Evening star., 1896-10-31

give been hearing 1t for the past
five minutes. Hark:'
and afterward great and glorious fire on
the beach
The sun set red as blood, as We knew
from the flaming sky above us. though we
could not see the west. There was no dew
and under the black wall of spruce trees
growing on the bank behind the air
was like that of close room. Our clothes
had dried while We were gathering fuel for
the fire, and when the flames at last leap
ed up through the white heap of driftwood
and bleached stumps of trees, we sat we'll
back from the heat of 1t.
Sieve, said Shirley, addressing his par
ticular crony. Walter Stevens, while Har-
ry Mason and l, being only kids" pre-
pared to listen deferentially, Steve, this
reminds me of the night when the house
on Western Island blew down.
understood the reference. Frank and
Steve had been asleep in the runous old
house and-according to their story-had
been warned in dream TO get out: and
they got out just in time. Steve TO whom
the dream was youchsafed. had always
possessed supernatural interest in my
Syes since l had first heard the story. At
the mention of the occurrence. the cir
Gle of the freight seemed TO grow smaller:
/ could feel the black grove draw nearer
TO me, whispering; and the voice of the
great lay replied:
I've always thought that you were lying
about that. Steve" said Harry with
charming frankI ess: but somehow 1 don't
feel that way tonight. 1t seems as if al
most anything might happen down here
among these Islands, | can hear ten thou
sand different ghosts talking out there on
the bay
II can hear one of them mighty plain
ly, interrupted Steve. I've been hearing
1t for the last five minutes. Hark,'
1 saw him rise up to the length of his
arm from the white sand, and in the fire.
hgnt his face showed pale and earnest.
n x1-lNi
a girls voice There,
We all heard it that time and it brought
US 10 our feet Again, as We stood there. a
faint, far-away cry from the sea came
shivering TO land We ran around the fire
and faced the bay. For my part ii seemed
as II 1 had run against solid darkness |
Rad been staring into the heart of the fire
and had only turned away to catch its
glare upon Steve.s face and his glstening
white sweater The contrast of the dark
water was like blindness. Then 1 saw our
thadows on the shore, which showed brown
between them. and at last the white hull
OF our boat wavering ghostlike on the
biaek water once more the cry trembIed
IN the air.
NowI' said Frank, in a low voice. and
instantly he and Steve yelled: ..Hellor'
The faint voice from the water answered
them. N'
In a moment they were dragging the
little tender down the beach We ali tum-
Died aboard 1t was hut = stones thror,
10 the Laura. for the l.de was dead low
anu We dHCnOreQ close a bold ShOre
We were all boatmen, and nc time was
wasted in falling over one another on the
sloop- She had never been got under sail
IN quicker time. We buoyed the rode with
the tender, ran up the jb, and had the
% pay off.
TIE wind came down on us. heavy and
strong. soon as we cleared the land
We had not felt it under the lea of The
spruces. and had taken for granted that il
hau gone down with the sun, as Is the rule
on the Maine coast But that particular
sou Wester was not amenaDle to any rules
that ever / heard of; II followed its own
Will Hot ard dry, like a blast from an
oven, 1t came rushing out of the clouds.
winch, as we receded, seemed to rise out
OF the land behind us, black and ominous
FRANK was at the helm. We had run
out half a mile or more from the land but
yet We had seen nothing that could ex-
plain the cry, nor had We heard 1t since.
leaving our noorings- Then, In response to
loud hail from Steve, a clear voice an
swered, surprisingly near:
Il her. cried Steve .'It's girl T., a
Doat- Let her come TO a little, Frank.
STEADY"
1 made out the boat at that instant She
was OF the natural color of the wood and
didn't show plainly on the water, but the
occupant was waving something white. and
1t was that which first caught nv ey,.
We were swooping down on her like a
bird. In moment / could make out the
gir!s hgIre plainly She was alone The
boat was In the trough of the sea- but the
waves were not dangerously high at so
short distance from the shore.
What's the matter with her?r / asked
Blown of shore" replied Steve. Cant
row back against this wind"
AT that moment the girl called out To
US, asking if would help her get back
10 land She did not seem TO be very much
frightened, though without help her situa-
tion would have been perilous to the last
degree, for there was nothing to prevent
her drifting out into the middle of the bay
among the little islands where there are
ledges enough to knock the bottoms out of
all the boats in the world.
by Jove, know that voice." said Steve
then raising his voice:
Hello, Miss Woodward, Don't be alarm
ed. And Don't stand up" he added, earn
esuy. Just sit down and keep still and
well alongside you"
We all knew Alice Woodward She was
very pretty and bright girl whose home
was IN New York. She and ner mother had
spent two summers in our town At pres
ent they were with some friends at the
Spruce Head Hotel Shirley and Steve had
been desperate rivals for her favor. and
their mareuyers had been observed win
great interest by Harry and me- One of
US. at least. considered himself yery hard
ly used by fate. in that he had been born
about two years too late to enter the com
petiticn.
Frank put his helm down: we rushed I'M
Into the wind 1t seemed to me that we
were going to miss her.
Frank. what's the matter with your"
cried Steve.
The next instant We ran past the little
boat like shot out of gun.
"AII right, Alice" Frank called out.
well be with you In a second"
The Laura flled away. and Immediately
we were out OF hearing.
who's going In that boatr' inquired
Frank.
aren't We going to. tow herr asked,
innccently.