Griggs courier., 1893-07-07
for MS to go 20 bed, and she has stopped


because she wanted to see the sea- -
"And. oh, the seas so rough!' said
Willy. ''and there are great, big, cnor-
nous waves as big as-oh. ever SO big!
And Maly's hat nearly blew away, and
our coats are quite wet"
Go and take them of, then, my boy.
Good night, little man. Good night,
Malv. Run along"
Sybil stood ON the beach and watched
the sea. Her clothes were twisted
around her by the gale, and her hal,
had been blown loose and was
slapping her face and tapping like
ribbons. Every wave seemed to Gig
into the shore Us it broke with the
noise of thousand guns. and then
rushed up the sloping shingle. It tore
the stones back with grinding sound
in its receding. Spray stood in drops
ON SYPHILIS face and on the nap of her
rough coat. Foam lay like snow in long
line that was washed higher and higher.
How the wind roared and how tho
sea thundered. Sybil breathed a prayer
for all who were at the mercy of the
waters. What free and superb curve
was that of breaking wave. There
must be for moment hollow, she
thought, under each, as the hollow un.
der the falls of Niagara, where you can
stand unwet in the heart of the cata-
ract.
In the wild evening the glamour of
the storm teok possession of her. She
was buffeted by the wind and wet by
the spray till it seemed to her that the
tempest awoke kindred spirit within
her. She would like to dash into those
angry waves and help in the havoc of
the night. How rapturous to be mer-
maid, to dive through those monstrous
breakers, to ride upon the crests of
them, to throw yourself backward
thence with outstretched arms, to turn
and tumble and dance till you churned
them to further foam.
She stood looking at the sea with a
fascination that made her needless of
all but her fancies. Then her heart
stood still. A black mountain was ad-
vancing toward her. Had the whole
sea heaped itself to one stupendous
wave?
There was the noise Of the crushing
of world.
In his study the vicar locked up from
his sermon.
What was that?" he asked aloud.
There was silence in the house and then
screaming. The women rushed from
their quarters.
THE waters coming up the gar.
dcn."
The maid who spoke was white to
the lips. Mr.. North went to the door
and opened it. There was q sound in
| the garden that had never been heard
there before. It was the rushing back
of the water. 1t flowed down in fat
sheet to the basin of the sea.
"A tidal wave" said the vicar, lit
will not occur again."
Il thought it was the end of the
world" said the nurse. Its mercy
the children were in. But where's the
boys and Miss Elsie?"
"Sybil"' he said. "Sybil: Where Is
Sybil? My God, don't tell me she isn't
with YOU"
The servants looked at each other in
blank alright No one had seen her.
No one had heard her come in.
Cant you answer" said the vicar,
turning to them with such frenzied
look as not one of them will ever for
get. They shrank back. The nurse
began to sob.
Mr.. North ran down the garden,
splashing through the water that had
been left in pools upon the grass. The
sea had fallen back to its accustomed
place. There was nothing on the beach.
! but high up the line of the yellow foam
The vicar ran hither and thither on the
| shore. He seemed bereft of his senses.
The women followed him, keeping close
together.
He stopped and faced them.
"What shall do?" he said, helpless.
ly; "what shall do?"
"Where are the boys and Elsie?''
asked the nurse.
"Tether's Point. They are safe. But
Sybil! Oh, dear God, Sybil, Sybil!'
He began to sob. His knees shook.
He wore no hat, and his gray hair was
blowing in the wind; his long coat
tapped around him. Some of his
parishioners gathered on the shore.
The servants ran to them. Old Trem-
lin said no boat could put out in such
sea. and if she could, what good?
But, Miss Sybil," he said. sit can't
be true. The Lord wouldn't Let it hap
pen"
The night was spent in search.
Parties were quickly organized and set
out in both directions. From Tether's
Point came the boys and Elsie.
''It washed up to within foot of US.
Did you all come out to see it?''
WAS Sybil with youo Have you
seen Sybil?"
They had not. With white faces they
joined in the search. The pitiless sea
fell back yard by yard. and with the
dawn the wind had dropped.
The vicar, stricken man, raised his
lined face to Heaven.
''Thy way is in the sea-" he said.
Thy path in great waters" and again:
Hitherto shalt thou come. but no fur
ther, and here shall thy proud waves be
stayed. Is it true. o Lord? Is it true?'
1t was many days before there lay
one morning at daybreak, upon the
beach, that which had once been Sybil.
It Law still in the prav liphf and tha