Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1897-12-31

under the seats were saturated with
salt water.
Meanwhile the young minister had
laid a firm grasp upon the girls arHl'
and half lifted, half dragged her 10 Il
passageway leading to the cabin that
was inclosed by glass windows Il
doors, and thus protected her from the
rain. She did not seem to comprehend
the extent Of her danger, and looked on
at the movements of the panic-stricken
crowd like some curious, wild-eyeu
child. Mr.. Grimshaw was white to the
lips, and as he lifted his eyes to heaven,
one could see that his lips were moving
in prayer. He prayed that the fury Of
the wind and waves might be abated,
that lives should not be lost, that the
boat should anchor in safety, and "Oh,
Lord" he prayed, "if it be Thy will that
we sink to a watery grave, let her speak
to me once, let me hear her voice just
once upon earth, as in heaven shall
hear it as she sings with the angel
choir"
The sky became inky black. Nothing
could be discerned on the open deck
but the terrific sheets and gusts of rain,
made gray by the blackness. Just then
the heavens seemed to open, and a
binding fash Of lightning played and
capered across the boat; a deafening
peal of thunder, like the bursting of a
thousand cannon, seemed to shake the
very waters of the deep, and to echo
and re-echo across the boundless waste.
1t was terrific, and people clapped their
hands to their ears, and white faces be-
came blanched. A sharp, shrill piercing
scream rose above 1t all. A scream of
agonized fear. 1t came from the deaf
mute, who swayed for a moment, and
would have fallen had not her ever
watchful companion caught her and
supported her in his arms. What had
caused her to scream? Fright, per-
Eaps, he thought, as she witnessed the
battle of the elements. Surely she had
not heard that thunderbolt as it hurled
itself from on high. Pshaw! Was she
not deaf, and how could she hear? 1t
made him almost glad to know that she
had been spared that peal that caused
many a heart to stand still for an in
slant.
He held her fast in his arms and
softly spoke the name Ruth" She
lifted those eyes with a glance as sweet
as an angels. Her heart tiuttered. She
smiled with a smile Of recognition, as If
she had heard. Intuitively he felt that
she had heard his voice. He had read
once of such a miracle-that a volley of
thunder SO dense and so terrific as to
deafen a person Of ordinary hearing
had In some miraculous and divine way
been deaf from birth. And, perhaps,
this precious gift had been restored to
the girl he loved. He spoke once more
the name he had spoken in his dreams,
P'6 S6o dde:. IrRts"a Mrraefe ToMf rd9
storm, and he bowed his head and
thanked God.
II he could but hear her voice. But
that inestimable pleasure was to be de-
MED him. And yet his dream was com
Ing true, for he dreamed that he sailed
the sea with her in his arms, and was
she not now In his arms? o, gentle
dreams! o, destiny!
1t was not long before the storm
ceased as suddenly as It came, and the
heavy black clouds receded, and the
blu In the sky was as bright as when
they started out. The little steamer
cut pluckily through the water, and in
half an hour the-partyynow in excellent
spirits, had reached the cool, shady
grove. The miracle wrought during the
storm was the talk Of the day, and not
less talked about was the devotion of
the minister to the happy unfortunate
knew now that she loved him. and.
with an unfathomable intuition given
to creatures like herself, knew, also.
that John Grimshaw loved her. He did