The Press., 1899-04-27
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, would not cross the Atlantic
in the middle of November for dozen
sweethearts.
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 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 long
way to Toronto said her friend Nora.
Il don't know how you'll get through
all by yourself.
"Ah. but I'm not going to. Dick has
been sent by hi, firm to New York ON
berth in the Meldrum, ccasting
steamer, whit b will bring him to Hall
fax about the same time that l get
there.
Miriam was in fever of joy and was
altogether ohliyious of such small mat
ters as intense cold, a pitching, rolling
ship and battaned down matches. The
good ship fought gayly through a
stormy, ice threatened sea, and at last
a 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
dancing on the waves.
AS he drew nearer he found it an ap-
parently empty boat, and he sent off
one of his boats to tow the stranger to
the steamer When it reached the side.
however, the limp form of sailor was
lifted from it. Under care and good
reat1nent 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
landed on deck, and the name upon it
Meldrum-m made known.
"How funnyl' cried Miriam. "A
steamer sailing from New York to Hal
flax is named Meldrum.
AYE. missile, said sailor omi
| nously. land this is one of her boats.
"But how can it be? How could il
have got loose out here?'
eff that poor chap lives he can tel
| us that, and no one else perhaps
After some time the sailors words
began to beat into Miriam's S stupefet
brain. She tried to speak to some ONT
standing near, but her tongue would
not move, only her knees shook so mucl
| that she nearly fell Her neighbor drew
| her to a seat.
lis the Meldrum wrecked?" Miriam
asked, with tragic eyes.
81 do not know. but hope not. Tha
poor fellow will tell us, if he lives.
That evening it was known that th'
Meldrum had collided with anothe,
vessel in the storm, and that, although
all the boats had been lowered, the.
had one after another been swamped
The rescued sailor had just jumped int
one when its ropes snapped, and h
was therefore the only person saved.
| The stewardess took the tidings will
a cup of tea to Miriam as she lay iner
and despai1ing on her sofa, and she le
the woman gossip out her news withou
uttering sound. At last the stewardes
went away, and Miriam lay still. no
thinking, only suffering.
Later she crawled into her bed