Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1901-03-13
Remorce.
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the sun; the stiffness OF semtropiOai
afternoon, with nothing to hear but the
ripple of the water and its splash against
the boat; the monotony Of semitropicai
marsh, with nothing to see but the parch-
ed grasses, the swirling eddies Of the nv
err and the cloudless heavens. And Nieo-
10. with one arm resting lazily across the
tiller, keeps the vessel in midstream,
drifting toward the gulf, and watches the
wreaths from his cigarette as they mist
| themselves away into nothing
Nicolo's face wears look Of triumph,
and his eyes sparkle with the pleasure OF
his thoughts. 1t is true that shadow
crosses il now and again, but he losses
his head. and the shadow fades away.
And Nicolo. in his lugger, drifts toward
the gulf seemingly happy. The dun
| brown waste of marshland seems inter-
minable, it stretches so far away on eli
| Their hand In such unbroken, dreary lev
els. Once in awhile frightened bird
| darts from the waters edge to wheel and
circle out of sight. The whisper OF the
solitude seems to creep across the sur
| face OF the earth. But Nicolo heeds nei-
Their bird nor solitude nor anything ex.
cept the passing OF his reverie, which is
sweet TO him.
The sun slips down toward the west.
The glare of the day fades into the azure
of the evening. Along the edge OF the
horizon blue and purple and red and
golden clouds begin to stretch themselves
away across the sky. Solitary knots OF
trees grow black against the flush and
glow of the evening heavens, aud over
everything the shadow of the coming
| night creeps on apace.
Nicolo. bestirring himself to set his
lights. watches the gathering blackness
of the heavens. His smile is gone now.
| The coming of darkness seems TO over
cast bis spirits. He glances furtively
about him as he busies himself with the
boat Although alone, he seems to look
around for some one whom he viii not
welcome Thus his boat arrives AT the
place where the waters in the river are
lost and forgotten in the waters of the
sea and. passing out from the conhning
shores, rides. with long. sweeping mo-
/ tons, upon the swell of the nightier
| deep.
The night shuts out the earth. the
heavens and the waters. There Is a ter
1 ror in the coming tempest which con
I quers the mightiest of minds. The hiss
| ing of the raindTops as they strike upon
the waters has a venom OF its own. The
heavy believing of the clouds as they
discharge their passions OF lightning. the
voice of the rushing storm winds and the
lashing OF the sea subdue and oyerawe
| the most powerful nature OF man.
Nicolo. crouching by his tiller. watches
the increasing anger of the night In ter
ror. To him the high waves are peopled
with thousand mysterious beings. and
he Witnesses the gathering tempest with
superstitious awe as he guides the way
of his vessel over the rising and foaming
waves.
The pause OF nature before she strikes
| the first fierce blow in anger touches his
superstitious nature and makes him trem-
bic as he covers in his boat. But the
deafening crash of the elements follows
quickly. and the boat darts forward into
! a caldron of seething foam. into a fiery
circle Of light and into a mighty chaos OF
discordant sound. Now it is in the val.
ley of the waters. and around il the leap
ing mountains of waves dance and dart
upward TO what seem towering heights.
Phosphorus glimmers from their sides
and peaks like eyes OF untold spirits OF
the storm. Now the vessel pauses upon
the highest of the pillows. and from all
of the surrounding waters Nicolo sees a
myriad OF CHASTITY faces.
The anger OF fear seizes upon him.
and he curses them. while his hand
clutches the ti!ler desperately and he
guides his frail craft by instinct The
ever Increasing wind drives il along with
frightfui velocity. and il plunges again
into the trough of the sea. but before
him. around him. above and below him
( that ghostly cleaning face seems to stare
4 upon him and keep before his eyes per
( sistently
Mother OF God" he mutters and
shuts his eyes. But he can feel the unre.
ienting gaze always fastened upon him.
Listen" he cries. beating his hands
| upon the night. Listen. madre mial II
has followed me. that face. through ev-
cry storm until il is driving me mad, II
was all on account of Nanita, madre mia,
| all on account of Nanita. that | love!
Ever since we were babes, Nanita and I,
] have loved her, and she was mine until
Beppo came - Beppo. with his black
beard and great chest. How could |
stand seeing her give her smiles TO him
when ! would have died for one of those
same smllesf
And so. madre mia, on a night like
AAtss Nutu tue nttld the sed were
warning and Beppo and ! were sailing
alone. ! pushed him into the sea. Ii is
his face which follows me and steals
away at night time the happiness which
comes to me of days when | think that
| Nanita is mine. all mine again. and Bep.
| po cannot come between. oh, madre
mia. for the love of Christ, take away
that facew
The ungoyerned boat sweeps onward
through the tempest and the night. The
| waves are tossing it about at will Nico-
10. kneeling at his prayer for moment
throws his hands out wildly. He feels
and hears the rush of waters as they
| close about him. He shrieks aloud in
terror. and the flash of the lightning dis
closes an overturned boat driven along
before the tempest.
In smiling summer sunshine the white
sands CLEAN like ermine. The sea wash
es up its secret treasures and its spells
all eloquent OF the ravages OF the storm
| Far out at sea an upturned boat drifts
| hntr t,r a.