Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-01-08
BEFOGGED IN FUNDY,

| saw our hoHti..itn shake rs head to
himself rs .loai said ills and glance down
into the southeast \ blue wall was begin
ming to loom there where blue wall doomed
not before.
Would not the ladies go ashore on Grand
MananY That island was nearer than
Campobello and the Passamaquoddy bay
was AS bad rs the Fundy in fog. The
great brown cliffs OF Swallow Tail light on
Grand Manan were still in sight, and if the
ladies would
The ladies wouldn't. Our luxurious
quarters al the Syn Coed beckonod us
back to Canpobello-" shall | not take
mine ease in mine nn;'
We would race for it with the fog and
not know we were beaten until it fairly
swallowed us up.
When we could see nothing beyond our
boats length and the long moan of the
foghorn filled our ears. we both looked
TO our bOatman, who, failing ut the proper
moment IN his attempt to steer two obsti
nate women into a safe course now spared
Us structures ON our WaNWartlness and set
himself to bringing us through the impen-
etrable wall rounding up close about us
Certainly, big and strong as the man is
he is not so big and strong as the sea
which has us in its grasp. But there is
something reassuring to little women in
the mans broad shoulders and in the de
terminedly cheerful face he puts upon the
fog
1t is not the light, airy Fata Morgana we
have sometimes watched at work upon the
PasSamaquoddy, dotting the blue bay with
snowtlrlit islands that were never there
before. and they, presto, changing with
mirage the roofs and steeples of PASSPORT
ni,tllo iSl INF,
chanted city of vast palaces and castellated
heights. Into this blank now even Joan,
leaning with arms crossed on the Sunwale
has grown weary of peering, baflled by the
circle of gray space which surrounds US
the same wherever we 20.
Certainly we go by faith, not by sight
But don't thihN we were very frightened
joan and |. We had no experience of the
danger and there was none apparent in the
gray liquid simmer rounding to that
world Of fog globing us in.
Suddenly, so near that we both started
ami stared at one another a sound rose up
out of the sea.
Listen to the mermaids she'll" said
Joan IN half whisper rs the strain died
away.
Macleod had anoi her Interpretation:
some other boat out in the fog and her
IO!NN Gaining IrT NOME udt COnCu :
voice. We use those she'll, on the islands
for foghorns We're near land some.
where" | should have said we were near
land everywhere, the Passamaquoddy hay
ing the liberal allowance OF an island for
every day in the year and one thrown in
for leap year, is Joan said
Nearer than we thought.
For, almost rs Macleod spoke something
huge and black heaved slowly up out of the
fog like the back of some sea monster
But it was only the fog drifting past it
that moved. The sea monster presently re
solved itself into projecting edge of rock,
dimly overhung by Il thicket of spruce and
birch
There was tiny bit of shingle beach
just beyond Joan pointed it out with IN
exclamation of relief. while Macleod was
pushing oil the ledge.
I'VE can land there, cannot we? Surely
there is some one on the island to give us
shelter for the night We can't push out
into that fog again.
There is IA hard, fixed look on Macleod's
weather beaten face.
We must" he said grimly. with set
lips
Joan gave little shiver.
Nv hat is the matter, chld?"
Pm cold--nO no, may as well confess
i am afraid" she answered me IL can't
pretend any longer, Miss Althea I'm not
afraid of many things, but this fog-it is
a. if we had reached the very edge of this
round world and were peering out into
nUthingness,'
don't Know that Macleod understood
her perhaps even heard her. With my
eyes on his stern, lowered face fancied !
could see that he was struggling with him
self
He said abruptly
Well stop. Well have to stop This
way, ladies' This ledge Up you go And
now I'll have the boat fast in a minute"
We stood holding by each other on the
rocky promontory, the sea wind blowing
our skirts about us and shaking the soft,
pretty hair loose in Joans eyes
How shall we know which way to go?"
just then the long, reverberating notes
of the conch hOated above us again.
We were aware of something like a path
Mt our feet across the messy rocks, and the
bank with its carpet of bunch berries worn
out in places
straight ahead, ladies'" said Macleod
THE road runs fore and aft"
1t was pretty enough nest of cottage
when we reached it, Macleod bringing up
the rear. At the swinging of the gate be
hlnd us figure appeared in the low door
way, embowered in the scarlet runner.
y slight figure, with something so youth
full in its poise and in its slender lines that
it was with little shock of surprise as we
drew near that ! saw there were white
threads in the dusky hair knotted low OIL
the small. shapely head.
The face was turned slightly aside from
Us in listening attitude.
II isn't you. Dick" she said the next in
slant III a disappointed tone, when we were
near enough.
The both OF us, Joan and /, waited fol
our guide to speak
When he said nothing Joan made our ex
IONS