The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1901-10-04

For the Bishop still stood, and Gar
stin had died on the Christmas eve of
that last year which he was TO spend
upon rock lighthouses. or how he died
the tablet gave a hint, but no more than
a hint. There We're four words inscribed
underneath his name:
And he was not"
walked back to Hugh Town, won
dering at the tragedy which those four
words half hid and half revealed and re-
membering that the tide runs seven
miles an hour past the Bishop, with
many eddies and whirlpools Almost un-
consciously | went up the hill above
Hugh Town and came to the signal sta
tion on the top of the Garrison, and SO
occupied was | with my recolections of
Garstin that it did not strike me as
strange that | should find Mrs. Garstin
standing now where he had stood and
looking out to the Bishop as he was used
to look.
II had not heard" said to her.
Nor she returned simply and again
turned her eyes seaward. 1t was late on
a 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 q
ripping lagoon of the color of claret.
Over the whole expanse there was but
one boat visible a lugger, between Sam
son and st. Agnes, beating homeward
against light wind.
1T was storm, | suppose" said l,
"a storm out of the west"
mo; there was no wind. but there
was haze, and it was growing dark"
Mrs. Garstln spoke in peculiar tone of
resignation. with a yearning glance to-
ward 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 kept her on the island.
At O'Clock on the afternoon Of that
Christmas eve the lighthouse on st. Ag-
nes 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 thickeued, and night came on. Sun
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 St.
Agnes lugGer to serve the Bishop. and
this boat was got ready. At quarter
to . 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 OF the
three keepers there were now only two.
1t appeared from their account that
Garstn took the middle day watch. that
they themselves were asleep and that
Garstln should have reused them to light
the lamps at a quarter to 1. The clock
showed them it was half past 1. 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 Garstins hand
and was timed 3:40 p. m. Ii mentioned
a keteh reaching northward. The two
men descended the winding stairs, and
the cool air breathed upon their faces.
he brass door at the foot of the stairs
stood open. From that door 80 feet of
gun metal rungs let into the outside of
the lighthouse lead down to the set off.
which is 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
utes of fresh air and somehow had slip
ped, 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 it
left me still won ping why she lived on
at st. Mary's. | asked after her son.
''How is Leopold? What is he-a
linen draper?7
said.
That's the St. Agnes lugger from the
Bishop, and if we 20 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
He's the third hand on the Bishop
now,' said Mrs. Garstin. you are sur
prisedF' She sent Leopold into Hugh
Town upon an eYrand, aud as we walked
back mp the hill She said. Did you mo-
tice grave underneath Johns tablet?"
''No, said |.
81 told you there was mention in the
log Of ketch. p"
YES"
'lhe ketch went ashore on the Crebi-
nacks at 1880 o'clock ors that Christmas
eve, One man jumped for the rocks