The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-09-01
BY RoBy MEEKINs.
ROMANCE OF KNOLL LIGHT.

Knoll Lighthouse was several miles
 Ut in the great bay. At night 1t
 ient forth brilliant radiance that iept the ships from the shoals beyond. By day 1t was a round pile of stone that looked very lonesome in the waste of waters around.
 Life there looked dreary. Few would lave chosen it for place of residence. put old Captain Sharp belonged to a family of lighthouse keepers and it suited him. It also suited his wife, round dame who was in the habit of saying in reply to all questions.
 Why shouldn't I enjoy it? You city folks have dust and flies and mice and rats and such things to fight and to
 make you tired and sad. while I can keep my house clean from years end to years end with no trouble at all.''
 And If anyone asked Captain Sharp If he did not long for company some times and did not sigh for the land, his fat sides would shake with laughter and he would say:
 "Bless you, no. In them city houses damned together like bricks in pile you never see nothing while out here you see everything. And the fish you eat-how do you know they've been out of the water two days or two weeks?
 Why, we just put down our lines and ins three shakes of a whales tail din- ner's ready. Healthy? We don't know anything else, and I actually believe the good Lord put limit on human life so as to keep us light-keepefs from livin' forever"
 And another laugh rolled over his expanse of compliance and reverberated through the room.
 at0F <xE happen and we don't get hum drum here-not a bit of 1t. The funniest? We'll. now, Eliza, I guess that little experience in the October blow was about as interesting as any of 'em. wasn't it?"
 She looked up from her knitting and
 nodded a smiling assent.
 "Oh, that was funny" said Captain sharp. You see, it was this way; George Hazard has a lot of vessels and one of 'em was going to pieces on shoal about twenty mile down. Shed run aground in gale and they couldn't get her off. Her cargo was worth good deal. At last old man Hazard calculated he'd better so and see for himself He owns nice tug, you know. and it's fitted up pretty well. and when his daughter Helen-thats ueT uC d6hCOs AChCAAAAS WY AtA" wife.
 '"That was her name." was the re-
 ply.
 1T guess the Helen part of 1t is the same yet" said the captain, but that ain't neither here nor there. Helen started out with 'em. Well. after they'd left the city about an hour the hlow started up and the sky got black er'n the inside of stovepipe and all on board begun to get aleetle skeered. It wouldn't do no good to turn back. 80 they kept on. When they got down as far as us things looked bad. But
 Hazard, who kin grip dollar tighter n l a catfish kin bite worm, was deter | mined to save as much as he could or | that cargo. But what was they to dor. There was only one thing. and they done it. They come up to the light house and asked us to take care of the | girl while they kept on down to, the wreck. Just then the sea begun to ! flare up and when we were getting the young missus in a big wave come along and covered her. But we got her | on deck-in the house, l mean-all
 right, and shouted through the storm | that we'd take good care of her and that everything would be all safe and
 sound So they went along and were soon lost in the cloud and rain" Mrs. Sharp looked up again from her l knitting. Poor thing" she said' she was most drowned.
 l That she was" said the captain. and she was such a slim little bit. | declare she remlned me of kitten l that had fell overheard. We got her to | the dry room in jiffy and then Eliza | took her in tow. Course she had to | have dry clothes and there was only | one thing for Eliza to do and she done | it, but, gentlemen, you ought to nave | saw the consequences. Without calling l attention unnecessarily to my wife, l may say that she is not what you l might call a lady a-fadin' away. She | have got her share of size, and neither ! her nor me is ashamed of 1t. Well, as
 I was sayin', you ought to have saw Miss Helen Hazard when she come out | of that room wabblin' in Eliza's clothes. l I didn't like to laugh, but jest couldn't help it-a oyster would a. 1 cracked, 1t was so outrageous reediscu- lous. And she took it fine too. Jest | go on with your laughin's she said to l me, fur feel as funny as look, and 1 then Eliza couldn't hold in any longer | and we laughed ourselves almost sick. l until we happened to hear voice cry ling for help"
 l Where was that, Captain?" | Right out in front of the house. | Course I jumped out to do what | could and seen a young feiler hayin' very bad time of 1t in the rough