Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1904-04-14

kGsS0aY coming Ill from the shed
GsHsSJ and dumping an armful Of
wood in the box behind the kitchen
stove, IAN the conlbers is just a-hump-
in over White Hoss ledge, an the
sprays flynn halfway up the light
| house.
''The Lord-a-massy help any poor
soul that goes ashore tonight!" re-
sponded portly, white haired woman
beside the stove rs Il monster wave
made the little dwelling tremble.
Uncle Terry took off his dripping
sou'wester and coat and. hanging them
over the wood box. went to the sink
and began pumping basin of water
Better have some warm, Silas," said
the woman, taking the steaming kettle
| from the stove and following him.
Its more comfortin'"
When he had washed and combed
i his scanty gray locks and beard at a
small mirror he stood for moment
beside the stove His weather beaten
| face that evinced character, so pro-
nounced We're it's features, wore a
smile, and his deep set gray eyes emit
ted a twinkle.
Supper most ready, Lissy?" he ask
ed, eying a pot on the stove that gave
out an appetizing odor. SIN hungry
'nough to eat mule with the harness
on"
"'Twill be in minit,' was the re-
ply. Better go into t'other room
where Telly's settin' the table,"
Uncle Terry obeyed, and, finding a
bright fire burning there. stood back
to it, smiling affectionately at a young
girl busy beside the table. She had an
oval face, rather thin and delicate
nose. small, sweet mouth and eyes that
We're big, blue and appealing. A wealth
,of light hair was coiled on the back of
her head, and her form was full and
rounded
Its blowing hard tonight. father.
isn't it?" she observed. Il can feel
the waves shake the house," Then,
not waiting for an answer, she step
ped to closet and bringing a short
gray coat and felt slippers, pushed an
armchair to the fire and. placing the
slippers beside it, held the coat ready
for him to put it on.
You might as well be comfortable"
She added. You haven't got to go out
again, have you?"
The man seated himself and. draw
ing off his wet boots and putting on his
slippers, opened his hands toward the
blaze and observed, You and Lissy's
bound to cosset me. so bimeby l won't
stir out 'cept the sun shines"
Silas Terry, or Uncle Terry, as every
body on Southport island called him,
was and for thirty years had been the
keeper of the Cape light, situated on
this he added the daily duty of mail
carrier to the head Of the island, eight
miles distant, and there connecting
with small steamer plying between
the Maine coast islands and shore
port He also, in common with other
of the islanders, titled little land and
kept few traps set for Holsters. He
was an honest, Kind hearted and fairly
we'll read man whose odd sayings and
quaint phrases We're proverbial. With
his wife. whom everybody called Aunt
Lissy, and adopted daughter Telly. he
lived in neat white house close to the
Cape light, and, as he put it. Ibis latch
string was allus out"
Uncle Terry had history, and not
the least interesting episode in it was
the entrance into his life of this same
fair and blue eyed girl. Perhaps his
own graphic description will best tell
the tale:
ut was bout the last O. March, more
than eighteen year ago an durin' one
O the worst blows ever rec-clect since
KEEP the light, that one mornin'
spied a vessel hard an fast on White
Hoss ledge, bout half a mile off the
pint. 1t had been snowin' some an
froze on the windows o. the light, so
mebbe she didn't see it fore she fetch
ed up all standin'. The seas was pound
in her like great guns, an in her rig
gin | could see the poor devils half
hid in SNOW an ice. Thar want no
hope for 'em, for no dory could "a lived
a moment in that awful gale, an thar
want no lifeboat here. Lissy an me
made haste to build fire Oh the pint
to show the poor critturs we had feelin'
for 'em. an then we just stood an
waited an watched for em to go down.
1t might "a been an hour-there's no
tellin'-when l saw big bundle tossin'
light an comm ashore. | ran over to
the cove where | keep my boats an
grabbed piece O rope an boat hook
an made ready. The Lord must "a
steered that bundle, for it kept workin'
along, headin' for bit O. beach just
by the pint. had rope round my
waist an Lissy held ON to the end, an
when the bundle struck l made fast
with the boat hook, an the next comb
err tumbed me end over, bundle an ALL
up on to the sand. l grabbed at it an
| fore the next one come had it high an
dry out o the way.
It's allus been puzzle to me just
why | did it. for I was wet through
an most froze, an what I'd pulled out
looked like a feather bed tied round
with cord. but out with my knife
i ,,% tl,n r>,,Ie H..