The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1897-05-12


ence ooking out upon th,
ocean and meditating and converslnl
upon the scene.
Glow different this sky from oul
northern frmamentl" remarked the
latter, after q pause. Il can hardly
recognize my fayorite constellation
The Southern Cross is beautiful, hui
then miss the others. Ursa Major
has entirely disappeared, and as ioI
the Minor Bear scarce a star OF him is
visible.
At this observation, which was in
tended Tor no particular ears, Adolf
plus FitzgibbOn aroused himself,
"Aw-whats that, Miss Harris?
Aw have you seen bears at sea-"
Eyes, and monkeys, too" was the
quick but good-natured reply.
All OF us laughed, while Fitzgibbon
looked very silly, then grinnel huge
ly, then seemed to mediate some
scathing witticism, then concluded he
would not, and stretched out upon
his side with his back toward the
lovers, and pretended to, or really
did, fall asleep within the next fifteen
minutes.
l was reclining on the deck, about
q dozen feet from where the lovers
stood-not with any intention Of lis
tening to their words, but simply be-
cause l had taken my position first,
and was too languil to change it. !
had been an invalid for years, and
was now recovering from very severe
| spell Of sickness.
| was lazily drawing at my Havana,
putting the thin, fragrant smoke from
my mouth without removing the cigar,
and gazing upward at the brilliant
stars as they slowly sailed overhead.
l was in that delicious, dreamy state,
half,asIeep and half.awake, hearing
only the murmur of the voices around
me, as one hears the faint sound OF q
distant waterfall.
presume I had lain thus fornearlv
an hour, and my cigar had burned al
most to my .modth, while the long
Column of ashes WAS still unbroken,
when something struck my ear like
the sound of bell 1t was not until
had heard it several times that it
seemed really to affect my senses.
All at once l gave a start, the ashes
dropped upon my bosom, and I arose
to a sitting position and gazed around
me.
"Hark p said I; didn't you hear
that bell?'
"Just what have been trying to
make Edmund believed" laughed
Florence Harris. "He persisted in
not believing it,"
"Listenr p said, raising my hand.
And Immediately there fell death
like silence.
And while thus intently listening,
there came across the sea, FAINT but
distinct, the soft, distant sound OF
bell. We scarcely breathed for a
minute. The strange, solemn sound
was repeated at regular intervals, as
if swung by the hand of some ex--
hausted sufferer, or tolled by the swell
Of the ocean.
The captain by this time had APP
preached and stood in the attitude of
attention,
"We must be near the land" ven
tured to say, rather in the form of an
inquiry than that of an assertion.
"No, sir, responded the captain.
"lhe nearest island is a good 500
miles away, and this doesn't come
from there, | should think"
"What can it be-" asked several in
the same breath.
"Ihe sound comes from that direc-
ton, said Florence Harris, pointing
toward the equator.
"Perhaps it IS on board a ship, l
again ventured
Don't think it is, " replied the cap.
tain, with a shake of the head
"What can it be?' asked Florence.
To this no one ventured to reply
for several moments. In the mean |
time the tolling of the bell had be- |
come quite distinct, and Adolphus
FItzgibbon gave a yawn, a groan, a |!
kick, and awoke.
"Aw-yes-aw-I was about to sug- !
gest-aw-that the tea-bell should /
ng-sw-aw-aw !" he stammered, /
confusedly rising to his feet, and
pitching bnck and forth. Then, see
ing Us all in the attitude OF attention,
he asked, "What-aw- tho dooce is
the matter?"
otis the Bell of Doom !" exclaimed
Backstay Bob, tall, Scared sailor,
from his position at the wheel.
"Pshaw you're childish" replied
the captain. "Whateyer il is, We are
rapidly approaching it, for notice how
much louder il sounds"
Such was the case. The bell was
now heard clear and distinct to the
iouth, and was approaching nearer
Every moment. Shortly after, the
captain took his night glass ami gazed
ong and intently IN that direction.
When he lowered it he said:
II can Just discover 3 dark body
Using and falling on the waves, but
nothing more. Backstay Bob, you
lAye got the best eyesieht Of any one
N board. See what you can make of
t.
Bob resigned his place at the wheel
0 one Of the men and came forward
nd took the glass, He held it to his
yefor several minutes without speak
ne, and, 20 ell appearances, without
ven braathing, While va waited his
Tof1 With The deepest intersat.