St. Landry democrat., 1893-10-28

| now lilluSS "tut Oh I'LL lllt alttluoh4
they ended-for me, anyway-forl never
sailed that boat again.
ct was the 10th Of August. The
month had been very hot, and we hadn't
had any sailin' breeze for four days, but
that mornin' nice stiff breeze begun to
come in from the sea. 1t was Il spually
breeze, an | didn't Jest like it, but
after a time it settled down, an [ con
cluded it would stay clear till neat
mornin'
"Wel, was scttin' in my door mend
in sail for my cat boat, when | heard
the crowd a-comin'. always knew 'cln
by Miss jules voice. most generally
could hear that by the time they left Miss
Hollis door.
"They had couple of city fellers
down from the city for the day, an
nothin' would do but | must take 'eln
sailin'. wouldn't have gone, but Jest
at the last minute little Miss May come
up an TUX my old brown fist in her two
little white paws, an sez she: ooh,
Uncle Jerry, do go. I'm going home to-
morrow, an want one more sail, an
this is my last chance An so il was,
poor lass but not in the way she meant
Well, couldn't say no. She made me
think of the little one lost twenty
| years ago, an sO-We started.
1.-The tide was runnn' out, an the
wind was due east, which made the white
caps fly; but put in tack and started
for the mouth of the bay. Jest about
| the time we got out from under the cliffs
the squall struck us an saw my mis-
| take.
1.-The Foam heeled over till her storm
deck was two feet under water threw
her head up into the wind, but as she
came around cross sea struck her bow,
an when looked for Tom to take in
| sail. Tom was gone
Uncle Jerry laid down his paint brush
Just here and gazed with dim eyes over
the smiling bay, living over again the
great tragedy of his simple life. And
sat upright, and burying my hands deep
in the white sand about me, tried to alb
sorb all my faculties in the act Of listen
ing, following Unole Jerry's knotty fore
finger as it pointed to the distant horizon
HILL and gave meaning to his words
"WeL | didn't dare tell them young
things what had happened. | saw They'll
need all their courage before they got
home, if the Lord ever let them get there
at all.
Il looked at little Miss May, an there
she sat, her head on her knees, her two
little hands over her face somehow
she'd never looked SO small before
Jest then she raised her head She was
white--lnt then she always was that
but | can tell you a cold chill went down
my back when heard her give a great
laugh thought she'd gone clean out
of her mind with fear, but it was nothin'
of the kind, for the next moment she
says, still jokin' like: The idea of Toms
bein' such coward! Hugh, will you
an the BOYS git down the sail for the
captain? Toms below an can't do any
thing
"Then | knew she knew. an that she
saw our danger rs plain as did.
"The boys sprang forard, but they
hadn't time to reef it, so they Jest cut it
away an tried to reef the ib instead.
Those boys meant well, but every min
ute was precious. an it did seem to me
they took an hour to get it done.
1.-The mast bent like a fish pole, an
every minute thought to hear it crack
All this time the water was comm over
the sides, an little Miss May stood there
up to her knees in it, coaxin' those great
healthy boys an girls, an scoldin when
she couldn't keep 'em quiet without it.
"There was no use maxim light of our
danger now. 1t didn't need tcllin'-
they all saw it. Then, as the boys
turned to come aft, the city Teller lost
his footin' an over he went after Tom
Mr.. Hugh an the other Teller Just
looked at each other an staggered to
their places an then they ran in to Miss
May. She didn't give EN- time to git
more scarf. She jest handed 'em two
buckets and said, kinder stern: Here
don't be towards. If we must die, lets
die bravely but in the meantime
work
II had given up then, an kinder re
signed myself to what was comm | had
time to look around, for the tiller WAS
dashed fast-no man could hold it in
sea like that-an' can remember Miss
May as plain as if it was Yesterday.
"They told me afterward that her
grandfather was famous sea captain |
that went down standin' on the bridge of !
his ship; an guess she TUX after him,
an it come to the top when it was
wanted, cause she was as cool as cow
cumber. AS fast as the others got scared, |
she grew quiet; an her voice, that was
so soft an gentle when she used to sit
beside me, rang like bell as she told
'em what to do. It seemed queer to see
her standin' there among them great
girls that had! laughed at her cause she
couldn't keep up to 'em, an they cryin'
an screamln an the men warn't much
better.
"She was wet to the skin now, standin'
pretty we'll forward, as she was, every
wave that come aboard splashed over
her.
"The wind or somethin' had brought
tho color to her cheeks, an every now
an then she'd take her cap off an shake
the water from her hair She seemed to
grow taller, too, an her voice, which the
wind brought back to me, sounded for
all the world like the last echo o. the
fog bell t'other side the bar.
"We were gettin' on now. With that
wind at our backs an the racin' cut of
the Foam we could't help it. We were
in past the lighthouse, an I begun to
think we'd weather it. Jest then there
was report like pistol, an went
heelin' to leeward with my arm in film
ders. remember thinkin' that was the
end O. things, an then | fainted"
Uncle Jerry drew out gorgeous red
cotton handkerchief and moppcd his
brow, from which the perspiration was
rolling In streams; then he continued:
"When | come to, there was Miss May