Omaha daily bee., 1896-12-13

were naxen and her round. bright
eyes as blue as the corn flower.
Jan was not only dark himself,
but he had done his sailing under a black
flag. He was glad that his little one did
not take after him in her coloring, for 1t
might have seemed like a shadow of that
dark past.
There was one drawback to their small
island as a home. Yet JAMS wife felt as If
even in this there might be a blessing in
disguise. When the seafarers caught pirate
instead OF pirate catching them,
they stopped at this round of land
in the sparkling bay, and promptly
hanged him there. 1t was a
good object lesson to Jan OF the wisdom
he had shown in abandoning the terrible days
OF his own piracy. No one but his wife
knew that he had been one Of these despera-
does of the sea- and as long as he had thrown
all that up through his yearning love for
her. she tried her best to make his life as
happy as a seafaring mans can be.
1t was happy. So was hers, too. She
missed him when he was of on his fishing
trips, though he was seldom gone even the
whole length OF the day. BY setting forth at
daybreak, before sundown he caught enough
bass and bluefsh and shed, cruising around
in the bay or running up the broad river that
empties into II, to have no need of prolonging
his absence into the night.
Then Jan would pick out the best fish to
bring home and would sell the rest to the
townspeople on the island point, or trade
them with the mlllers for -four and Indian
meal, or with the farmers for fruit and
vegetables.
free but the bondage OF prison or the quicker
shrift of the gibbet had always lurked men
acingly below the horizon OF each day. Now
he was really free because he was subject
to no one but his dear wife and their darling
child He felt as Independent as king and
when his baby was born into the small
estate, but large freedom OF their island
home, with a touch of imagination and
gratitude worthy of a converted Dutch
blooded pirate, he solemnly named her
Liberty"
Giving this name to his sweet little girl
was like signing his own name to a contract
TO be always gooa and industrious. that the
birthrlght OF this child might never be i'm
periled.
THE STORM.
One summer day Jan had hoisted the sail
of his small fishing boat and his wife and
Liberty watched him until he disappeared
down the bay. Jan kept turning his glance
back to the two figures on that blessed spot
OF earth. 1t was a warm, sultry day. In
the afternoon IL became hotter and grew very
close. When night fell upon the little island
the heat was like furnace and by o'clock
the dark sky was illumined only by angry
flashes of lightning. while the sharp cracks
of thunder made little Liberty run to her
mothers knee for shelter, even In the walls
OF the house that Jan had built.
Jan had probably started home, but Mrs.
Verbakken had not seen any trace of the
dingy sail OF his boat by the last rays of
light. Now this terrible storm had burst In
such fury. and he, who was life itself to
her, was in 1t. She was full OF anxiety.
Jan generally steered his way home by
instinct and the stars when he was out after
dark In his boat but now there were no
stars In the black night and the waves
lashed the little island as II they thought
II was impudent to hold up In such boiling
sea and meant TO overwhelm IT,
Jan would be swept from his course. And
should he chance TO steer straight for the
island he might be dashed upon Il In the
darkness and be wrecked within call of his
own roof tree
= What could she do? The one lantern
with its smoky fame was worse than moth
ing. The poor little wife had breasted her
way through the rushing wind to the shore
and had strained her eyes to catch some
glimpse OF JAMS boat. She had uttered as
loud cry as she could In the hope that he
might hear II. But the gale blew half the
sound down her throat and choked her, and
the rest was swept of In the wrong direc-
tion on the shrieking wind.
TINE LITTLE ToRCHBEARER.
Then in her painting despair an inspira-
tion came TO her. II was an heroic meas.
ure. Little Liberty might not be able to
carry out her part In IT, But It was a
strengthening thought. and she felt with a
happy glow whose child the darling was,