The Opelousas courier., 1899-01-14
bells-the bells that tolled If there

bells-the bells that tolled If there
were any need Of the men Of the
place-if fire broke out or robbers
were heard, or there were any riotine
in the town. What could it mean:
Norah listened. A strange surging
sound fell upon her ears. Lights
cleaned in all the houses. The truth
flashed upon her. Years before her
old grandmother had told her how the
old sea wall had been washed away,
and a tide had risen and swept in
upon them on that wild coast, carry
ing with it, as 1t went out, kline and
focks, and little dwellings, and even
land iieelf; and how there was mourn
ing throughout the land for those
that it had done to death-men and
women and children-so that many a
household long. remembered at with
voc This had happened ugaia. The
sea wall was down-ethe foods were
sweeping in. The bells were ringsag
as they had rung before in the earn
of those who now lay in their graves
ringing to tell the same tale to those
who were then unborn .
The house in which Norah dwelt
was old and near the sea, far from
all human aid, too; and its occupants
We're two very old people and two
girls. The only Il who would have
aided them was far away, and the
waters were rising even now above
the windows of the lower rooms. She
knew that the old people must be
drowned in their beds If she did not
wake them. She went down into the
room where they slept, and cried out,
as she shook them:
The tide has risen again! The tide
has risen again! Hear the bells"
Then she led them. trembling and
weeping in their helpless old age, to
the roof, and found May already
.rouched there. She was crying also.
md she turned to Norah and clutched
Ter arm.
"Will the water rise so farT' she
asked. "Shall 1 be drowned-I who
vas to be married tomorrow? Oh, 1t
be, Norah"
"Others will go with you," said
North. There are four of u.s."
"But no others besides me would
been so happy and ~ proud to-
morrow" May moaned.
The old people shook and prayed,
md cried softly. Norah, calm and
silent, kept watch. The lights float
ng about told that boats were out.
Help might come ever yet, but the
water was creeping up. 1t filled the
louse. 1t Tapped the very caves. Still
t rose higher. Those upon the roof
limbed to The very apex of its slope.
nd chung there, but the water reach
d their feet, and May was quite mad
With terror, when a light glimmered
lose beside them. and a voice said:
Good folks. there's 20 for some
-Four" said Norah.
"We've room for three" said the
'oice. SIS it Wilton's folk?"
Yes
Then a stout fellow strobe over the
oof and carried the old woman, and
hen the old man, and came back.
"We'll return for the other as soon
S we can" said he; keep up cour-
ge;7 and he seized Norah's arm.
'In with you" he cried. There's
title time to spare"
And May gave a scream, and cried:
Don't leave me! don't leave me"
Then Norah, in whose heart jea1-
usy had lighted its fires but an hour
+ SO before, felt that the angels had
uenched it with the waters of love.
Leave me and take her." she said.
I'm not afraid: I'll wait. And she
to be Ned Wilton's wife tomorrow.
ave her for his sake"
She commanded, she did not i'm
lore. The mar who listened hardly
of her sacrifice. He obeyed.
lay was in the boat.
Keep courage until we come back"
e shouted, and rowed away.
Norah chung to the chimney side,
nd kept her feet firm on the roof,
ut they We're ankle-deep now
ooh, dear, dear Ned" she cried,
QUILL have your love tomorrow
What's plain Norah to any one?
Who'll miss her but a poor old woman,
'ho'll follow her soon? But she,
lay, is half your life, Ned. Oh, God
e thanked that I car give myself for
lay for your sake"
And in the starlight her face shone
a1m and sweet and happy as the wa
r arose toward it. At last her feet
'st their hold, and her strength was
one. She was lifted and whirled
the long. brown hair, unloosen-
l, swept far behind her; the marble
ice cleaned through rings Of water
lat the starlight made a halo of. A
DICE sobbing through it said: "Ned,
ed, darling Ned, goodby!" and there
as nothing to be e but the flood
ill rising and the sky spread out
bove it.
On the morrow Norah Abbot's body
as found lying close to the old
lurch, when by that time the water
I'D retreated. And Ned and May,
nong others, came to see. May
ept. Ned stood quiet, but with a
range regret in his blue eyes. The
DRY Of her sacrifice had thrilled his
cart. He looked down at her face,
! which the beauty of her beautiful
and unselfishness had rested in
er dying moments, leaving an an
,lic smile upon the marble lips, and I
i'd, in a dreamy way: I
she was pretty. I never
new Norah Abbot was pretty be- {