The Florence daily tribune., 1899-03-16
MIRIAM'S DREAM.

were at the end of the journey.
well l would not cross the Atlantic
in the middle of November for u dozen
sweethearts
Miriam laughed gleefully. She and
hor Dick bad been separated for three
years. and now he had fallen into a
good berth Mt Toronto and had written
to her to decide whether they should
both spend their winter in loneliness or
whether she would go to him and set
tie down at once as his wife.
Miriam did not hesitate moment
She set aside the shortest time possible
for winding up her affairs in England
and arranged to sail in the Sivonian
from Liverpool to Halifax.
"But you II have dreadful overland
journey after that, 1t must be a long
way to Toronto said her friend Nora.
81 don't know how you'll II get through
all by yourself "
'Ah, but nj not going to, Dick has
been sent by his firm to New York un
some business, and he intends to take Il
berth in the Meldrum, coasting
steamer, which will bring him to Hall
fax about the same time that | get
there "
Miriam was in fever of joy and was
altogether oblivious of such small mat
ters as intense cold, pitching, rolling
ship and battened down matches. The
good ship fought gayly through a
stormy ice threatened sea, and at last
morning broke when the sun shune
fair and the waves sank into a com
parative calm. Passengers swarmed on
deck, congratulating each other on their
escape from prison, and the anxious
captain sighed with relief to think that
the worst was over. He was upon his
bridge, stamping up and down TO keep
the blood circulating in his feet, when
ahead OF them he saw strange speck
dancing on the waves,
As he drew nearer he found ii an APP
parently empty boat. and be sent off
one of his boats to tow the stranger to
the steamer. When it reached the side.
however, the limp form of n sailor was
lifted from it, Under care and good
treatment the blood began to run again
through his stiff veins, and he was able
to tell what had befallen him. But be
fore that happened his boat had been
idhitu tii titth, anu blit Hullt upon IL
Meldrum-m known.
"How funny" cried Miriam. "A
steamer sailing from New York to Hal
flax is named Meldrum.
"Aye. missile said sailor omi-
nously. land this is ope of her boats f"
But how can it be2 How could it
have got loose ont hereS"
IF that poor chap lives he can tell
us that, and no one else perhaps,
After some time the sailors words
began to beat into Miriam's s .stupetied
brain. She tried to speak to some one
standing near, hut her tongue would
not move, only her knees shook so much
that she nearly fell. Her neighbor drew
her to n seat,
''ls the Meldrum wrecked p Miriam
asked, with tragic eyes
Il do not know, but hope not That
poor fellow will tell u.s. if he lives "
That evening it was known that the
Meldrum had collided with another
vessel in the storm, and that although
nil the boats had been lowered, they
had one after another been swsmped
The rescued sailor had just jumped into
one when its ropes snapped. and he
was therefore the only person saved.
The stewardess took the tidings with
a cup of tea to Miriam as she lay inert
and despairing on her sofa. and she let
the woman gossip ont her news without
uttering a sound. At last the stewardess
went away, and Miriam lay still, not
thinking, only suffering.
Later she crawled into her bed,
where, through the night. visions of
Dick. as n boy, as youth. as a man.
rushed through ier mind. Sometimes
she saw his face shining through the
darkness. but when she clasped him
round the neck he was told as ice and
wet with salt water
Then she was out on the upper deck
and not alone BY her side stood some
one-a huge man, giant, who seemed
to reach to the sky. His clothes changed
their color from light to dark. from
black to brown. His great body undu-
lated all the time. and when he put his
arm round her he seemed to be sur
rounded with a dry suffocating warmth
Then he pointed long arm to the
northeast. and seemed to slip farther
and farther away, though he still stood
by her side; the monster heightened
into miles; Miriam followed him with
straining eyes when flash of light
ming lit up the sky and sea. 1t played
for moment round distant spot
which the giant was touching. and in
that moment she saw picture which
she never forgot.
In the little circle of light boat rock
ed helplessly upon the waters. Under
sail We're crouched some dozen people,
trying. by budding together, to keep
the warmth in their bodies. She knew
that Dick was there. and called his