Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1899-10-19

When she woke she was out on the
upper deck and not alone. BY her side
stood some one, huge man, q gians,
who seemed to reach to the sky. lie
clothes changed their color from light
to dark, from black to brown. His
great body undulated all the time, anc
when he put his arm round her hs
seemed to be surrounded with dry, SUI
locating warmth. Then he pointed q
long arm to the northeast, and seemed
TO slip farther away, though he stiS
stood by her side; the monster length
ened into miles. Miriam followed him
with straining eyes, when fash or
lightning lit up the sky and sea. 1t
played for a moment round distant
cot which the giant was touching, and
In that moment she saw a picture
which she never forgot.
In the little circle of light boat
rocked helplessly upon the waters; un-
der sail were crouched some dozeH
people, trying by budding together, 10
keep warmth in their bodies. She knew
that Dick was there, and called his
name shrilly; there was a sudden
movement in the human heap, white
face peeped out, and then the vision
passed.
Miriam lay In her berth, the new
dawn already tightening the sky. Then
feverishly she got up and went on deck,
to see nothing but the gray sky and
grayer sea, to hear nothing but the
throbbing of the engines and the sough
Of wind and waves. Breakfast time
came, but she needed it not; for hours
she stood immovable, gazing to the
northeast over the bulwarks. What
did that dream of hers mean? Was
Dick floating somewhere helplessly,
with other passengers?
1t was noon when the wind, veering,
sent cloud of smoke over her head
and n shower Of black smudges upon
her hands; with them came passing
sensation of warmth. This slight incl
dent awoke some vague memory con-
nected with her dream.
The black column of smoke changing
at its edges to brown, thinning out I'M
til she could see the gray sky through
it, starting ever from her side, and yet
reaching far into the distance, caught
her eye.
Inspiration followed quickly. The
smoke was the giant of the night be-
fore, and where it pointed lay Dick and
his companions, Sight danced into her
eyes, hope beat strongly in her heart.
She turned glorified face to the ship.
| What could she do? How save them?
She saw a foot surmounted by blue
| cloth moving methodically on the deck
above. and in a moment flew up the
stairs leading to the captains bridge.
| The captain turned round sharply at
the sound of strange footsteps and per-
emptorily ordered her down. Clutch
ing his arm she cried:
Captain! They are out there under
the line of smoke! A dozen survivors
of the dead!'
| The captain glanced In the direction
indicated. How should this frantic
young woman have seen what his prac-,
ticed eye could not discern? Then he
guessed that she was the person who.
they said, had lost her lover in the
wreck.
my DEAR" he cried, patting her
hand, 'go to your berth and lie down.
You are in great trouble"
But the haggard hopeful eyes stared
brightly at him.
For the love Of humanity, captain.
use your glass. You will see them.
know you will"
| To humor her he took careful sur
vey of the horizon, upon which the sun
was shining. At first he shook his
head then he stood for a long time ex-
aiming the spot under the thin edge
Of the line of smoke. He rubbed his
glasses well and looked again, then
said quietly:
Something is there! Sit down in
that corner and wait"
The course of the steamer was alter
ed slightly, boat lowered once more
to gather in the oceans drift. To his
intense surprise the captain saw that
the distant object was really n boat
without sail or oar. How could this
girl have known it? Then the group
of people became visible, all evidently
in the last stage of exhaustion, and he
went over to Miriam and told her to
look through his glass, and see If her
friend were there.
She took it from his hand with a wild
sob, and gazed long and steadily at the
coming boat, then gave the glass back,
in the midst of a passion of weeping,
nodding her head to signify that she
had seen Dick. Then she set herself to
regain self-control by the time the boat
came in. When 1t did she was waiting
in the hospital for her beloved.
For the next twentyfour hours she
shared the duties of nurse with one of
the stewardesses, and saw Dicks eyes
open with the first CLEAN of conscious
ness in them. With contented look
ut her he fell asleep and on the ships
arrival at Halifax he, with all those
who had been saved were well enough
| to be moved to more comfortable quar-
| ters on shore.
| The captain made friends with
Miriam during those few hours, and
learned how 1t was that she knew the
| boat was afloat. He could hardly be-
| lieve II, and he could not explain II,
but was contented to accept the fact
as II stood, and to be present mt the
simn1p ceremonv which made DIcl, and