The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1893-07-26


at my fears.
'For fifty years Last Island has held
its own against wind and waves" he
said. cit isn't likely you're going to
play the Jonah and sink it.
As for Christina, she looked at the
strange country with dread and sur
prise.
each Gott," she cried, "but it is de
wasser all round, and de erf no higher
as dat. When de waves come, what to
do?"
''They have never come over as yet"
| answered. She shook her head, but
day after day she took her way TO the
beach. The scene seemed to have a
fascination for her, but the fascination
of terror, for she was always measur-
ing the height of the tide on the sand.
1t became common thing TO hear her
daily report.
''De wasser come two fingers more
high dan s'day," or 'De wasser go
down 80 far.
''That girl has water on the brain, ;"
Paul said, impatiently. eff mighty
Iagre' should come and sweep us into
the gulf she wouldn't be bit sur
prised.
Meantime life went on as it usually
does at those seaside resorts, but pleas
ant MS it all was L was not sorry when
the 18th of September, the time de-
cided upon for our return to the city,
arrived.
Paul had come for us, but the fif-
teenth was ushered in by such a storm
of wind and rain that the daily steamer
did not arrive. The mainland was not
at great distance, but in storm the
sea between it and the island was ex-
tremely rough.
Toward noon the gale increased. 1
noticed that Paul became restless,
hurrying out to the beach and examin-
| ing one or two little fishing skiffs
moored there. One of them he drew
I up and fastened near our cottage, say
ing:
'I suppose there is not a bit of dan
ger, but it's well to be prepared, you
know. 1 think" trying to speak in
differently, 81 might as well knock to-
gether those old shutters lying in the
yard; make kind of raft. Not that
there's the least danger, but it's rain
ing and storming SO that 1 want some
thing to pass away the time"
watched him with sinking heart.
But Christina was alert in assisting,
and, in fact, did more than half the
work on the raft. She seemed sudden
ly to have lost all fear in the presence
OF real danger and looked brighter
than had ever seen her.
Night came black and starless, but
when supper time arrived, Paul in
sisted upon my going to the dining
room. We were in n small cottage,
about two hundred yards from the main
building, but the wind was so high, it
was with difficulty traversed the short
distance.
You can imagine that had little sp-
petite for supper that night. l heard
music in the ball room, where the
young people were dancing, as they
did every night, but my one object
was to get back to my baby, whom 1
had left with Christina. The two elder
children were with us.
Suddenly the utmost fury of the
storm burst upon the island, as We
reached the door.
"My God," cried Paul, "the wind
has gone round to the north Hold
on to me, Helen. Take one of the
children; have Mary"
Our first step was in water above the
ankles. Another tremendous gust,
and we heard crash behind us, mixed
with piercing shrieks, and knew the
hotel was gone. Half fainting, 1 was
dragged through the water. 1 knew
not where or how. When l revived, i
was tossing in skiff with my husband
and children.
"My baby, where is my baby?" 1
cried.
''You have two children, Helen, :"
Paul said in a choking voice. "The
cottage was swept away with the hotel.
If it hadn't been for the quick flashes
of lightning, never could have found
the boat, and we would all have been
drowned"
"My baby, my baby" 1 cried,
wringing my hands.
'Her chances are as good as ours,
Paul said sadly. eff this boat is
driven out to sea, it won't live an
hour. 1 think the wind is lulling a
little, though. Oh, if daylight would
only come"
l do not know how that night
passed; that horrible night that even
now haunts my dreams. By daylight
the storm was over, and we found our
selves in comparatively calm water.
'Look, look, Helen !" Paul cried,
don't you see that stunted orange tree {?
Don't you remember it grew on a
mound to the left of the hotel? We
have been ON the island all night"
looked. With the exception of
that little green tuft above the waves,
not a vestige remained of Last Island.
We could see black specks on the
water, but whether they were boats or
the debris of buildings, We could not
tell. Later we were told that out of
over one hundred people who were on
the day before, not more than twenty
were rescued.
Steamers and vessels will soon be
coming to our rescue now, said Paul.
"Of course they know what has hap
pened. Here comes Il steamer now,
thank God"
l did not echo his words. 1 was