The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-08-29
MIRIAM'S DREAM.

"You won t really go at this time of |
the year. will your
"Rather. I'd go in December if Dick |
were at the end of the journey.
"Well l would not cross the Atlantic |
in the middle of November for dozen |
sweethearts. y
Miriam laughed gleefully. She and
her Dick had been separated for three
years, and now he had fallen into a
good berth at 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 a 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 a dreadful overland
| journey after that 1t must be long
way to Toronto, said her friend Nora.
81 don't know how you'll get through
all by yourself. "
''Ah, but 1 m not going to. Dick has
been sent by his firm to New York on
some business, and he intends to take
berth in the Medium, coasting
steamer, which will bring him to Hall
fax about the same time that l get
there.
Miriam was in fever of joy and was
altogether oblivious of such small mat
tiers as intense cold, a 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 shone
fair and the waves sank into 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
3 dancing on the waves
As he drew nearer he found it an ap-
: parently empty boat, and he sent of
3 one of his boats to tow the stranger tc
, the steamer When it reached the side,
however, the limp form of a sailor was
I | lifted from it. Under care and good
| treatment the blood began to run agaiI
| through his stiff veins, and he was able
y to tell what had befallen him. But be
fore that happened his boat had beer
| landed on deck, and the name upon it
n Meldrum-m made known.
= ''How funny cried Miriam. "A
d steamer sailing from New York to Hal
f flax is named Meldrum.
n "Aye, missile said a sailor omi
4 nously, "and this is one of her boats. !"
a "But how can it be2 How could i
i have got loose out heref'
k eff that poor chap lives he can tel
d us that, and no one else perhaps.
IL After some time the sailors word
began to beat into Miriam's stupefie
l. brain. She tried to speak to some on
h standing near, but her tongue woul
j. not move, only her knees shook SO muc
d that she nearly fell Her neighbor dre1
1T her to seat.
o .Ts the Meldrum wrecked2" Miria1
T. asked, with tragic eyes.
81 do not know, but hope not. Tha
d poor fellow will tell us, if he lives.
ef That evening it was known that tn
bt Meldrum had collided with anothe
tv vessel in the storm, and that, althoug
,e all the boats had been lowered, the
m had one after another been swampet
re The rescued sailor had just jumped int
one when it's ropes snapped, and b
was therefore the only. person saved.
The stewardess took the tidings wit
IN a cup of tea to Miriam as she lay inel
is and despairing on her sofa, and she Il
bo,. fhn1
uttering a sound. AT last the stewards
es went away, and Miriam lay still, NJ
ch thinking, only suffering.
is Later she crawled into her be-
OF where. through the night, visions
ii, Dick, as boy. as a youth, as a NAL
h. rushed through her mind. Sometim
lis she saw his face shining through IL
of darkness, but when she clasped hi
er round the neck he was cold as ice al
he wet with salt water.
ut Then she was out on the upper dee
of and not alone. By her side stood son
h, one-a huge man, a giant, who SCENE
to reach to the sky. His clothes changt
their color from light to dark, fro
nd black to brown. His great body und
n lated all the time, and when he put b
es. arm round her he seemed to be su
in, rounded with dry, ,suffocating warmt
of Then he pointed long arm to Il
er- northeast, and seemed to slip farth
and farther away, though he still stoC
o,n by her side; the monster lengthen'
en into miles; Miriam followed him wi
so straining eyes, when flash of ligh
1le ming lit up the sky and sea. 1t play,
ry. for a moment round distant spo
which the giant was touching, and
that moment she saw picture whi
she never forgot.
ito In the little circle of light boat roc
re ed helplessly upon the waters Under
sail were crouched some dozen peopl
trying. by huddling together, to Ike
rls the warmth in their bodies. She kne
that Dick was there, and called