The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1906-11-09
This offered too good an opening to

ENID has already secured the lieu
tenant" she murmured, with a swift
glance at the other.
Brand looked up quizzically.
"Dear me-" he cried, "if my con-
gratulations are not belated"-
Enid was blushing again. She threw
her arms about his neck.
Don't believe her, dad" she said.
'She's jealousp'
Constance saw book lying on the
table, Regulations For the Lighthouse
Service" She opened 1t. Brand stroked
Ends hair gently and resumed the
writing of his daily journal.
A 1.-THE Elder Brethren! whispered
Constance. do they wear long white
beards?"
"And carry wands?' added the re-
covered Enid.
"And dress in velvet cloaks and
buckled shoesW
And
"And say boo to naughty little girls
who won't let me complete my diary"
shouted Brand. BE off, bd1h of you.
Keep lookout for the next ten min
utes. If you see any signals from the
mainland or catch sight of the Lance
lot, call me-"
They climbed to the trimming stage
of the lantern, which was level with
the external gallery. Obedient to in
structiOns, they searched the Lands
End and the wide reach of Mounts
bay beyond earn du. Save scudding
sail or two beating in from the Lizard
and couple of big steamers hurrying
from the east-one transatlantic
transport liner from .London-there
was nothing visible. In the far dis
lance the sea looked smooth enough,
though they needed no explanation of
the reality when they saw the irregular
white patches glistening against the
hull of Penzance fishing smack.
"Oh, Connie, the reef!' said Enid
suddenly in low voice.
They glanced at the turbid retreat
of the tide over the submerged rocks.
The sea was heavier, the noise louder,
now that they listened to 1t, than when
they arrived in the Daisy, little more
than an hour earlier. Some giant force
seemed to be wrestling there, raging
against it's bonds, striving feverishly
to tear rend, utterly destroy its invlsi
BILE letters. Sometimes, after an I'M
usually impetuous surge, dark shape,
trailing witch tresses of weed showed
for an instant in the pit Of the cal
drOn. Then a mad whirl of water
would pounce on it with a fearsome
spring and the fang of rock would be
smothered ten feet deep.
For some reason they did not talk.
They were fascinated by the power,
the grandeur, the unframed energy of
the spectacle. The voice of the reef
held them spellbound. They listened
mutely.
Beneath Brand wrote with scholarly
ease:
Therefore / decided that 1t would
best serve the interests of the board
If 1 sent Bates and Jackson to Pen
zance in the boat in which my daugh-
ter"-he paused an instant and added
an "s' to the word-"fortunately hap
pened to visiS me. AS would be alone
on the rock, and the two girls might be
helpful until the relief came, I retained
Them"
He glanced at the weather glass in
front of him and made a note:
Barometer falling. Temperature
higher"
.s.In another book he entered the exact
recards. A column headed "Wind d.
A.xxI l.,
up at the wind vane. He whistled
softly
IS w." he wrote, and after a Sec
ond's thought inserted the figure 6.
The sailors scale We landsman, differs
from yours. What you term a gale at
sea he joyfully halls as fresh breeze.
No. 6 is q point above this limit, when
a we'll conditioned clipper ship can car
ry single reefs and topgallant sails in
chase full and by. No. II is a hur-
ricane. "Bare poles" says the scale.
Slowly mounting the iron ladder he
stood beside the silent watchers. The
bay was nearly deserted. No sturdy
tugboat was pouring smoke from her
funnel and staggering toward the rock.
Northwest and west the darkness was
spreading and lowering.
He did not trouble to examine tho
reef It's signs and tokens were too
familiar to him. It's definite below or
muttered threat was part of the pre-
vailing Influence of the hour or day.
He had heard its voice too often to find
an omen in 1t now.
'This time I must congratulate both
of you" he said >guietly.
"On what? they cried in unison.
shrill with unacknowledged excitement.
Ladies' seldom If ever pass a night
on rock lighthouse. You will have
that rare privilege"
Enid clapped her hands.
81 am delighted" she exclaimed.
"Will there be q storm, father?" ask
cd Constance.
II think so. At any rate. only n
miracle will enable the tug to reach us
before tomorrow, and miracles are not
frequent occurrences at sea-"
81 know of one," was Ends com
rs6ht, with great seriousness for her
ne. read her thought
II was younger then" he smiled.
"Now 1 am fifty, and the world has
aged"