Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1898-04-21

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only ask you to let me love Won
unen you can love me in return
nstner. Grant me your hand. and
small De the happiest of men,
one olo so, and the wedding was
nxed to take place on March q. 1891
.1asler sunday followed on the Both
Inc Idea that John could have surviv-
Gu never occurred to her. That was
an lmpossibility, as she Thought 90
Enthusiastically had the record Of the
vessels loss been given. And vet
esther Wooding felt her depression in
greater degree as her nuptials drew
near.
The oath of March came. She was
sleeping alone in her fathers and her
own nome. For none would have in
ter1erred with her in those quiet DAYS
OF honest neighborhood When she re-
tired to rest fierce storm tossed the
branches of the trees before her win
dow, and the thunder of the surf as it
sent the pebbles flying up the beach
was distinctly audible.
NO wonder hse dreamt of Johni She
saw the shutter of rock, her lover.
form hurled from the poop, and the
doomed vessel gorged to pieces on the
shore. Johns white face was distinct
ly visible, floating over bounding bill
lows, and she awoke in terror
The next night her depression was
deeper than before. And, stranger
still, she dreamt of John again. But
this time the storm had ceased, and
there was a great calm. She could
see the beach where her lover had
landed in safety, and he seemed to
wave his neckerchief, her parting gift,
as though signaling a passing ship.
When mornings dewy light stole in
through her easement, Esther arose,
and felt that most unreasonably and
yet effectually had her sorrow left her.
She reproached herself for this light
some mind, but it was in vain she did
so.
Tomorrow is the wedding day." she
murmured, with ashen lips.
The thought disturbed her as it had
never done before. And that last night
she lay down to sleep and dream again.
This third time she stood ON Plymouth
Quay, and, from the spot where Drake
and Hawkins played their game Of
bowls, she looked, with crowd, at an
incoming ship, which fired her gun and
;aluted the colors.
What vessel is that" asked Esther
in her dream, of the harbor-master.
''The Vulture, Indiaman, young
lady, he responded, CALAMITY dofing
his glazed hat.
John, her John, the one she deemed
dead and buried in the Atlantic off the
African coast, stood on the stern and
waved his handkerchief.
The dream ended, and Esther once
more arose, to find herself humming
tune, the first thrill of her once mer-
ry voice for two years.
"But this is my wedding day." And
at the returning thought her face
blanched and her music ceased. ooh,
cannot go to the altar today" de-
clared she to herself And through the
early hours she stole quietly away,
with a borrowed team, to Plymouth.
Why to Plymouth? Esther did not
know, or said she did not. An indetln-
able motive power had led her away
from her plighted word. And, surely
enough, she was on the quay that af-
ternoon, not in her dream, but in real
ity.
Now where was John? The reader
knows more than Esther did as yet.
John and his three companions stayed
on the island for many long days and
nights, watching for some passing YES
sci, hunting, fishing and cheering each
other with words of hope.
The four survivors had need Of pa
thence, for more than one vessel bore
down, but they did not see their fran
tic signalling, or, if they did, needed it
not.
At last the neckerchief which Esther
had thrown around John Maddock's
neck was floating to the breeze at the
top of a lofty palm tree. A vessel
bound for Australia caught sight of it
shortly afterward and took the four
mariners of the Scraps from their sol
itary state.
Then followed the voyage onward to
Calcutta and Johns Immediate re-
turn on board the first packet leaving
for England.
With this brief interlude, we can re-
sumo our place by Esther's side upon
tho ouav at Plymouth She dreaded
being followed, but none had put in an
appearance from Bideford as yet. The
western sea was all a1ame with the
glory of the setting sun when ship
sailed in the cove It was strangely
familiar to her. Now, it was the ves-
sci she had seen in her dream!
She turned around. Was she dream
ing again? There stood the harbor-
master, glazed hat and all.