. The hero of night of un-
doubted energy and courage had
blotted it out in a single moment of
native vanity and vulgar avarice.
He was gone; not only two hours,
but daylight had come, and they were
eagerly seeking him, when he returned
among them, dripping and-empty-
handed. He had reached the ship, he
said, with another; found the box, and
trusted himself aloIe to the sea. But
in the surf he had to abandon it to save
almseIt. 1t mad perhaps drifted ashore,
and might be be, found for hi himself he
Had he looked abashed or mortified.
Jenny felt that she might have re-
tented, but the braggart was as all sat
SIZED, as confident and boastful as ever
Nevertheless, as his eye seemed to
seek her, she was constrained, in mere
politeness, to add her own to her
fathers coincidence. II suppose" she
hesitated in passing him, shat this is a
mere nothing to you after. all you did
last night that was really great and I'M
selfish"
"Were you never disappointed.
Miss?" he said, with exasperating
abruptness.
A quick consciousness of her own
thank1ess labor on the galleon, and a
terrible idea that he might have some
suspicion of. and perhaps the,,least sug-
gestion that she might have been
disappointed in him, brought faint
color to her cheek. But she replied
with dignity: