The Portland daily press., 1891-01-10

anchors were put out, and still she
dragged-dragged in with the flood,
twisting, shuddering, careening in her
agony. Evening fell, the sand began
to move with the wind, singing faces
like continuous fire of fine shot; and
frenzied blasts came to buffet the
steamer forward, sideward. Then one
of her hogchains parted with clang
like the boom of big bell. Then an
otherl Then the captain babe his men
cut away all her upper works clean to
the deck. Overheard into the seething
went her stacks, her pilot house, her
cabins and whirled away. And the ma
ked hull of the Star still dragging her
three anchors labored ON through the
darkness, nearer and nearer to the i'm
mense silhouette of the hotel, whose hun
bred windows were now all afame. The
vast timber building seemed to defy the
storm. The wind, roaring round its
broad verandas, Kissing through every
crevice with the sound and force of steam,
appeared to waste its rage. And in the
half lull between two terrible gusts there
came to the captains ears sound that
seemed strange in that night of multi
tudinous terrors-a sound of music!
Almost every evening throughout the
season there had been dancing in the
great hall; there was dancing that night
also. The population of the hotel had
been augmented by the advent of fami-
lies from other parts of the island, who
found their summer cottages insecure
places, of shelter; there were nearly four
hundred guests assembled. Perhaps it
was for this reason that the entertain
ment had assumed the form Of a fashion
able ball. And all those pleasure seek
ers, representing the wealth and beauty
of the Creole parishes, whether from As
cension or Assumption, st. Mary's or
St. Landry's, Iberville or Terrebonne;
whether inhabitants of the multi-colored
and many-balconied Creole quarter of
the quaint metropolis, or jewellers in the
dreamy paradises of the Teche, mingled
joyously, knowing each other, feeling in
some sort akin. whether affiliated by
blood, connaturalized by caste, or SIM
ply inter-associated by traditional SYM
pathies of class sentiment and class in
terest.
merriment of that evening something of
nervous exaltation might have been dis
cerned-something like feverish resolve
to oppose apprehension with gayety, to
| combat uneasiness by diversion. But
the hours passed in mirthfulness. The
first general feeling of depression began
| to weigh less and less upon the guests.
They had found reason to confide in the
solidity of the massive building. There
were no positive terrors, no outspoken
fears, and the new conviction of all had
found expression in the words of the
host himself: "Il MY a rien de mieux
faire que de s'amuser" OF what avail
to lament the devastation of cane fields,
to discuss the ruin of crops? Better to
seek solace in the rhythm of gracious
| motion and of perfect melody than
| hearken to the wild orchestra of storms;
wiser to admire the grace of Partisan
| toilets, the eddy of trailing robes with
its fairy foam of lace, the ivorine lowell
ness of glossy shoulders and jeweled
throats, the glimmering of satin slippered
feet, than to watch the raging of the
food without, or the flying of the wrack.
So the music and the mirth went on;
they made joy for themselves, those ele-
giant guests; they TESTED and slipped rich
wines; they pledged. and hoped, and
loved, and promised, with never a
thought of the morrow, on the night of
the 10th of August, 1856. Observant
parents were there planning for the fu-
ture bliss of their nearest and dearest;
mothers and fathers Of handsome lads,
1.-the and elegant as young pines, and
fresh from the polish of foreign univer-
sity training; mothers and fathers of
splendid girls whose simplest attitudes
were witcheries. Young cheeks flushed,
young hearts futtered with an emotion
more puissant than the excitement of
L+hf--saanee,. srgasana. agas-r hetraHAa~thAs
preserved. Save servants circIed through
the aristocratic press, bearing dainties
and wines, praying permission to pass,
In terms at once humble and officious,
always in the excellent French which
well trained house servants were taught
to use on such occasions.
Night wore on; still the shining floor
palpitated to the feet of the dancers; still
siAO piAhOAOAOC PCdlCuy BULL tu6 VIZ
Inns sang, and the sound of their singing
shrilled through the darkness, in gasps
of the gale, to the ears of Captain Smith,
as he strove to keep his footing on the
spray drenched deck of the Star.
"Christr" he muttered, ga dance! Ii
that wind whips round south, there'n be
another dancel But I guess the Star
will stay"
Half an hour might have passed; still
the lights famed calmly, and the violins
thrilled, and the perfumed whirl went
on. And suddenly the wind veeredl
Again the Star reeled and shuddered
and turned, and began to drag all her
anchors. But she now dragged away
from the great building and its lights
away from the voluptuous thunder of the
grand piano-even at that moment out
pouring the great joy of Weber's melody
orchestrated by Berlioz: Invitation a la
Valse, with its marvellous musicalswing!
"Waltzingl" cried the captain. "God
help them!-God help us all nowl -
The Wind waltzes tonight, with the Sea
for his partner!'
o the stupendous Valse Tourbilloni
o the mighty Dancerl One-two--
threel From northeast to east, from
east to southeast, from southeast to
south; then from the south he came,
whirling the Sea in his arms.
Some one shrieked in the midst of the
revels; some girl who found her pretty
slippers wet. What could it be? Thin
streams of water were spreading over
the level planking, curling about the
feet of the dancers. What
could it be? All the land had begun to
quake, even as, but a moment before,
the polished floor was trembling to the
pressure Of circled steps; all the build
Ing shook now; every beam uttered its
groanl
There was clamor, panic, rush to
the windy night. Infinite darkness above
and beyond; but the lantern-beams
danced far out over an unbroken circle
of heaving and swirling black water.
Stealthily, the measureless sea-food was
rising.
Neutrality-suspicious., ce nest rien.
Nothing serious, ladies, assure you.
Mais nous en- avons WI bien Solvent, les
inondations CONNIE celle-ci; ca passe
vitel The water will go down in few
hours, ladies; it never rises higher than
this; il ny pas lie moindre danger, je /
vous disl Allonsl il NY Any Godi what
is thatl"