People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1893-12-29
TCHAPTER IV.-CoNTIxUED.l

its opinion of life and the world. To
the young man it seemed like the cry
of lost soul. Not enough of woods
man to know what it might be, he
thought it human cry; and it was
only when he turned aside towards
the shore that he began to think it
might be some unknown wild creature
in the forest.
At that moment a solitary wave
burst upon the shore with startling
distinctneSs. He must be very near
the beach. lie must move cautiously,
lest he fall over the low bluff by the
shore. The water ran screaming back,
and then he heard again the harsh
hooting behind him He paused to
listen. 1t seemed more distant, as if
the bird had moved away. He would
waste no more time in foolish fears.
TWAS only some wild creature stray
ing down TO the shore from the deeper
woods in the center of the island.
The next instant he stepped upon
something that moved, and instantly
ne sprang back in little tremor Of
alarm. Something rustled in the grass
Drops of cold perspiration started on
his face and hands. The unknown
was'terrible, and, though he had never
seen rattlesnake, his guilty heart
proclaimed one in the grass. He could
not reason with himself how unlikely
this was, or that it was some harmless
snake innocently asleep in the beach
grass, or perhaps some still more in
nocent toad.
Before he fairly recovered from this
weak fright he was stunned with a
deafening, roaring clang. 1t was the
fog-bell at the light. Its murmurous
note rose and fell in tremulous waves
of sound that seemed to chill his
heart. To his surprise, ne found that
he was close up to the white fence of
the lighthouse grounds. The i'm
mense fogb bell had been started, and
would boom and roar at intervals
through the night. Again the surf
roared in the darkness off to the
right
The young man steadied himself
against the damp picket fence and
tried to laugh away his fears, but at
that instant there was a hoarse cry in
the air overhead. A wild-goose sailed
"hOnlling" through the darkness. To
Royal Yardstickie it was an unearthly
cry-a frantic yell of despair. An in
slant later there was a crash of falling
glass, and bright light close beside
him.
A girlish voice, brave and confident
spoke:
who's there?"
cts me. It's only me-"
The light came nearer shedding F.;
little globe of yellow light on the mis-
and half revealing youthful figure
in black.
"Who is it? What do you wan
here?"
Its only Mr. Yardstickie, Mis-
Johnson"
20! l thought it might be som,
tramp, or some one lost in the fog.
have just wound up the"
A roaring clang from the bel Gu
short her speech. AS the wavy hum
ming sound died away, she finished:
the fog-ben. Some bird mus
have dashed into the light. l hear,
the glass break Won't you come in?
well, no, thank you-not now
Fact is, lost my way in the fog. II
find the right path and go home"
Take the lantern. You'll need it.
She drew near and held the lanter
up to him over the fence. The ligh
shone on her face, but behind her ther
stood gigantic shadow on the mist
fantastic and threatening.
why, how cold you look"
Il am little chilly. It's all RICH
Thank you for the lantern. I'll 9
back now"
You'll excuse me, because mus
go in and help father about the DOC
bird that tried to get at the light"
That you, Mai?" said voice in Ii
darkness.
Yes, father What is it?"
Got fat goose. Killed itself ag' il
the light Come helpme fix the wind
Hulloo that you, Mr.. Yarksticlsie
Come and dine with us tomorrow.
wild goose and apple-sass. Come il
Mai, and help me- Goodnight NJ
Yardstickie."
The lantern in his hand seemed
rattle. 1t was strange how his har
shook. By the aid of the tiny circ
of light he followed the white fen
toward the water. As he turned tn
way a cold wind blew in his face, al
over the invisible water came a faiu
blood-chilling moan. His very hea
stood still with terror. Then he :
membered the buoy, and tried
reassure himself and follow the fen
until he should meet the path Aga
the an,-this time at his very fee
He started forward, and there, fall
on the wet grass beside the yello
boulder that he knew so well Law
form in back. He held the lante
with a trembling hand over the prc
trate figure. It moared slightly a,
he stopped and drew aside the bla
lace veil. 1t was Julie-Julie
Favre-his wife.
Her face was wet with mist or tea,
Her hair lay in dark disordered stran
over her neck and shouldersf s.d :