Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-01-04

The Perry ha' got her work cut
out this time,'' some one said.
The smacks camo into full view
round the bend.
Halo, what's up WI that there
hindermost one, han't size got ner flag
halfmast?"
A score Of eager, incredulous faces
there hung the telltale flag, pregnant
signal of death and disaster. The
faces fell
'Must ha' lost hand last night"
A woman pressed forward to the
very edge of the pier, pale and agon-
lied.
whats wrong VII Liz" cried some
one.
Hold yer noise," with an angry
nudge, chat 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 Va
liant's deck wnere the crew were
gathered, eager to recognize Jem.
An omirDus silence fell. Two men
were missing-Jem and the smack's
master. The rest of them stood there,
detected, crest-fallen little group.
A cry of agony broke from Liz's
lips. where's Jem?" she cried. 81
don't see my Jem."
Still that ominous silence. Liz
| turned to Marthy with a desperate,
agonized gesture. The girl under
stood her at once. She took her
hand. The crowd pared, and the two
ran down the pier along the riverside
to the ferry tAat led to denes and
fish wharf. Liz stumbled 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 necessi-
tated by the swift-floWing tide, seem
ed never ending; so did the steep
steps on the other side of the river
and the road to the wharf where the
boats were noored.
The Perry had cast her little fleet
adrift now in mid-river, and one by
one they were joining the serried
ranks at the quayhead. The Valiant
was there already-a chaos of fish
and men, and tarry barrels and ropes
and spars and shimmering, iridescent
fish scales. An eager crowd pressed
ON board keen to learn the news of
the night and the boats loss. A few
steps more and Liz was among them,
fear eloquent in her wide eyes and
dry lips.
Eyes, the masters gone," one Of
the crew was saying, sadly. GA thun-
derin' big wave took an washed him
overheard, and the same one hulled
pore Wacey ag'in the mast, an"
Liz gripped the speakers arm.
Killed" she gasped, ''Is my Jem
killed."
The sound Of her voice reached the
cabin below. Before the wait could
reply, there was a sound of stumbling
footsteps up the companion, and a
man, pale and weak, his head ban
daged up in a gaudy cotton handker-
chief, came into sight. Ne steadied
himself moment, while his dazed
eyes scanned the deck. Then he held
out his arms, and with a long-pent-up
cry, Liz flew to them like homing
! bird.
Jem held her close, stroking her
hair and soothing her tenderly, while
he babe her, in voice which was
rather shaky, in spite of the chaff,
mot to go a-killin' O. Kim orf like
that there; he wasn't dead, no, nor
likely to be-"
And the gallant crew of the Valiant
turned their broad backs on the two,
and winked the tears out OF their hon
est eyes; but Marthy, woman-like,
found vent for her pent-up emotion
in scathing speech. "To think" cried
she, that all this here might ha'
been spared if only you chaps had
had the sense to bring Jem up on
deck time you was a-coming into
harbor. But there, it's just like lot
O. men; no more perceivance among
yer than the babe unborn!"-K. M.
Guthrie, in Black and White.