Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-01-23
ONE FOOT ON SEA.
By MARGARET G. HELMoRE.
lcoprright. lsa5. BY the Author. ]

copyright, 1866 by the Author.I
on which her cousin lay, having evi-
IDENTIFY struck the sleeping girls head
as it fell, was heavy wooden beam.
that required more than Fanny's
strength to move away. Through the
rent in the ceiling above through which
the rain continued to pour the sky was
black and inky save at the moments
when its gloom was dispersed by the
still recurring flashes; a smell Of burn
ing psrvaded the room, and the wooden
wrap with which Lucy was covered had
received share of the blast with which
Fanny S shoulder was scorched.
She's deadp My child is killed -
cried Miss Haslett and the agonized
father, as Fanny tried to lift the mo-
tionless form of her cousin. "A doctor!
Where are those hulking idiots of serv-
ants? Send one Of them off for DIR. Will
son. Exert yourself, Jane; see what
mischief has been done about the house,
and find out where this poor child can
be taken out of the wet. T"
Ere half these rapid utterances had
fallen from her uncle's lips Fanny,
scarcely conscious of anything beyond a
vague sort of faith in the presence of a
doctor, had rushed out into the midst of
the tempest. Fleet as wild roe and ia
miliar with every step of the way, she
neither stumbled nor slipped down in
the darkness, and was presently in the
main street leading to the turning down
which the doctor lived.
As might be supposed, not another
soul was stirring out of doors and the
lamplights in the club were the only
indications reminding her that othor
human beings were awake and poss bly,
in terror and peril of their lives. ia her
soaked and clinging muslin dress the
skirt of which she had instinctively
drawn up over her head, although it
was no protection whatever, Fanny
must have presented a very strange and
wraithlike appearance, and it is not
TO be wondered at that the man whose
thoughts We're then occupied with anx-
iety lest she should be frightened dur
ing this fearful storm was struck with
a vague terror when she came in sight
Fame had reached the club before the
full fury of the storm and was watch
ing its progress to take advantage of
the earliest lull to put off from shore.
He alone remarked the CHASTITY little
figure as he stood at the window, and
smotherlng an ejaculation Of horror and
surprise he sprang across the window
sill and rushed down the gallery stairs.
For brief space a superstitious feel
ing prompted the belief that Fanny was
killed and that this was her spirit come
to tell him of it, but the next moment
his arms We're round her, and from her
lovely parted lips, which did not avoid
the kiss he pressed upon them, came
broken murmurs of: "Oh, Captain Fame.
The doctor--my cousin-the light
ming
What on earth's come to the skip
per- cried the youngest lieutenant,
rousing himself from the rocker where
he had been half asleep All the occu-
pants of the room crowded out upon the
gallery in time to witness a part of the
little idyl that was being enacted, and
to the credit of their sex be it recorded,
one and all of them discreetly withdrew
again into the room.
The rain was lessening now and day
began to dawn. DIR. Wilson. as may be
supposed, was up and stirring and after
having her supplied with cloak and
umbrella, which Fame held over her. the
three hurried off to Mr. Haslett's tenn
pest riven house.
Lucy was merely stunned, and in the
course of a day or two appeared to be
none the worse for the accident She
had been physically as well as mentally
declining for many months. and moth
ing seemed TO make very much differ
ence to her; her unimportant life was
not to run more than few years longer
Little more remains to be told. Be-
fore the Firefiy was out of sight letter
from the captain was in Mr. Haslett's
hands, in which he formally offered
himself as suitor for his niece. and
Fanny's nerves recovered from the
shock they had sustained far sooner
than the fair skin upon her shoulder re-
gained its normal whiteness The good
folks of St. Vitus We're perfectly salts
fed that the offer had been made at the
government house ball, and with the
exception of her friend Lottie, who was
taken into her confidence, Fan did not
think it necessary to undeceive them.
THE END.