The morning call., 1894-11-25

| MIS- Marknelm. she was seated in the
well of the yacht Kesral two and a half
rater). and the yacht Kestrel bobbed up
and down on the waters of the harbor in
manner which, experienced from the we'll
was the reverse of reassuring to a lady
whose years, like her waist, were lust
upon the pOetical side Of 40. The
young man she addressed was at
the tiller. about seven feet from
| his aunt, but so intent upon keep
| ing the Kestreps course that he paid no
attention to the lady's anxious words The
yacht was doing six knots, close hauled 10
freshening north wind. and Richard,
who had owned her for exactly one week,
felt mighty proud of her sailing qualities.
AS she neared the buoy which marks the
end of the sunken breakwater the waves
| grew bigger. and Mrs. Markhem's anxiety
grew with them. Richard, you're sure
we shall be all right? Dolly" turning to
her daughter. who was leaning medita-
lively over the weather-rail watching the
| foam as it raced by. dolly. you're not
safe there; come and sit bv me-"
My dear aunt" said Richard, rudely,
unless YOU can be quiet I'll just pile her
upon the breakwater. and then there'll be
something worth talking about"
| pile her up was an expression which
Richard had come across in one of Clark
RdsselPs novels-he reviewed novels,
wrote them as well. or at any rate stories
and he used it with all the relish which
literary man has for an opposite quota
| ton. Certainly it silenced Mrs. Markheim
| for the moment.
The kestrel had now passed the buoy
and was outside the harbor, and the ex-
ultant Richard. who had never before had
sole control of yacht, winked at his
Cousin Dolly wink full OF high spirits
and self-conIrOl.
Feel comfy?" he asked her. She
| smiled reply.
Judging from his careless nautical
attire, and especially the knowing angle
at which his peaked cap was tilted, the
inexperienced person might have taken
Richard for thorough sail r, Graded
upon the deep and probably well &C
quainted with all the complexities of tide
and current which give the south west
corner of the Manx coast an unenviable
fame among yaehtsmen and furnish the
fishermen Of Port Erin with innumerable
yarns. out The devious, uncertain course
winch the Kestrel shaped and the frequent
tutter of her badly set mainsaiI, told dit
1erent story. Indeed. the crew of an In
coming lugger which passed Richards
craft discussed ih heir mild, quiet Manx
way the chances of an accident when the
yacht got beyond the shelter of Bradda
Head. She was destined, however, not to
get beyond the shelter of Bradda Head.
Before Richard could plume himself upon
being absolutely in the open sea Irs.
Markhelm gave an involuntary shudder
aid endeavored to sit bolt upright.
Richard" she said, I'VE must return"
Couldn't think of it. now, aunt. Were
JUS beginning 10 enjoy lfe."
II insist. I-feel-unweIl." She put
her lips together tightly. and for once
Dolly was glad TO note her mothers firm
ness. Neither of them was used 10 two
and half ratnrs in a phOOnV
"Oh! very well, then" Richard grnm-
bled. 81 must put the yacht about and
we'll run it on the other tack"
He used these sea terms with consider
able tiuency, for he had been studying the
ubject practically during the past week.
But when il actually came to putting the
Kestre about his confidence began to de-
sert h i'm. His fisherman tutor had told
him tn at one erson could easily manage
boat like the Kestrel, and Richard, with
| the Omniscient assurance of man accus-
toned to patronize the universe, had re-
piled. "Oh, yes, easily" He found the
task rather exciting, however. Should the
jbsheet or the foresheet be loOsed first?
He decided on the foresheet, which was
wrong. and yet he could have gone through
the drill without a hitch-on paper. Tie
oresail was now shaking and he called
Dolly 10 hold the helm hard down while he
attended to things generally. OF course
the yacht hung dead in the wind, the
mainsail Tapping in style which caused
Mrs. Markheim to pray for dry land.
''Ah missed stavs," CALCULATED the cap
tain OF the Kestrel, with an attempt at
eslmness; "we'lI Try again." Not without
difficulty he get the Yacht under way once
more. a second time Dolly was Instructed
to hold the helm down hard, and second
time the obstinate little vessel stuck In the
wind.
"H'm! FUNNY" said Richard.
At this instant Mrs. Markheim stood up
and the boom Immediately carried away
her bonnet and part of her hair She
screamed, and following the flying con-
lection with her eyes she was brought
face TO face with the fact that the yacht
was quickly drifting toward the rocks of
Bradda. She screamed anew, and this
time in earnest.
"Rchardl Seei We're on the rocks"
Richard looked and at once realized that
the tide was sweeping them on the head
land in spite Of the wind. He lost his
head then, and began pulling aimlass at
ropes, mutteriDg the while, You're all
right; you're all right. Don'tget alarmed"
"There's some one 10 boat there hail
ing you," said Dolly, pale with excitement
and pointing to light cockleshell of a
dingy with lug sail which was approach
ing them on the lee bow. Richard listened.
You'll be ashore If you don't mind"
came thin. far-off shout.
'"There, there / told YOU" Mrs. Mark
ucim dlinUst SOuUcO'
Richard called back some unintelligible
reply.
"Help. helpw shouted his aunt, with
more sense. The little boat rapidly APP
preached them, dancing lightly over the
waves like an animated cork. Its oecu-
pant proved to be girl. She was dressed
in blue serge. with Tam Shanter hat.
Skllfully steering her dingy alongside the
Kestrel she lowered her sail with run,
threw Richard line. and was Cd board in
a twinkling. Richard laised his hat. feel
ing exquisitely foolish, and stammered
that the yacht would persist in hangin g
in the wind. They were not seventy yards
from the rock now.
''Oh! do, do something" easped Mrs.
Markheim. You seem to know-er-
about these things"
The girl put up the helm and sharply
told Richard to keep it there. He said to
himself that he would sooner have gone
down with all on board" than be rescue d
in this way by girl. Aud on his own
yacht. too! Now she took the helm from
him, and Richard saw that in some mirac-
ulous way the Kestrel was moving again.
the sails all drawing and the dingy towing