The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-12-29
.'see here, Briefly. whs. can I do

Tor your
Nothing. sir" said Briefly. II
shall start at once"
It was early morning when he
reached the little seaport. and he
started off for the station, on the bit
of q beach that was set among the
rocks like a single jewel in an iron
crown.
The battle with the wind and snow
that Wild New Years morning called
out all his powers of resistance, and
when he reached the station and told
the nan in charge his GRAND, he was
almost jolly!
he was armed with a permit from
the chief of the service, and the brave,
honest fellows soon made him at
home. lie had a long chat with the
man in charge, went out in oilskins
and patrolled the beach awhile, then
went back to the warm, comfortable
station and examined all the appara-
tus, taking q few notes.
The storm increased in fury steadily
and the wind came off the sea in great
gusts that seemed strong enough to
shake the little station down.
It grew dark carly, and when the
afternoon patrol came in at five o'clock
night had settled down.
1t must have been about ten o'clock
when the steady pound of the break
ers on the sand was broken by q diff.
ferent sound. 1t was the boom of a
gun over the water.
They shook Briefly out Of his doze,
and just then the door burst open and
the beach patrol thrust his head in
and shouted:
Run out the gun and the lines.
Something's on the Halfway rock and
shootin' rockets"
Here YVES Brierly's chance. Hastily
throwing on his oilskins he started
out with the men.
The snow had stopped falling. 1t
was a bit lighter, and they could see
the silver line of surf stretching either
way on the beach. Its roar was SO
loud they had to shout in each others
ears to be heard.
With ~unceasing regularity the boom
of the gun rode in to the men. At less
regular intervals . fiery snake wrig-
g]cd out of the blackness and died in
mid air.
1t was a tough struggle to the wa
ter's edge. but at last they planted the
gun and made ready to drop a line over
the vessel. Several times they were
unsuccessful, and pulled the line back
again, but finally succeeded.
By this time the gun had ceased its
booming and the fiery snakes wriggled
40 longer. Erierly had walked along
the beach So he might look out at
a different angle, and was standing
straining his eyes for a sight of the
vessel.
He was just starting back when a
huge comber came bounding in, bear
ing q black object on its crest. briefly
saw it and waited.
On it came, curling, seething, flash
ing and foaming. With q last mad
leap the breaker struck the shore, wet
ting Briefly to his waist, and laying
at his very feet its burden.
1t wQs the body Of a man dashed to a spar.
All signs Oh life were beaten out Of
the body.
Briefly cut the lashings, shouldered
the body and fought his way to the
station. 1t vas deserted. By the light
of the lamps he saw the man was
young and that he was breathing.
Brierly's first thought was identif-
cation. Slipping his hand into the
mans breast pocket he took out 4 lit
tie leather photograph case and
opened it, and saw-his own face.
For a moment he was puzzled. Then
he gave the mans face along look and
jumped to his feet with: John, back
from the dead-"
Outside the wind whistled under the
caves and shrieked like ten thousand
demons. Then it would sob and moan
and slip off like q pack of frightened
wolves. Those few moments seemed
hours tc Briefly, and he worked as he
never worked before.
Time and again he stopped over and
kissed the cold, wet lips. calling on
the silent form to speak to him. And
outside the wind went bowling by.
Then John opened his eyes and
smiled, and Briefly danced-yes, actu-
ally d~anced-with joy.
The story is very nearly told. Next
morning Dearborn got a telegram.
which said:
My brother is here: come. BRIEFLY"
And when he came John told them
how at the very moment he was going
to end his miserable life he had been
persuaded to ship as a common sailor
on board the Mermaid. She had got
ten off her course in the storm, and
here he was.
1t was : week before he was able to
go up to town. But when he did 60
he went to work on the Sun and is
making q success there under the
watchful eye of his brother.
Z And the witty man says that: Briefly
has gotten to be quite a decent sort of
q fellow now."-George L. Sullivan, in
Boston Globe.
The Years Best Gift.
The fire was bright tn night was dIesr.
We sat and praised the parting year.