The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1899-11-17


miles an hour past the Bishop, with
many eddies and whirlpools Almost un-
consciously l went up the hill above
Hugh Town and came to the signal sta
ton on the top of the Garrison, and so
occupied was l with my recollections of
Garstin that it did not strike ME as
strange that l should find Mrs. Garstin
standing now where he had stood and
looking out to the Bishop as he was used
to look.
81 had not heard" said to her.
"No" she returned simply and again
turned her eyes seward. 1t was late on
a midsummer afternoon. The sun hung
a foot or SO above the water, huge ball
Of dull red fire, and from St. Mary's out
to the horizons rim the sea stretched q
ripping lagoon of the color of claret.
Over the whole expanse there was but
one boat visible, lugger, between SAM
son and St. Agnes, beating homeward
against light wind.
ut was storm. l suppose" said I,
"a storm out of the west"
mo; there was no wind. but there
was a haze, and it was growing dark"
Mrs. Garstin spoke in a peculiar tone of
resignation. with q yearning glance to-
ward the Bishop. as l straightforward
L
was sure that those last words, There
was a haze, and it was growing dark"
concealed the heart of her distress. She
explained the inscription upon the tablet
while the lugger tackled toward St.
Mary's and while l gradually began to
wonder what kept her on the island.
AT 4 o'clock on the afternoon of that
Christmas eve the lighthouse on st. Ag-
mes island showed its lamps. Five min
utes later the red beams struck out from
Round island to the north, but to the
west on the Bishop all was dark. The
haze thickencd. and night came on. Still
there was no flash from the Bishop, and
the islands wondered. Half an hour
passed. There was still darkness in the
west, and the islands became alarmed.
The Trinity brethren subsidized a st.
Agnes lugger to serve the Bishop, and
this boat was got ready. At quarter
to 5 suddenly the Bishop light shot
through the gloom, but Immediately aft
erward a shutter was interposed quickly
some half dozen times. 1t was the sig
nal Of distress, and the lugger worked
out to the Bishop with the tide. or the
three keepers there were now only two.
1t appeared from their account that
Garstin took the middle day watch, that
they themselves were asleep and that
Garstin should have reused them to light
the lamps at a quarter to 4. The clock
showed them it was half past 4. They
mounted to the lantern room, and no.
where was there any sign of Garstin.
They lit the lamps. The first thing they
saw Was the log. 1t was open, and the
last entry was written in Garstin's hand
and was timed $40 p. m. 1t mentioned
a kCtch reaching northward. The two
men descended the winding stairs, and
tic cool air breathed upon their faces.
The brass door at the foot of the stairs
stood open. From that door 30 feet of
gun metal runss let into the outside of
the lighthouse lead down to the set off,
which is a granite rim less than a yard
wide and unprotected by any rail. They
shouted downward from the doorway
and received no answer. They descended
to the set off, and again no Garstin, not
even his cap. He was not there.
Garstin had entered up the log, had
climbed down to the set off for five min
utcs of fresh air and somehow had slip
ped, though the wind was light and the
sea whispering. Bat that whispering sea
ran seven miles an hour past the Bishop.
This was Mrs. Garstin's story, and it
left me still wondering why she lived on
at St. Mary's. | asked after her son.
How is Leopold? What is he-a
linen draper?"
She shaded her eyes with her hand and
said:
That's the St. Agnes luggcr from the
Bishop, and if we so down to the pier
now we shall meet it."
We walked down to the pier. The
first person to step on shore was Leo
pold, with the Trinity house buttons on
his pilot coat
Hes the third hand Oh the Bishop
now" said Mrs. Garstin. You are sur
prised?" She sent Leopold into Hugh
Town upon an errand, and as we walked
back up the hill she said, Did you no.
tice grave underneath Johns tablet?"
NO" said l.
Il told you there was mention in the
log of a ketch."
Yes
1.-THE ketch went ashore on the Crebi
nacks at 4:30 o'clock on that Christmas
eve. One man jumped for the rocks
when the ketch struck and was drowned.
The rest were brought off by the lugger.
But one man was drowned"
He drowned because he jumped"
said l.
HE drowned because my man hadn't
lit Bishop light" said she, brushing my
sophstry aside, $50 | gave him my boy
in his place"
And now l knew why those words,
''There was haze, and it was growing
dark" held the heart of her distress.
And if the Bishop goes next winter"
she continued. why. it will just be life
for life" And she choked down a sob
as young voice hailed us from behind.
But the Bishop still stands in the At
lantic, and Leopold, now the second
hand. explains to the Margate trippers
the wonders of the North ForelaHd
lghts.-London Telegraph.