The Delta independent., 1893-09-13

is nigh to me now. Hearken then,
sir. an III tell We q tale Of the sad,
sad sea; a tale OF its cruelty to one /
loved; tale that's brimful with pain.
an woes an griefs; ah. God, that he
sh"u.i go! wild an awful the tenn
pest ragged when he dared an per-
ished" After few moments of
weeping and muttering to herself she
began her disjointed narrative anew.
"SOftly the gray mists hung far
DER the smiling bay. an the sun
sparkled on the little ripples that
were SO weak they hardly broke on
the shore that fair Sepsem Der morn
we two were married. But as night
came on, great, dark, towerin' storm
clouds. leaden hued. so1rried across
the heavens, an the fierce red light
nings glowed an flashed on roar
in sea From the dark south came
up the gale. drivin' before it straight
unbroken rows of mountainous bill
lows, crowned on top same as with
white yeast: then, like a tiend turned
loose with shriekin' yells an below
in's, down swoOpud the storm an
whipped big clots OF foam from of
the waves, an hurled the heavy
swell far up the groanin' shore.
Truly, the earth seemed frightened
with the madness OF the seas.
'But in the house here we were
haviu' merry time. We had lot
of the women and children from town
AMI a couple of the young men who
were just in from trip and stopped
over to see US married. Old Capn
Thomas and the minister had each
just said a grace, and we were about
to fall to and eat when suddenly some
one heard a faint signal gun. In a
minute feast and everything was for.
gotten: of rushed the whole company,
men. women and children. Malcolm
and me with them. to the beach.
What did We see in the darkening
evening light? A vessel way out sea
ward. pounding on the bar, Not a
stick nor spar did she have standing;
shorn of everything b. the force OF
the shock when she struck. and tn.
big waves da.hin' and Iashiu' clean
over her.
Not q minute do VIC waste. but all
hands help drag the life boat down
to the edge OF the surf and then quick
call for volunteers. brave fellows who
count themselves nothing If they oan
only save some one else's life. Ms
Malcolm felt n fear, he was the first
t" spring forward and. though cluug
to him and beseeched and sobbed.
would not heed me. He gave one
last embrace to me. his new made
wife. and turned to the boat
.Nainly ! begged him to remain
with me that first day of our welded
life, but no. he counted his duty be-
fore all else. Oh. that | had died
then, My heart was filled with a
dark terror. twas torn and rent
apart with anguish that he would 90:
my head was swimmin' and reelin. '
and crazed with the cruel smart OF
his first refusal | mocked and cursed
him there, Aye. cursed him for
what was only right Tor the boat
was but poorly manned. there were
so few men at the beach. and of
them some were old and almost
crippled: but in my selfish rawlings
felt no pity for the poor ship in dis
tress, screaming again and again
that ! wished IL would break up be-
fore they got started. and that il
they went hoped nc-nr to see any
OF them again.
"Slowly my Malcolm left his place
at the bow Of the boat; If | live till
I'm a hundred. which God pity me. |
hope / won't never can forget the
look ] saw on his face in the wan
light
Nell. darling. kiss me goodby.
Won'tP All well, God bless you" and
he was gone.
Down on the sand fell in dead
faint What then? All. yes lay
there but moment; the wet sand on
my face brought mo TO. | stared
about me; none were left but a little
knot of women and children huddled
together, crying and peering through
the gloom at the struggling boat and
a couple of old men still standing
waist deep in the water where they
had helped shove off.
Now the surf is passed; they are
tossed on the great waves; down.
down they go far from sight in the
mad sea; then they come again up,
up. 'gainst wind and tide. now
/ toppling on the point OF some mon
ster billow, only to 90 plunging down
! to meet the next, and pulling with
/ might and main to reach the wreck
that labored and strained on the bar
and threatened to go to pieces every
second.
'Now they work round under her
stern and are hidden from us by the
hulk. but soon we see them again
carefully approaching from the lee
side; but even there it seems too
rough to try to board her. Then we
know from tho motions that they
, have cast line, which must be
caught, rs now we see dark shape
suspended over tho boat for an in
stant; the next vast. mountainous
wall of foam overwhelms them. tho
gale bursts out afrcsh. and when we
can get our brcaths and look again
a l.