The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1894-12-15

his diagnosis was ooIhooo enefe beyond
question. The winter passed and the
spring. 1t was arranged that our marriage
should take place the coming October.
And now I began to lose my appetite and
strength. My parents were much alarmed,
and Jerome especially SO. "A European
voyage was discussed by the three most
solicitous for my welfare and finally de-
cjded nnon. but for some reason which
could not myself understand my will in
tbis matter asserted itself. SO violently
onnosed the plan that it was given up,
though most Reluctantly
had it in mind that was sinking into
a decline. and wanted to die in my own
country In dim sort of way felt that
a great change was in store for me in the
coming snmmer-some crisis in my life
and nv languor and depression of spirits
caused me to picture my own death. l
had even mentally arranged the deathbed
scene and the probable time of my demise,
which thought would be either in July
or August was, in fact, in deplorably
morbid state Of mind
My reading and music were of course
given up. / had tainted while at the
piano. and the physician whom we had
known since nv childhood issued his man
date that | was to do nothing in music
during the summer, and that my reading,
If 7 read at all. must be of the lightest and
most trashy nature The LIST of July found
ms AGAIN at the seashore-at the place
where we had first met the year before
.Jerone's passion for the ocean was. if
possible, greater than ever. He seemed
really satisfied and at ease only when he
was near the water or on it, liking which
did not share, though was usually his
companion when he went on his sailing
excursions. One evening had started
alone for q stroll on the beach. leaving
Jerome on the hotel piazza talking bust
ness with a friend The sun was setting
when he Joined me, and we stood in silence
watching its disappearance below the hori-
zon line.
"Let us walk down to the little cove
and take a boat and so for a short row
NY heart grew sick with apprehension.
at is too late" urged sit would be
dark long before we could get back -
"Not at all The moon will be up, and,
see. there are others starting out. We shall
have company about us, even If we do not
know them
II feel somehow insisted, as if I
"Because?" he queried.
81 cannot tell why, but you know, Jer-
ONE, never oppose you just now, how
ever
"Nor must you now" he said, taking
my hands and looking into my eyes with
his kindly, searching gaze
But the ocean is so large and our boat
SO small
Eyes, but 1 know the ocean and love It,
We are on the best Of terms. You know,
too, that I handle the oars with the skill
of professional oarsman.
BY this time we had reached the cove
and the man in charge of the boats had
one in readiness for u.s.
The strong will made me obey, as 1t al
ways did, and I stepped into the boat. AS
we pushed off I saw a s1nall cloud coming
up out of the west. A sick fear came over
me- and the certainty orept into my brain
that the crisis 1 had been dreading was
hanging over me.
But said nothing. jerome had no
sympathy with frightened women. The
cloud grew larger and blacker. 1t was in
comprehensive to me that man with
such cool Judgment and so large an
amount of caution as Jerome possessed did
not at once turn back The other boats
were all coming in, but still we went on.
1t grew darker The whole appearance OF
the night seemed ghast1y to me. = The
ocean lay very black, the breathings of the
wind just ripping the water. A thin,
shadowy vapor came and hid the moon.
Now the breeze died out, and the atmos-
phere grew hot. < :,
In the extreme west the shade Of the
heavens was of dismal state, and tho
lightning was winking like stars, dancing
madly in amongthe gloom. sat motion
less in the middle of the boat, strangely
and unnaturally calm, watching the
growth of the storm. The gloom stole
gradually into darkness, as though giant
hand was warily drawing sable curtain
about us. Twice tried to ask If he were
trying to row homeward, but I could not
articulate word. And now came vivid
flash of forked lightning. 1T showed me
Jerome's handsome face, pale as death, the
features set and rigid. The crash of thun-
der that followed was terrific.
When the peal had died away, some
thing came to my crippled consciousness
as decisive and hopeless as a sentence OF
death to a criminal. 'We are doomed, my
dear child, but at least we can die together.
/ could not have gone without you" The
wind rose, and our boat began dancing on
the crests of the waves as lightly as bird
on clover top. I thought I saw not far
off boat larger than ours with some one
in it, but was not sure that it was not a
fancy of mine, born of dim hope that we
might be saved. A thousand lights danced
before my eyes; my senses were leaving
me; my feet grew icy cold and felt as If
they were in water which was indeed the
case.
All Mt onoe the boat gave whirl and
plunge, and I knew no more. When the
morning dawncd, clear and cool, L found
myself lying in the boathouse, blanketed
and shawled. with my mother and other
friends about me. Why did not inquire
i1f regard to the fate of JeromeP hardly
knew, but I did not.
"Mr Croker has just gone up to the
hotel to dry and warm himself" volun-
teered one of my friends. "We begged
him to go. We assured him we would
send him word directly you regained your
consciousness.
After fortnight had passed, during