Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1899-10-10

strange that 1 should find Mrs. Garstjn
standing now where he had stood and
looking out to the Bishop as he was used
to look.
Il had not heard I said to her.
MOI? she returned simply, and again
turned her eyes seward. 1t was late
on midsummer afternoon. The sun
hung foot or so above the water, a
huge ball of dull red fire. and from st.
Mary's out to the horizons rim the sea
stretched a ripping lagoon of the color
of claret. Over the whole expanse there
was but one boat visible. lugger. be-
tween Samson and St. Agnes, beating
hOmeWard against q light wind
1T was q storm, [ suppose said 1.
"A storm out of the west?'
NO. There was no wind but-there
was Il haze, and it was growing dark
Mrs. Garstin spoke in a peculiar tone
of resignation, with a yearning glance
toward the Bishop as [ thought, toward
the lugger as [ know. But even then |
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.
MaryS, and while [ gradually began to
wonder what still kept her on the island
At o'clock on the afternoon of that
Christmas eve the lighthouse on st. Ag-
mes island showed its lamps; five minutes
later the red beams struck out from
Round island to the north; but to the
west on the Bishop all was dark. The
haze thickened. and night came on; still
there was no fash 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 substitute st. Ag-
mes lugger to serve the Bishop, and this
was got ready. AT a quarter to sudden
~ the Bishop light shot through the
hui n 81
ter was interposed quickly some half a
dozen times. 1t was the signal Of distress
and the lugger worked out to the Bishop
with the tide. Of 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
the lamps at a quarter to f. They woke
of their own accord in the dark. and at
once believed they had slept into the
night. The clock showed them it was
half-past 4. They mounted to the Ian
tern room, and nowhere 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 writ
ten in Garstin's hand and was timed
$40 p. m. 1t mentioned a ketch reach
ing northward. The two men descended
the winding stairs. and the cold air
breathed upon their faces. The brass
door at the foot of the stairs stood open.
From that door thirty feet of gun-metal
rungs let into the outside of the light
house lead down to the setoff, which is a
granite rim less than a yard wide and
unprotected by any rail- They shouted
downward from the doorway and re-
ceived no answer. They descended to
the SetOH, and again no GarStin not even
his cap. He was not.
Garstin had entered up the log, had
climbed down to the setoff for five min
utes of fresh air, and somehow had
slipped, though the wind was light and
the sea whispering. But that Whispering
sea ran seven miles an hour past the
Bishop.
This was Mrs Garstin's story. and if
left me still wondering why she lived on
at St. Mary's. [ asked after her son.
How is Leopold? What is he-a lin
en-draper?'
She shaded her eyes with her hand and
said:
That's the ST. Agnes lugger from the
Bishop, and if we go 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 on the Bishop
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 ketch.'
Yes
''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 the Bishop light" said she, brush
ing my sophistry aside. $50 | gave my
boy in his place.
''There was haze. and it was growing
dark"-held the heart of her distress
"A nd If the RiShnn goes NEXT winter >,