Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1906-11-12

The presence of the steamship, tiny
dull spot on the glowing picture, peo-
pied the void with life and banished |
poetry with the thinly sheeted ghosts
OF the fog. In little more than an |
hour she would be abreast of the Gulf |
Rock light. The watcher belieyed-was |
almost certain, in fact-that she was |
the Princess Royal, homeward bound |
from New York to Southampton. From
her saloon deck those enthusiasts who
had risen early enough to catch a first
glimpse of the English coast were al
ready scanning the trinity rugged out
lines of the Sicily isles and searching
with their glasses for the Lands End
and the Lizard
In a few hours they would be in
Southampton; that afternoon in Lon
don-LOndon, the Mecca Of the world,
from which two years ago he fed with
loathing akin to terror. The big ship
out there, painting and straining as if
she were beginning, not ending, her
ocean race of 5000 miles, was carrying
eager hundreds to the pleasures and
fOllies Of the great city. Yet he, the
man smoking and silently staring at
the growing bank of SmOke-a young
man, too; handsome, erect with the
clean, smooth profile of the aristocrat-
had turned his back on it all and
sought and found peace here in the
gaunt pillar on a lonely rock
Strange how differently men are con-
stituted. And women! Bah! A hard
look came into his eyes. His mouth set
in a stern contempt. For little while
his face pore a steely expression which
would have amazed the man within the
lantern, now singing Justify as he
worked.
But as the harp of David caused the
evil spirit to depart from Saul, so did
the music of the morning chase away
the lurking devil of memory which
sprang upon the lighthouse keeper with
the sight of the vessel.
He smiled again. trife bitterly per-
haps Behind him the singer roared
genially:
''Soon We'll be in London Town,
Sing, my lads, yeo ho-o
And see the king in his golden crown,
Sing, my lads, yeo ho!''
The man on the platform seemed to
be aroused from a painful reverie by
the jingle 50 curiously apropos to his
thoughts. He tapped his pipe on the
iron railing and was about to enter the
lantern-and so to the region of sleep
beneath-when suddenly his glance,
trained to an acuteneSS not dreamed OF
by folk ashore, rested on some object
seemingly distant a mile or less and
drifting slowly nearer with the tide.
At this hour a two knot current
swept to the east around and over the
treacherous reef whose sunken fangs
were marked by the lighthouse. Ii
calm weather, such as prevailed JUS
then, it was difficult enough to effect
, landing at the base of the rock, bu
, this same smiling water race became
, an awful raging, tearing fury Whe1
! the waves were dashed into storm.
He pocketed his pipe and stood witt
hands clinched on the rail, gazing IN
tentlv at a white painted ships life
boat with a broken mast and sal
l trailing over the stern. It's color, witt
the sun shining on it, no less than tn
vaporous eddies fading down to til
> surface of the sea, had prevented dill
> from seeing it earlier. Pernaps IL
5 would not have noticed it at all Wer
If not for the flashing wings of severa
sea birds which accompanied the Graz
{ in aerial escort.
Even vet landsman would nav
stared insolently in that direction an
declared that there was naught els
in sight save the steamer, whose I'd
masts and two black tunnels were nov
distinctly visible but the Hghtnous
i kaener knew he was not mistaken
Here was a boat adrift forlorn, Oh
serted. It's contour told MN tnat
/ was no local craft straylng adVeI
Il t11rously from island or mainland. Ii
( unexpected presence. WaIteu llC
y strangely from ocean wilds. the broke
Il snar and tumbled canvas, betokene
!, an accident, perchance a Tragedy.
- 'sJimr' he cried. :.
uis mate. engaged in shroudlng I'll
2 cleaning lenses from the suns ray
como at the call. He was lame, tI
u rasult of a wound received III u
- Egyptian campaign never 'no'o'N'
- was quick on his feet.
II .What do you make of thatE
4 The sailor required no more tnan
j. gesture. He shaded his eyes WIN
r;rb+ hand a mere shipboard trick
n concentrating vision and braln'
tbo rising sun was almost behind hllh'
t. "ship's boat" he answered laconle :,
If " "Collision, l expect. There's o
le no blow to speak of for days; 3
ID they're gone. Knocked overheard d VIM n
~ sbo was took aback by squall U
. less them BIRDS
al He smoke in a species of veroai slo
a. hand but his meaning was cle
enough. even to the sentence iell =
go finished The craft was under ~ - :
ro troll She would drift steadiiy lll,o
re- BAY until the tide turned, WANDER II
TO an aimless circle for half an ~