Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1898-12-17

Ding or her heart, as she looked stcadfast.
~ into Lady Mountrevor's inscrutabis
eyes, because it Is a death dirgc. and out
there. amongst the wild waves, there are
h~roNhi1g sailcrs' tries o. they 10 20 their
hntimely demonstrating for the help
that will never come. whilst ] play a fun
eral march TO please drawing room
guests!n
II she had expected to sec the proud face
blanch and droop abashed before her pas
sionate reproach, she was mistaken. Lady
Mountrevor's features softened in n sad,
thoughtful look, and she sighed deeply az
she looked out into the murky darkness OF
the driving storm.
1T is dreadful to think Of" she re-
Hponded. returning Winnie's steadfast
gazei but, rs Madam said, there Ia no
n You love In danger Of the darkness and
the stormy water"
ayes; Lady Mountrevor," Winnie Cacr=
lyon corrected, with her usual quiet, rigid
truthfulnessi there is one who is very
dear to me ont in this nights darkness on
the stormy ocean"
'Indeed!' said Lady Mountrcvor, gent
~; then our grief and anxiety are the
same.''
"Madam-Lady. Mountrevor-I do not
understand, winnie stammered, strug-
Cling with the crimson flush OF shy alarm
that sutfused all her face and neck.
II mean,' explained Lady Mountrevor,
looking ut the girl with u half-sad, half
satirical smile, that you have equal cause
with me In mourning for your absent
friend. ] grieve for my dear Cousins pos
sible danger amidst the tempest Of wind
n waves, brave sailor ms he is; for YOU
know" she aided, g~ravely, the piercing
light OF her keen brilliant eyes penetrat.
ing into the depths OF the gi.l's true soul,
stephen Trcdennick is at sea tonight
CHAPTER xxitt.
Towards morning the storm ragged inors
wildly still. Not for years. even on that
fock-bound rugged coast, had there been
experienced so fierce and terrible d temp
est, in which were commingled pitchy
darkness, binding torrents OF rain, and a
sweeping, bowling gale that unroofed
houses ny the stofBl blew doxb FARM;
buildings, uptore the old forest trees. and
dashed clear gurgling strcamlets and
peaceful-fiowing rivers into deep headlong
floods, their swift currents NIL stained
with the ruin that they had wrought, and
changed the dark Kissing waves around
the Black Reef Of Tregarthen into an aw.
full boiling cauldron, whitening miles Of
heaving mountainous waves with CHASTITY
winding-shects OF froth and ningtna wild
showers of spray with each shrek of the
eontending elements sheer up the shelving
and Jagged face of the dark precipice for
hundreds OF feet.
The clock had struck the first hour Of
the new day, and sleeplessly Winnie
Caerlyon tossed and turned, and finally
sat up partially dressed, tightening her
warm shawl around her, keeping IA dreary
vigil between her bedside and the window.
1t seemed to have ar awful fascination for
her, that impenetrable darkness, lit up on
the horizon with the weird phosphorescent
light Of the crested pillows, and filed with
the shrieking and sobbins Of the dreadful
voices OF the tempest.
II wish | could have gone home,' she
nuttered, feverishly: ''some one would
have been sure to he awake aud stirring
father, or Sarah, or the boys; aud the men
would nave been out on the cuffs perhaps.
could have sat mp with some one to talk
to ut the tireside! | cannot rest here-t
am afraid Of the storm. l never was
afraid OF a storm before, - she added, shiv-
ering closer to the black window-panes,
and strainlng her aching eyes, but l am
afraid of this. IL is so awful! il sounds so
full OF destruction aud death! And oh,
the lives-thc lost lives. Oh, Heaven,
have mercy on those struggling witt. -
merciless sea tonight" she cried, sobbing
in kneeling prayer. "Would that | could
do something to succor and save! II is so
dreadful to sit here safe aud sheltered,
and to know that the yawning CULTS Of
The great waves are swallowing brave men
down, struggling and crying, and thinking
or their mothers and wives and little chill
dren! Oh, poor m%en-poor women! And
] can do nothing
They are all sleeping" she broke ont
presently; the womanly heart adding with
passionate bitterness, sleeping whilst he
Is perhaps in peril. They do not distress
themselves to wake although he may be
in his death agony--th ey, his nearest aud
dearest on earth"
But the one whom Winifred's Jealous
love wrongedi in thought most deeply kr ew
as little unbroken rest rs she.
For another hour the storm shricl,ed
and %thundereI, until the OLD mansion,
with its ma ssive century-and.a- half foun-
dations, trembled like n living thing in
fear. Winifred, in icy cold and darkness
for the last ember OF the fire had faded -
lay shivering, huddled in her shawl,
watching the black easement still, and
longing for the dawn. Presently a light
hurried tap came to her door, and a voice
called
"Winnie!-Winnie C~aerlyon."
eyes, yes! Who ia IT," she cried, start
ing up.
1T is LADY Mountrevor,' and the
door opened, and a tall dark form came
swiftly in. Are You %afraid-are you
afraid Of the storm, Winnie.' she said.
trembling with agitation. II AMI can.
not rest! I thought perhaps that you
were frightened tool Did ! awake you,
1t is an awful night. Are you in bed,
WINNER" :
Yes, lying on the bed; | am half-dressed.
What is 1t, Lady MOuntrevort' Winnie
asked, frightened and bewildered, more by
her ~visitant's strange manner than any.
thing else.
Are you not cold' Is your fire out,
How dreadful" the latter exclaimed, in
the same hurried, trembling way. II
should go mad IL ! did not keep lights and
fires blazing on such q night as thisl 7
suppose ] have n bad conscience, Winnie,
Won't You come down to my rooms, They
are more comfortable. Oh, dor she called.
impatiently. And your window blinds
undrawn! Look ut the darkness! Oh, do
come down and keep me company, child"
She caught Winnie's arm and almost
dragged her of the bed.
HAS anything frightened you-has any.
%'gyu oIy3., Epli iaAl