Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-07-13

CHAPTER |
VII night LON: the great h"ll OF
Ia the lighthouse. >lung t" Il >tont
IA beam projecting scawAr,i he
u meath III" outer platform, had
tollri It's warming through the fog.
The inonoton"uS ticking Of the clock
work attachment that governed it. the
sharp and livclpr click of the occult
Ing hoods machinery. We're the only
sounds which alternatcd with its deep
boom. Tie tremendous clang sent n
thrill through the giant column itself
and pealed away into the murhy void
with a tremOlo Of profound diininu-
tons.
Overhead the magnificent lantern, its
eight rinGcd circle of fame burning ut
iull pressure, illumincd the drifting
vaI.or with an intensity that seemed To
L., born of the sturdy granite pillar Of
which 1t was the fitting diadem. Hard
and strong externally as the everlast-
ing rock on which 1t stood, repletc
within with FURNISHED steel and polish
I'd brass. great cylinders and powerful
pumps thC hShliiOuoC All 40 Rio"-
Ing torch beyond the reach Of the most
daring wave. Cold, dour. defiant it
looked. Yet its superhuman eye
sought to pierce the very heart of the
fog, and the furnace white glare, con
centrated ten thousand fold by the en-.
circling hive Of the dioptric lens. flung
far into the gloom silvery cloak Of
moOnlike majesty.
At last an Irresistible ally sprang to
the assistance Of the uncOnquerable
light. About the close Of the middle
watch n gentle breeze from the Allan
tic followed the tide and swept the
khivering wrath landward to the north
east, while the first beams Of a June
sun completed the destruction Of the
routed specter.
So once more, as on the dawn of the
third day. the waters under the heaven
were gathered into one place and the
dry land appeared, and, behold, it was
good.
On the horizon the turquoise rim Of
the sen lay with tho sheen Of folded
silk against the softer canopy Of the
sky. Toward the west group Of Is
lands, to which drifting banks Of mist
chung In melting despair, We're etched
IN shadows Of dreamy purple. Over
the nearer sea floor the quickly dying
vapor spread hazy pail of opal tints.
Across the face Of the waters glisten-
ing bands of emerald green and serene
blue Quivered In fairy lights. The
slanting rays Of the sun threw broad
cast a golden mirage and gilded all
things with the dumb gladness of an
English summers day.
A man, pacing the narrow gallery be-
meath the lantern, halted for a mo-
ment to flood his soul afresh with
beauty made enhancing by the knowl-
edge that few brief minutes would
resolve 1t into maturer and more IA
miliar charms.
He was engaged, 1t Is true. In the
unromantic action of filling his pipe,
simple thing. beloved alike Of poets
and navvies, yet his eyes drank In the
mute glory Of the scene. and. captive
to the spell of the hour, he murmured
aloud:
FLOATING on waves Of music and Of light.
Celestial coursers paw the unyielding air:
Their filmy pennons at her word they furl
And stop obedient to the reins Of light
The small door beneath the glass
fame was open. The worker within,
busily cleaning an eight inch burner,
ceased for an instant and popped his
head out.
Ibid you hail me-" he inquired.
The matter of fact words awoke the
dreamer. He turned with a pleasant
smile.
ITO be exact, Jim. did hail some
body, but 1t was Aurora, Spirit of the
like you"
'Oh. that's all right, cap'n! 1 thought
I heard you singin' out for light"
The other man bent his head to shield
a match from puff of wind, thus con-
cealing from his companion the CLEAN
Of amusement in his eyes. His mate
shifted the fragrant odor Of the tobacco
longingly, but the Elder Brethren of
the Trinity maintain strict discipline.
and he vanished to his task without
thought Of broken rules.
He left a piece of good advice be-
hind him.
IF was you, cap'n." he said, "I'd
turn In. Jones Is feelin' AL this morn
In. He comes on at 8. You ought to
be dead beat after your double spell
Of the last two days. Ill keep break
fast back until three bells (0:30 a. n.y..
en- there's fresh eggs an haddick."
"Just couple Of whiffs. Jim. Then
I'll 60 below"
Both men wore the uniform Of assist
amt keepers, yet it needed not their
manner Of speech to reveal that one
was q gentleman born and bred and
the other bluff. good natured, horny
handed A. B., to whom new laid eggs
and recently cured fish appealed far
more potently than Shelley and a sum-
mer dawn at sea.
He who had involuntarily quoted
"Queen Nab" turned his gaze seaward
again. Each moment the scene was be-
coming more brilliant, yet nearer to
earth. The faroff islands sent splashes
of gray, brown and green through the
purple The rose flush on the horizon
was assuming yellOWer tluBe, ana tne
blue Of sky and water was deepening.
Twenty miles away to the southwest
the smoke of a steamer horalded the
edvent Of an Atlantic liner. and the last
shreds of white mist were curling for
lornly above the waves.
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 believed-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 Scilly isles and searching
with their glasses for the Lands End
and the Lizard.