The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1897-04-28

matchless evening.
A short distance away stand two
lovers-Edmund Prescott and Flor.
ence Harris-looklng out upon the
ocean and meditating and conversing
upon the scene.
GLOW different this sky from our
northern firmamentl" remarked the
latter, after a pause. 'I can hardly
recognize my fsvorite constellation.
The Southern Gross is beautiful, but
then miss the others. Ursa Major
has entirely disappeared, and as for
the Minor Bear scarce a star of him is
visible"
At this observation, which was in.
tended for no particular ears, Adolf
phus Fitzgibbon aroused himself,
"Aw-what's that, Miss Harris?
Aw have you seen bears at sea?"
"Yes, and monkeys, too" was the
quick but goodnatured reply.
All OF us laughed, while Fitzgibbon
looked very silly, then grinned 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.
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 languid to change il.
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.asleep and hslf.awake, hearing
only the murmur of the voices around
me, as one hears the faint sound of G
distant waterfall.
presume l had lain thus for nearly
an hour, and my cigar had burned al
most to my mouth, while the Ions
when something struck my ear like
the sound of bell. 1t was not unit
l had heard it several times that il
seemed really to affect my senses.
All at once l gave a start, the ashes
dropped upon my bosom, and 1 arose
to sitting position and gazed around
me.
"Hark !" said I; "didn't you hear
that bell?"
"Just what have been trying te
make Edmund believed" laughed
Florence Harris. "He persisted il
not believing it,"
"Listen !" l 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 4
bell. We scarcely breathed for
minute. The strange, solemn sounc
was repeated at regular intervals, a.
if swung by tho hand of some ex
hausted sufferer, or tolled by the swell
of the ocean.
The captain by this time had ap
preached and stood in the attitude O.
attention.
"We must be near the land" ven
tured to say, rather in the form of nj
inquiry than that of an assertion.
"No, sir" responded the captain.
"The nearest island is a good SOC
miles away, and this doesn't come
from there, / should think"
"What can it be" asked several in
the same breath.
"The sound comes from that direc
tion," said Florence Harris, pointing
toward the equator.
perhaps it is on board a ship"
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 Adolphui
Fitzgibbon gave a yRwn, a groan, {
kick, and awoke.
"Aw-yes-aw- was about to sug
gest-aw-that the tea-bell should
ring-aw-aw-aw!" he stammered
confusedly rising to his feet, anC
pitching back and forth. Then, see
ing us all in the attitude of attention
he asked, "What-aw-the dooce il
the matter?"
ats the Bell of Doom !" exclaimed
Rack stav Roh a fall gearre1 soilor
from his position at the wheel.
"Pshaw you're childish" replied
the captain. "Whateyer it is, we ar,
rapidly approaching it, for notice how
much louder il sounds"
Such was the case. The bell wa
now heard clear aud distinct to tn,
lOuth, and was approaching nearer