Daily camera., 1901-10-24
When the Dead Awaken
BY Edgar Welton Coulsy.
tcopyrtsh. 1891, By Authors syadiosssj

CA1RPORT possessed two things Of
which it was proud. One was
magnificent view of the open sea, and
the other was Miss Nancy.
The ocean stretched in opulent
beauty from the feet OF the strug-
Cling village into the dim and uncer-
tain distance, its restless water pre-
senting different aspect for near
ly every hour of the day. In the
early morning one could not deter
mine where the gray sky and the
leaden sea joined hands, but when
the sun arose and sent its bright,
red darts into the heaving bosom Of
the ocean. each little wave held up n
bleeding finger until the whole, broad
sea was scarlet-spangled.
At noon the glossy surface Of the
water reflected warmly the vertical
rays of the midday sun, and at even
ing. the mists that hung above the
water like curtain dropped .-om
the azure canopy, wrapped Ahe
drowsy waves In their folds and
lulled them TO siumber, so that when
the stars peeped down they found the
water motionless and winked at
their own reflections on the mirror
ing surface.
But when a storm swept down from
the north. its fingers combed the
tangled ringlets OF the fretiul waves
so roughly that they complained and
fought so savagely that sometimes
the little village was deluged with
the spray and well-nigh deafened with
the grumbling.
AS for Miss Nancy, there was moth
ing in her face or figure particular
ly attractive, unless il WAS the hon
est, open coun'snance and the clear,
gray eyes that seemed 10 laugh only
to conceal their sadness.
In fact, Miss Nancy WAS very
her plain but cozy living room in
the afternoons and gazed out over the
far stretching ocean whose waves,
at high tide, almost kissed the portals
OF her little home Her face was thin
and sallow; her hands were red and
roughened from the harsh clasp of
toll. and her hair was gray and thin.
a Maltese cat OF uncertain age was
her closest companion, and Of living
relatives she had none. so far as any
Of the residents OF Fairport knew.
To them she WAS alternately
spoken OF as Miss Nancy and 'the
Derslict," the latter title having ref
creme. TO the manner of her arrival
in Fairport.
Miss Nancy and the village Of Fair
port were strikingly similar in one
respect There had been u time when
each, apparently, was possessed OF
promising future, and both had seen
their hopes disappear like the mists
before the rising run.
The original settlers of Fairport
laid out the village with certain
convenience that some day the little
hamlet would metnmorphose into a
metropolitan seaport. They lived
and died in this belief. but their chill
dren witnessed the shattering OF their
dreams Then Fairport cast aside all
misguided fancies of future impor-
tance and settled down into idle
tranquility, content in the posses
sion Of its unequaled view Of the sea
and Miss Nancy.
The Derelict earned her unusual
soubriquet by drifting into Fairport
harbor one May morning, following
stormy night, lashed tightly to a
piece of broken spar. At that time
she was only ten years Of age. and
subsequently nearly died of grief
over the loss of her parents, who
had gone down with an ill-fated ves-
sci during the night
The strange surroundings and un-
familiar faces among which fortune
and the waves had tossed her did
not tend to sooth the child. and she
mi, y have actually pined away and
died had it not been for John Crag-
ston.
John was but four years her senior.
and It was he who had first discov-
cred the Derelict as the waves
washed her ashore. He was gathering
shells at the time, but promptly
waded into the surf, cut the cords
that bound her unconscious form,
gathered her up in his strong arms,
carried her to dry land. washed the
seaweed and the salt from her hair
and eyes and then hurried for the
doctor.
During the years that followed
John and Nancy were inseparable
companions.
The son of sea captain. John
looked forward to life on the brine,