Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1906-11-02
Chapter NIII-COntinued,

Chapter Alll-COntinued.
Thus far the inhabitants Of the light
house had been given quite enough
nutriment to maintain life. There was
no reason why any, even the most deli
cate. should be in real danger during
the next forty-cight hours. But scien-
titic reasoning and the animal instincts
OF mankind clash at times; in that lay
the danger whose sullen shadow was
deepening the lines In the corners of
Brands eyes.
Livery hour the officer OH duty and
some men Of the watch visited him to
report that all was we'll below. Some
OF the less drunken mutineers were
pitifully sober now; the others were
maudlin. Beyond the few words ex-
changed on this and kindred topics he
was left alone with his thoughts
throughout the silent watch. Pyne
slept heavily. CHANGING at times at
The youngsters Stalwart figure and
firm, handsome face, Brand found HIM
SELF reviewing the buried years. He
thought of the days when he. too,
looked forth on the world with the
stern enthusiasm Of triumphant youth.
Long forgotten ghosts were resur-
rected, shattered ideals built up again.
lie wondered. If the decades rolled
pack. would he decide second time to
abandon the fine career which lay ut
MS feet and withdraw his grief and his
talents to the seclusion of lonely rocks
and silent headlands.
He had been happy, rs men count
happiness, during the decades. No
cloud had arisen to mar the complete
content Of his life. The poisoning of
the girls Into delightful womanhood was
an increasing joy to him, and it was
passing strange that his little house
mold should be plunged into a whirl.
pool Of events in the very hour when
their domesticity seemed to be most
assured. The changeful moods of the
elements found no counterpart In his
nature. He, knowing the sea, did not
expect 1t to remain fixed In one asDect.
whether IN calm or storm, the con.
Gary would surely happen ere MANY
days had passed. But life was n DIFF.
ferent thing. How came It that at the
very close Of SO many years Of asso-
ciation with the tickle ocean she should
play such a trick on him and his
0aughters. infOld them with perils.
snatch them from the quiet pleasures
OF the life they had planned for the fu.
ture and thrust upon them, even IL
tney escaped with their lives, q pub
iicity which he, ut any rate, abhorred
and even dreaded?
he harbored no decisions on this
point. He knew that the drama Of the
Gulf Rock was now filling the columns
OF newspapers all over the world. He
and bis beloved girls would be written
about, discussed, described in fulsome
language. pictured by black and white
artists and eulogized by wideawake
Editors eager to- make much of q TOPIC |
dear to the public mind.
On the rock they were undoubtedly
Ii grave danger. Death confronted
fhem-deatA at once extraordinary and
CHASTITY. No tyrant Of the middle ages.
With all bis paraphernalia for wiring
ing truth or lies out Of Bringing
Tretches. had devised such q fate as
threatened II the inconstant sea should
moose to render the reef altogether
inapproachable for many days. Yet IL
oelp came he and those dear to him
we're already stepped I'm unavoidable
aotoriety, bringing in its train certain
1ague disabilities which he had striyen
% avoid for over twenty years.
And all this because one fierce gale
nut Of the many he had endured
'prang into being at moment when
lis mates were incapacitated and his
daughters happened to pay him a sur
rise visit.
1T Is an insane freak Of fortune he.
nuttered, 80 incomprehensible, so IT
erly out Of focus with common EVENTS
hat If were superstitious man L
'hould regard it rs betokening the. ap-
,roach Of some great epoch in nv life.
surely, a merciful Providence, would
lot bring my girls here to subject them
o the lingering torture Of hunger and
Lnirst l must not think Of It further.
That way lies Madness"
1nere was at least one other troublmf
'oul on the rock which OWNED sorua
mister portent in the storm. Mrs..
'ansittart, even ut this, moment waS
taring into the black void with a,,pss-
ioning eyes.
He resofutely threw back las head as
he would hurl into. the outer darap.
ess the gibbering phantom which
whispered these words IT forebodiug.
although the lamp IseteH no attention
1st then. he climhe,d to the trimming
tage merely to. dnds relief in mechan-
cal action. II. carefully examined the
and. To judge how the
Weather was shaping, went out into the
aileiy TO look Mt the distant lights.