The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-08
AFTER THE STORM.


The storm had lulled. The sea.
churned up the night before into
seething, heavy caldron of pitch-bIack
waters, had subsidized now into a rest
less, uneasy swell, rising and falling
like a woman's bosom after a storm
of sobs. The wind. too, had fallen light
At midnight it had come with a sud-
den roar out of the north, bearing on
its back scud of sleet and spray, and
driving helpless ships before it on pitt
less shores.
The fishing boats had been out all
night in the storm and stress, and now
they were struggling back into harbor,
blowing over the bar in the wake of
iabor1ng steam tugs, or. confident in
their knowledge of things nautical.
making their slow way in unaided. Not
a few bore marks of battle: here
torn sail, there rent cordage, or a spar
snapped off, or a bit of the bulwarks
torn away. A little crowd stood on the
pierhead watching them, townsfolk,
keenly interested in the sight all too
familiar; fishermen, calm, phIegmatic
silently critical; strangers, verbose, ex-
cited.
Foremost of all was a sroup of wo
men, fish cutters from the denes on the
other side of the river, where their
work was to clean herring all day at
long, low fish filled troughs. They
could not work that morning, however,
anxiety gnawed too cruelty at their
heartstrings, for their men were at
sea and there was no knowing wheth-
er they had come safe and sound out
of last nights hell of wind driven rain
squalls, of foam and spray and raging,
turbulent waters. So, leaving the
troughs, the women tied their shawIs
tight over their heads and in their
working dress of rough serge, water
boots and briny oilskin aprons, came to
the harbor's mouth to watch and wait
and perhaps to welcome home their
men.
That's hard work a-waitin'," MUIR
INJURED one of them, a slight delicate
looking girl, to her neighbor, who was
doing her best to shelter her from the
keen wind.
Don't you worrit, gal LIZ said the
other consolingly; 1.-The valiant III be
in afore you knows where ye are, see
If SheNain t.
Liz shook her head and the tears
welled up into plaintive gray eyes. 81
wish wor like you, Marthy,' she said,
brave an heartsome; I allus fare so
timid when Jem's at sea, an today I'm
wusS'n ever. Did We hear the wind in
the night2" she went on, her voice low
and terrorful, that Jared ter grip hold
O. the house an worry it like a cat wi
a mouse; right shook in my bed. 1
did, athinxin' O. Jem out in it all, an
at last 1 couldn't stan it no longer. I
just slipped out, too, an walked up an
down the beach so as to be bit higher
to him: 1 wish there warn't no sea-
she said, shivering, 'ter part people
an scare them wot's ashore"
Marthy looked down at her tenderly.
wy, that wouldn't do nohow, Liz,
she said; you an Jem wouldn't never
ha' come acrost each other if there
hadn't ha been no sea, nor so smackin'
nor nothin'."
But Liz had knowledge of which
Marthy. with all her sympathy, knew
nothing. IVY. yes we should.
Marthy'' she said quietly. ''Nothin
couldn't ha' KEEP up two apart; we
was forced ter come together, we
was
Meanwhile the slow procession of
fishing boats struggled by, and the
crowd watched them. Presently a steam
tug neared the harbor's mouth, towing
two abreast The smacks waved this
way and that, and the tug looked like
a mother with a troop of overgrown
daughters, little inclined to get out of
hand. so
THE Perry ha' got her work cut out
this time" some one said. f II
The smacks came into full view
round the bend.
dermost one. hain't she got her flag
haIf-maSt?''
A score of eager, incredulous faces
craned and peered. 1t was true; there
of death and disaster. Phe faces fell.
Must ha' lost a hand last night
Awoman pressed forward to the very
edge of the pier. pale and agonized.
HAT > H4OiS WI LIZ cIleQ some |
ore.
Hold yer noise" with an angry |
nudge, that there boats the valiant |
wot her man Jem Wacey's aboard on
Every heart went out to Liz in her |
anxiety. every eye scanned the Valiant's |
deck where the crew were gathered, /
eager to recognize Jem. An ominous |
silence fell. Two men were missing
Jen- and the smack's master. The rest |
Of them stood there, a detected, crest |
fallen little group.
A cry of agony broke from LIS lips. |
Where's Jem?" she cried. II don't see |
my Jem."
Still that ominous silence Liz turn
ed to Marthy with desperate, agon- !
lied gesture The girl understood her |
at once. She took her hand. The crowd |
parted, and the two ran down the pier /
along the riverside to the ferry that |
led to denes and fish-wharf. Liz STUN |
bled along scarce seeing where she /
went, her breath coming in long, heart
breaking sobs.
Down the rickety landing stage they |
went, into the old boat, and over the
steely wind-blown river The wide |
slow circuit of the boat, necessitated |
by the swift-flowing tide. seemed never |
ending; so did the steep steps on the /
other side of the river and the road to !