Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-07-29

wind and the roaring of the sea.
! Both sprang up with the same thought,
that the wind and sea might undo
their work of days.
They dressed quickly and hurried to
the beach. The rain had SO moistened
the sand that but little had blown into
the excavation; but the sea! Great
waves were dashing upon the shore,
each one higher than its predecessor,
and already jets of spray were plash.
ing down into the pit, threatening to
fill 1t with sand. Only one thing
could be done to protect their work a
breakwater must be built.
They grasped the situation in a few
moments, and Ella proposed that they
should 60 to work at once, and il
possible finish what they had to do
before the sea rendered it impossible.
Mary agreed TO do this. Rushing
back to the house they donned their
bathing dresses, and seizing a hatchet
and their scoops, returned to their
engrossing labor.
During their short absence the vino
had increased terribly, and went howl
ing and shrieking over the wide beach,
driving the coarse gravel with cutting
force before it, and lashing the ocean
into still wilder fury.
The girls jumped down into the pit
and began clearing away with feverish
energy the fallen debris. After forty
minutes they succeeded in lay
ing bare the long keel, and to their
great joy easily found the spot which
gave forth hollow echo. By sound
ing carefully they discovered the hol-
low portion to be about foot square.
A fortunate blow from Elias scoop
exposed to their delighted eyes the
opening of the lid of a concealed lock-
er.
In the meantime, the waves were be-
ginning to pour into the excavation,
and the girls were standing in a foot
of water.
Now, Mary" said Ella, d" we must
not say word if we do find anything,
until we have the treasure safely away
from here and in the house"
Mary nodded, and then Ella applied
the edge of her hatchet to the opening
of the lid and pressed down upon the
handle. After a moment the rusty
lock gave way and the lid flew up, ex-
posing to view a beautifully finished
cork casket Ella lifted it from its
hiding place.
80 Mary! we have found the trea-
surel"
With the words the pit grew sud-
denly dark, and both girls glanced up
ward to ascertain the cause. Just over
their heads was towering the foamy
crest of monstrous wave, and as they
shrank in terror from the impending
deluge, a terrible, shrill sound, like
the wall of the lost, rang out above the
shrieking of the wind and the Kissing
of the breakers.
In second the curling wave broke.
1t struck the casket from Elias hand,
and after rolling far up the beach,
sending its spray dashing over the
coarse grass beyond, retreated; and
the two girls, half suffocated, managed
to scramble out of the pit and gain a
secure footing. As they did so the
clouds parted and CLEAN of the sun
shone ont, lighting up the white, toss
ing sea and the storm-swept beach.
Ella grasped Mary by the arm and
pointed out over the wide expanse of
water. Far out upon the crest of a
wave the sun shone upon a dancing
mite that both could plainly see was
the precious casket. For a moment it
shone upon the lost cause of their long
labors, and then the whirling foam and
flying clouds alone remained in sight.
And now, at night, when the girls,
lying in their quiet beds, are awakened
by the rising of gale, memory forces
upon them the never answered ques-
ton; was that terrible shrek the
sound of the wind ora shudder COM
pletes the thought.