The Van Buren press., 1895-01-05
FENELLA. -
A Story Of Two Very Memorable
Meetings.


things?" said Mrs. Markheim. She
was seated in the well Of the yacht
Kestrel (two and q half rater), and the
yacht Kestrel bobbed up and down on
the waters of the harbor In man.
ner which, experienced from the well,
was the reverse of reassuring to lady
whose years, like her waist, was on
the poetical side of forty. The young
man she addressed was at the tillcr,
about seven feet from his aunt. but 80
intent upon keeping the Kestre's
course that he paid no attention to the
ladys anxious words. The yacht was
going six knots close hauled, to a
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. Markheim's anxiety grew
with them. ''Richard, you're sure
we shall be all right? Dolly" turning
to her daughter, who was leaning
meditatively over the weather rail,
watching the fo9m as it raced by,
Dolly. you're not safe there; come
and sit by me-"
"My dear aunt" said Richard, rude
ly, unless you can be quiet, I'll just
pile her up on this breakwater, and
then there'll be something worth talk
ing about"
"Pile her up was an expression
which Richard had come across in one
of Clark Russell's novels-he reviewed
novels. wrote them as we'll, or, at any
rate, stories-and he used 1t with all
the relish which literary man has for
an opposite quotation. Certainly 1t
silenced Mrs. Markheim for the mo-
ment.
The Kestrel had now passed the
buoy and was outside the harbor, and
the exultant Richard, who had never
before. had sole control of yacht,
winked at his Cousin Dolly, a wink
full of high spirits and self-confidence.
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
sailor. Graded upon the deep and prob
ably we'll acquainted with all the COM
plexities of tide and current which
give the southwest corner of the Manx
coast an unenviable fame among
yachtsmen, and furnish the fishermen
of Port Erin innumerable yarns; but
the devious uncertain course which
the Kestrel shaped and the frequent
Hutter OF her badly set mainsail told a
different story. Indeed, the crew OF
an incoming lugger which passed
Richards craft discovered in their
mild, quiet Manx way the chances OF
an accident when the yacht got be-
yond the shelter of Bradda Head. Be-
fore Richard could plume himself upon
being absolutely In the open sea, Mrs.
Markheim gave an involuntary shud-
der and endeavored to sit bolt upright.
Richard" she said, 1--WE must re.
turn"
"Couldn't think Of it now, aunt.
We're just beginning to enjoy life."
"a insist. I--feel-unwell." She put
her lips together tightly and for once
Dolly was glad to note her mothers
firmness Neither of them was used to
two and half raters in a choppy sea.
''Oh! very well, then," Richard
grumbled. Il must put the yacht about
and we'll run in on the other tack"
He used these sea terms with con-
siderable fluency, for he had been
studying the subject practically dur
ing the last week, but when itactually
came to putting the Kestrel about his
confidence began to desert him. His
fisherman tutor had told him that one
person could easily manage u boat
like the Kestrel, and Richard, with the
omniscient assurance of a man accus'
toned to patronize the universe in
the editorial notes of an evening
paper, had replied: "Oh, yes, easily
He found the task rather exciting,
however. Should the jibsheet or the
foresheet be loosed first? He decided
on the foresheet, which was wrong,
and yet he could have gone through
the drill without hitch-on paper
The foresail was now shaking, and he
called Dolly to hold the helm down
hard while he attended to things gen
orally. OF course, the yacht hung
dead in the wind, the mainsail Tapping
in a style which caused Mrs. Mark
helm to pray for dry land.
''Ah, missed stays" calculated the
captain of the Kestrel, with an at
tempt at calmness; well try again.
Not without difficulty, he got 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.
Him! Funny!' said Richard.
At this instant Mrs. Markheim stood
mp, and the boom Immediately carried
away her bonnet and part of her hair
She screamed. and, following the flying
confection with her eyes, she wa.
brought face to face with the fact that
the yacht was quickly drifting toward
the rocks of Bradda. She screamed
anew, this time in earnest.
Richard! See. We're on the rocks!
Richard looked, and at once realized
that the tide was sweeping them or
the headland in spite of the wind. He
lost his head then. and began pulling
Rimlessly at ropes, muttering the