Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-10-04
When the Dead Awaken
by Edgar Welton Couley.
Copyright, 1901, by Authors syndicato'1
TAIRpoRT possessed two thinrs

LAIRPORT possessed two things Of
i which it was proud. One was n
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-
tam distance, its restless water pre-
senting different aspect for near
~ 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 a
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 a curtain dropped from
the azure canopy, wrapped the
drowsy waves in their folds and
lulled them to slumber, 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 fretful 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 it was the hon
est, open countenance and the clear,
gray eyes that seemed to laugh only
to conceal their sadness.
In fact, Miss Nancy was very
commonplace parsonage as she sat in
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 size had none, so far as any
OF the residents of Fairport knew.
tn them she was alternately
spoken of as Miss Nancy and "the
Derelict," the latter title having ref
erence to the manner of her arrival
in Fairport.
Miss Nancy and the village of Fair
mort were strildngly similar in one
resp,ct. There had been a time wher
each. apparently, was possessed OF
promising future, and both had seer
their hopes disappear like the mists
before the rising run.
The original settlers OF Fairpor'
laid out the village with certain
convenience that some day the little
hamlet would metamorphose into
metropolitan seaport. They livee
and died in this belief, but their chill
dren witnessed the shattering OF theil
dreams. Then Fairport cast aside al
,o;so,,ided fancies of future impor
.,nce and settled down into idl'
tranquility, content in the posses
sion of its unequaled view OF the se'
and Miss Nancy.
The Derelict earned her unusua
soubriquet by drifting into Fairpor
horhor one May morning, following
stormy night, dashed tightly to
niece of broken spar. At that TIM
She was only ten years OF age an'
subsequently nearly died OF gre
over tbe loss of her parents, wh'
had gone down with an ill-fated yes
sci during the night.
Tho strange surroundings and un
..n,;l;ar faces among which fortuna
"a tbe waves had tossed her on
~ tend to sooth the child, and sh
ro;obt have actually pined away AM
d;ed had it not been for John Crag
ston. har een;or
"a 4 was he who had first disco'
a arsd the Derelict as the wave
dashed her ashore. He was gatherin
she,ls at the time, but promp.,
snoded into the surf, cut the coro
W. hound her unconscious form
l In her up in his strong arms
Erie e rried her to dry land, washed IN
saaweed and the salt from ner ma
snd ewes ard then hurried for IN
pnripg the years that sollowe
,obn and Nancy were insepara oi
companions Joh
The son Of sea captain 'on
1919 forward to a life on the brin'