The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1892-05-20


cane in Cuba. but that was a dry storm;
the Holland storm was difTcrent / was
proylard by mv host with an oil coat
and a AsAerman's hat.
As ali the other men went ont, / felt
il ms dutg 10 follow them. but when
/ got ont Of the door / became bewil-
dercd / could hear the booming Of
the sea against the dixie, but could not
sec; elsewhere I had always found,
even on the darkest nights. q certain
glimmer Of light but there the dark
ness was lilsc that of a closed room,
and the rain did not seem rain, but like
the doWupour of q cataract; the ground
was covered everywhere with water,
which, as the island lies twenty odd
feet below the ordinary level of the
sea. c0ull cot ran OH / was so bcwil-
dcrcd that ] turncd 20 60 back 20 the
houac when 81 friendly hand was laid
upon my arm, and a gentle voice said:
Come let me show you the way"
Recogn .ziug the voice ! said, in
amusement surely you are not go-
ing ont ia this tempcst?'
oh. yes; ! always help when there
j. danger 10 the dixie
We reached the dixie safely, but
soaked, at least ! was. for not being
amphi biOus the water had the better
OF me.
The scene at the dixie was. If the
term is permissible, sublimely hideous-
The sea was piled mp almost 30 the top.
and every wave washed over. The
roar was deafcning. such masses Of
water came over that the men were
constantly knocked down. but my little
friend seemed as by q miracle to escape.
She was but a slip Of "a girl, not over
seventeen, but she took her place in
the line Of men like "A true heroine.
What astonishcd me most, however,
was the singular change IA her appear
auce; there was row OF lanterns, 50
1 saw her clearly At the dinner She
had been cXquiSitcly and most daintily
dressed, and as she sat AZ the piano 1
caught a glimpse Of a fairy like foot
clad in q silk slipper made from the
same material rs her gown. At the
dixie she had on a pair Of rough fisher
man boots which came above her
knees; into these were polled q pair Of
boys trouscr, and the astonishing cos
tune was finished by a long, yellow
oilcoat and Z. mans hat tied 20 her head
with a handkerchief Yet she could
not help looking pretty. ] told her
afterwards that she had reminded me
OF Rosalind.
As ] could be Of no possible help,
after an hour went back 10 the house.
The distance was only about a quarter
of "a mile, but how ever reached that
house has ever since been matter Of
wonder 10 me. Three times ! slipped
ia tae soft, sponEy mud; my hat flew
of and never was found; 1 was 50 wet
that although II was summer time l
II
got into a plowcd field, but ! reached
the house at last. and q cup Of hot tea
brought at once ley an obi ring uogse-
maid chcerod me immcnaalv: hut then
caUa "a sCrious question. l'la. Ken
only "a little handbag with lac; Nlat
should ! wear? But the maid solved
that question. she took 10 my room
a pair OF trousers, slippers, and
n most comfortable Dire lag gown.
saying that she H1rlI come
when had changed my things and get
my wet clothes and dry them for me.
Within ten minutes ] wa by COM
Portable fire that had been built in the
dining-room, with n jug OF hot water
and a decanter Of brandy at my side,
and the maid disappeared with my wet
garments.
That girl was a genius.
In about two hours she brought my
things back; not only were they dry
and clean, but had been ironed SO that
they looked better than they had
in the morning. The shoes. dry as 4
bone, had been neatly blaclzcucd, and
with a clean shirt from my bag
looked myself once more. The tenn
pest went on with undated fury, the
wind howlcd and Shricllcd like an
angry demon, and the downpour Of
rain still continued and ] could not
help thinking with the most sincere pity
of the gallant men and that fair young
girl who were guarding their dixie.
What use their being there was, or
what they could have done, heaven
and the Iollander alone know. / can
understand protecting dixie from the
outside with mats, but what can be
done from the inside. They certainly
were not there for pleasure. Doubtless
the shrewd llollander knows a trick or
two about his dikcs that "a stranger
would never guess Not only his fields,
but his very life depends up0n IT,
After a time the wind went down,
the rain ceased, the sky Frightened and
the watchers returned with the inior-
nation that the wind was still blow
ing, had changed its direction and the
dixie was safe
On account Of their kindly courtesy,
] shall always have "A tender spot in
my heart for the Dutch, but should po-
litcly request 10 bc excused from being
out again iu another Hollandish tenn
pest. / am not sufficiently amphibious.
E. J. Biddle, in St Louis Republic.
.