Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-03-02
CHAPTER II.
Nd DOES NOT RETURN.

know not why. but | had an uneasy
feeling about Jack all that day, and it
increased after he had left the rectOry
for Dhu-COrrig. For some time this
uneasy feeling took no precise shape,
but later on | began to picture to my
self "A tidal wave" sweeping him off
the rock. and having Il lively magma
ton saw the imaginary scene clearly
AMI Jack struggling for his life in the
water. In the previous summer three
tenants of ours in different part of the
country, all fathers of families. had
been SO swept off the rocks while fish
ing Gunner and drowned. Though | re-
minded myself that Jack WIS Il SPLEEN
did swimmer and diver and could do
anything i'll the water, | Couid not get
rid of the vague sense of coming calam-
ity of which | was conscious all day,
and which became greater and greater
as the sun set and darkness came on.
Might not Jack he attacked by
cramp.' | thought. "when IN the WA
ter" True. he never had had cramp,
nor did l know of any one who was
ever assailed ill that way. but | had
heard great deal of talk about the
cramp. | was sent to bed early, for
was only s years old, but | could not
sleep. | kept listening tor the barking
Ct the dogs. In the previous summer
that was to me the usual sign that Jack
had returned safe from fishing 1t was
now long after dark. My two elder
brothers, Ned and Sam. came into the
room with lamp. We then slept in
the same room. Ned and Sam in one
large bed in little timber hclstcad,
with high sides, over which | had to
climb in getting in and out. Ned put
the lamp ON the table opposite the look
ing glass and leaned over it. He took
pin and began to push up the wick.
1t was a primitive little lamp. have
not seen such since l was boy. There
was usually fat red head on the top
of the wick. which had to be snuffed
just as we used to snuff the candles.
Jack is out late tonight" he said.
Il hope nothing has happened him. D."
What could happen him?" said
Sam, who was of a more stolid charac
ter. While saying this he undid the
serpent fastened belt which confined
bis wagner. In those days boys wore
waist by belt. We used to call them
wagoners.
Il don't know" replied Ned, but
it's very late. There's papa opening the
hall door and listening How still the
night isl"
He's drowned" l cried from my
truckle bed. The tidal wave has
caught him as it caught Cody, Phillips
and Moroney last year.
Hold your tongue, you little ass, and
go to sleep" answered Ned angrily. but
he threw down the window, leaned out
and listened. There was a cOrncrake
crying somewhere outside. The moon
was shining. l could hear the distant
roar of .zthe sea when it rolled up the
white strand that we called Tramore.
This is getting bad, Sam, he said.
Hes long after his time
Sam was in bed, but sitting up and
listening with bright eyes. l heard my
father moving about below stairs cease
lessly from the hall door to the parlor
and back again and talking with my
mother.
There's some one coming" said
Ned. The dogs were indeed barking
but not for Jack, that knew well.
Pooh! tits only old Jer."
well, Jer," he cried from the win
dow, where are the fish? Why isn't
Master John with your
To these questions there was no au-
dible reply.
Jer was one of my fathers laborers,
who worked. or rather deliberately idled,
rror tho extensive o1oha forYn VI, hifb
was attached to the rectory. 1t will be
remembered that it was Jer whom my
brother told to come to Dhu-Corrig aft
er sunset. Jer made no reply to Ned's
questions. | heard him scrunching the
gravel as he walked slowly to the hall
doQE