The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-03-29
were tears in his eyes.

| Half an hour passed. It was filed
in the study by the sound of the
scratching of a pen. The vicar wrote
that night sermon that he never
preached. The text was taken from the
thirty first chapter of Proverbs and
the twenty-ninth verse
He heard the children come in and
| he called to them.
| Where is your sister, dear?" he
| asked of Mabey.
She sent us in because it was time
for us to go to bed, and she has stopped
because she wanted to see>the sea, and
so were to go to nurse
"And oh, the seas so rough" said
| Willie, "and there are big enormous
waves as big as-oh, ever so big! And
Mabey's hat nearly blew away, and our
coats are quite wet
| go and take them off. my boy.
Goodnight, little man. Goodnight,
Mabey. Run along"
Sibylstood on the beach and watched
the sea- Her clothes were twisted
round her by the gale, and her hat had
blown loose and was sapping her in
the face and tapping like ribbons. Ev-
cry wave seemed to dig into the shore
as it broke with the crashing of thou
sandguns aid then rushed up the float
| ing single. 1t tore the stones back
| with grinding sound on it's receding.
Spray stood in drops on Sibyl's face
and on the nap of her rough coat.
Foam lay like yellow snow in a long
| line that was washed higher and high
| err.
| How the wind roared, and how the
sea Numbered! Sibyl breathed a
prayer for all who were at the mercy
of the waters. What free and superb
curve was that of the breaking wave!
There must be for moment a hollow,
she thought, under each as the hollow
under the falls of Niagara, where you
can stand unwet in the heart of the
| cataract.
In the wild evening the glamour of
the storm took possession of her. She
was buffeted by the wind and wet by
the spray till it seemed to be that the
tempest awoke kindred spirit within
angry waves and help in the havoc of
the night. How rapturous to be mer-
maid, to dive through those monstrous
breakers, to ride upon the crests OF
them, to throw yourself backward,
thence with outstretched arms to turn
and tGEable and dance till you churned
them to further foam!
fascination that made her needless of
all but her fancies. Then her heart
stood still A black mountain was adj
vancing toward her. Had the whole
sea heaped into one stupendous wave?
There was the noise of the crushing
of world. =
In his study the vicar looked up from
his sermon.
what was that?" he said, aloud.
There was silence in the house, and
then screaming. The women rushed
from their quarters.
THE waters coming up the garden"
The maid who spoke was white to
the lips. Mr.. North went to the door
and opened it. There was sound in the
garden that had never been there be-
fore. 1t was the rushing back of the
water. 1t flowed down in a fiat sheet
to the basin of the sea-
"A tidal wayc," said the vicar. at
will not occur again."
Il thought it was the end of the
world" said the nurse. "It's mercy
the children were in. But where's the
boys and Miss Elsie?"
The vicar threw up his arms.
"Sibyl!" he said. "Sibyl! Where is
Sibyl? My God, don't tell me she isn't
with you!" The servants looked at
each other in blank alright. No one
had seen her. No one had heard her
come in.
Cant you answer" said the vicar.
turning to them with such n frenzied
look as not one of them will ever for
get. They shranl back. The nurse be-
gan to sob.
Mr.. North ran down the garden.
splashing through the water that had
been left in pools upon the grass The
sea had fallen back to its accustomed
place. Their was nothing on the beach
but high up the line of the yellow
foam. The vicar ran hither and thither
ON the shore. He seemed bereft of his
senses. The women followed him keep
ing close together. He stopped and
faced them.
What shall / do?" he said, helpless
ly. What shall | do?"
Where are the boys and Elsie ?" said
the nurse.
"Tether's Point. They are safe-but
Sibyl. Oh, dear God, Sibyl. Sibyl."
lie began to sob. His knees shook.
lie wore no hat, and his gray hair was
blowing in the wind. His long coat
Tapped around him. Some of the
parishioners gathered on the shore.
The servants ran to them. Old Trem-
lin said no boat could put out in such
sea-and If she could, what good?
But, Miss Sibyl!" he said. at can't
be true! The Lord wouldn't let it,
The night was spent in search. Par
ties were quickly organized and sent
out in both directions. From Tether's