The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1897-12-30

hadn't asked me not to 60 to sea again
was fool to make her even that half
promise not to. Well, she knows where
I am by this time, and if she doesn't
write and let me off from what said l
must leave here and look for something
on shore. This is neither land nor sea.
Il wonder what granddad thinks and
how he came to make such a mistake
Confound him! He ought to know that
Habberton couldn't be thief 1t was
just like him, though, to jump at the
conclusion that l had done something
wrong Every one in the family is hasty
except me Hellol What's that?'
He had seen a faint CLEAN out at sea,
and watching as only a sailor can
watch he soon saw another.
''It is certainly rocket" he exclaim.
ed, talking to himself as his habit was
when he was excited. "Some vessel is
in distress God help her and all aboard
if they can't keep her offshore. and if
she is disabled in any way that II be
hard work against this gale If she's
one Of these coasting steamers and her
machinery's broken down it's all day
with her. for there's no anchorage out
side the reef, and there's not chance
in 5000 Of her driving in behind with
out striking
1t was coaster, and she was certain
ly beyond the control of those on board,
for as he looked rocket after rocket
went up i'll vain appeal, as it seemed.
There was no life saving station within
Is miles, and Ben's eye was the only
one that saw
Nearer and nearer she came, driven
by the awful power Of the worst storm
Ben had ever seen. Fascinated by the
sight, he sat as if frozen, watching for
the tragedy that seemed inevitable. He
thought of the little boat below, but it
was a hopeless thought Twenty men
could not have launched her from the
rocks in the breakers that were dashing
up, and no one man co., have rowed
her rod if she had been afioat. All he
could do was to sit and watch He
could see the ship now from time to
time as she rose and fell on the waves,
but every time she sank from sight he
thought must surely be the last He
knew the cruel rocks that lay below the
surface.
No earthly pilot cold have guided her
among those rocks to the lee Of the reef
on which the lighthouse stood. but it
was not written that she should be
wrecked that Christmas day Lying
helpless in the trough of the sea, she
drifted past rock after rock till Ben
saw with amazement that she was float
Ill, 81, l.
watched with straining eyes
Suddenly lie sprang to his feet with a
shout like a crazy man, and, rushing
down the stairway four steps at time,
he seized an ak and a big pannikin in
the room below and ran out into the
storm. A thought had come to him of
one chance in q million. and he was
after that chance -. ...
A single blow smashed in the head Of
hogshead, and in another instant ne
was scooping out the oil it held with
the pannikin and scattering it like mad
as far as he could i'll every direction
The wind carried it all toward the yes
| sci, aud the great wonder Of the sea was
wrought almost in a minute for as the
| oil fell the waves abated, SO that the
! ship was Immediately in siuooth water.
| Overheard went her anchors as quickly
| as the captain could give the order, and
| she was safe. -. p
For the rest of the night Ben watch
| ed. throwing a little more oil from time
| to time. and in the morning. the storm
having abated, he rowed out in his
! small boat to the ships side.
| AS he stepped on her deck the captain
greeted him with such thanks and
praise as could only be given by one
who had just been saved from destruo-
tion. Then as the passengers crowded
up to have their say Ben saw, to his
amazement. his grandfather. his mother
and Alice ... ..-..-.
eve came after you, my boy" said
the old man, ''as soon as your letter to
your mother came. You must come
home again, this time to stay"
Ben looked at his mother and then at
Alice. In both their faces he saw what
he looked for. and then he answered: ::
eth be merry Christmas after all.
granddad, he exclaimed with happy
laugh And it was =.
DAVID A. CURTIS =