The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1895-10-11

ground in safety, but still fast asleep
"While we talked we altcrnatel
paced the deck and leaned over tn
side watching the phosphoresccn
flashes in the water and talking Il
young idiots will of the moonlight an,
the beauty of the stars and she sudden
" said
How delightful it would be f
walk out on that pole pointing to tn
main boom) and leap off into the sill
very water.
"She spoke lightly. but shivereC
from an uneyplainablc prescntment o
evil, and she, catching the influence
of my mood, shuddered suddenly ant
hastily turned the subject. W,
talked for awhile longer, but the pleas
ure of our conversation had somehow
been spoiled by that careless remark
and she soon babe me good night ano
went below.
After she had gone made toul
of the ship according to my custom
and finding nothing to need my pres
ence. | went to bed myself.
after the fashion of youth, m,
head had no sooner touched the pillow
than | was sound asleep, and i
|
passed before | was reused suddenly
by voice which called to me, Come !!
- did not recognize the voice as
that of any one of the ship, but il
was so full of terror, so thrilled with
a quivcring fear. that sat up hastily,
trembling and listening for the slight.
est sound. The wind was rising and
could hear it wailing softly, with the
eeric sound which it always has al
night and at sea, but | could hear moth
ing else, and ! was about doing
when that call came again.
This time it sounded as though ii
We're further off, but its appeal for
help was just as clear to my brain.
and | hcsitatcd no longer. Hastily
slipping into my clothing. | dashed
up the companion, and as touched
the deck ! heard il plainly once
more. Come, it.pleaded, in a linger-
ing cry, and as ! stood straining my
eyes to pierce the stormy darkness
which had succeeded the brilliant
moonlight it seemed to die away in
| the direction of the mainboom. At
the same time | saw. or fancied |
saw. a gimmer of something white
creeping slowly along the boom, and
upon coming nearer ! saw that it was
woman's figure, slender and grace
full and clothed in somthing long and
white and flowing. The form was
quite erect. and it seemed to glide
along the dangerous way without a
falter or even so much as feeling for
footing in the darkness; the arms
were spread widely in similar atti-
tude to that which ii rope walker as
sumes when crossing a slack rope, and
the head was thrown back, as though
the gaze was directed to the threaten
ing sky.
MY first thought was of t.. super
natural. and for moment stood still,
struck with the dumb terror which
such fancy causes, while the form,
which had been near the mast when !
first described it. went steadily on to-
ward the end of the boom then. as |
tried to arouse myself, | felt touch
upon my arm, and the mate, who was
then on watch, spoke to me. his face
white with horror and his voice shak-
ing.
:" What do you think of it, sirY' he
spoke, falteringly. | saw it come
up the cabin stairs and 90 out there,
and it climbed upon the boom with
out seeming to need hands at all. |
think Miss Alice must be dead, and
that's her ghost, sir.
AT the mention of Alice's name
shook oil his hand and made leap for
the boom myself, for her talk of sleep
walking and her remark of how nice
it would he To walk along the boom
and jump into the water had suddenly
required 10 me, and like a flash real
lied that she was walking in her
sleep. going out to her death ia the sea,
which was tossing roughly, with now
and then wave breaking over the
side.
Il knew that my post was on deck
that | should have been called some
time since: | knew that the rising
wind and sea needed my presence and
all my skill: | knew that captains
first duty is to his ship; but, there,
ahead of me. steadily nearing the end |
of the boom, steadily progressing on
the road which leads down to the dark |
valley, was this girl. and no one but /
myself to save her, and could | reach |
her in timeg
Il tried to call her name aloud, to |
shout. to scream even, but the /
prived me of my voice and no sound |
came from my straining throat. Per
haps il was Just as well, for if | had |
in waking her she would |
have inevitably fallen in terror of |
finding her self in such position;
she had not steady head when awake.
But was desperate and as she leaped |
far out above the water, after ghast
ly awful second in which her form was
clearly shown against the dark sky by
a flash of lightning so vivid that |
saw even her long eyelashes lying back
against her white cheek and was so
impressed with the pattern of the lace
On her robe, that | could draw its
leaves and flowers now, | leaped too
Il landed, thanks to the Providence
which guards such foolish actions on
the very end of the boom, and as she
few past me | caught hold of her
gown. The impetus of her fall upset
my balance and we both fell. but in
falling | managed to grasp the boom
and there we swung. | holding on to
life with one hand, she clasped in my
other arm.
1.-The shock Weakened her, and, be
side herself with terror at her I'M
Known position, she struggled madly
md strove to free herself from my en-
Drace, while scream after scream
scared the men on deck until all
thought of duty was forgotten and the
ship was practically unnamed.
"Sailors are invariably supersti-
.ious and not a few of them really ;
thought that the white form was a
,host and that the screams were mine,