Semi-weekly interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1881-1905, 1891-12-18

home might find him. When he came
at last 20 Rome although he had twice
{ before visited the Eternal Citv"-hc
wrote that he should on this occasion
remain az least four wees, in order %
make a thorough study oi some famous
works OF art in which be was much in
terested. aud that hi, mail might be 81
dressed % the British legation. among
whose yr-sH44R he had found one
Jack pirby. an old collcycmate.
One afternoon. about ten days after
his arrival. Frau'. was lounging in the
reception room % the legation. jealous
ly assisting his friend. Jack" 10 do
nothing, when messenger entered aud
handed the latter telegram. Hello.
Frank, this is for you," said the alta
che, as he passed IL oyer. Frank took
the yellow envelope and opened IL with
that curious trepidation felt by all trav-
elers on receiving such missivc. but
the instant hc glanced at its contents
ne sprang 10 his fee; with shout. and
hurriedly calling ont 10 the astoniShed
Jack "Good-bv old fellow. good-by;
I'm off for England in ten minutes
dashed into the street; tor this was the
message:
'LrSwooD. Lincoln Eng April a. IS.
ITO Mr.. Frank Howard British legation.
Rome italy.
Come to me. All Is wei. AGNES"
And now, leaving Mr.. Jack Digby 20
ponder over il in vain, we must go back
in our story and explain the how and
wherefore of this wondrous telegram.
The reader will remember that Mr..
Graydon's cottage has been described
as standing on the bank Of the Humber.
some distance down stream from Lin
wood hall.
The river. or estuary rather. il At
this place fully two miles wide at food
tide. but no more than one mile ut low
ebb. Exactly in the center Of the
stream. when the channel is full and
therefore about mile from either
shore, there is little mound of rock
which rises above the general level of
the bottom. and yet at spring tide is
submerged To a depth of seven or more
feet. Between this rocky islet, or
mound. and the Linwood shore there
is, when the tide is ont, NO river ut all,
the bottom here being much higher
than that of the true river beyond the
islet. Consequently at such times this
tide channel i a mere waste of sand,
and the young people of the neighbOr-
hood were in the habit OF walking
across it TO the rock, where they were
sure To find, retained i'm its firmnesS,
mum bers of curious shells and marine
plants ever being brought in by the
sea.
One Saturday. on which day, as She
sometimes laughingly phrascd il,
Agnes did not keep school. she was
sitting in the April sunshine on the por-
tico of her fathers house, her hands
busy with some light work and her
thoughts far away with "A certain wan
derer beneath Italian skies, when, hap
pening To glance across the now empty
bed of the river, she saw two children
whether boys or girls, she could not at
that distance tell-just leaving the rock
and, apparently, running towards her.
At the next instant she heard, Ia her |
horror, the well-Snown roar of the in
coming spring tide. and at once realized |
the awful fact that it must overwnelm |
the little fugitivcs long before they |
could reach the shore; for, even now, |
she could see the foam-covered edge of |
its fast-advancing waves not half
mile below. The distance was too |
great to signal the children intelligent
ly, much less to call 10 them, and Agnes
could only watch their progress in an
agony of dread. But now they, too,
caught sight of the rushing waters, and,
after hesitating moment, turned and
ran back TO the mound, where they |
would he safe for, possibly, twenty min
ltes. On this day Mr.. Graydon had |