The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-01-15
Darkest Before Day
IoriKlnlall

ing one OF the night watch Of the brig.
amino Ainphitrite, stood peerlng out
into what seemed TO him a universe OF
ncthinsness. The sky was overcast and
the air murky. Tho vessel was dip
ping and rising til black ana oily wa.
tiers. There wHs no visible horizon.
Instead the vessel seemed to be sailing
within 4 globe Of indefnite magnitude.
Marklard was bat nineteen years
old. Two years before he had been
graduated at the high school Of the
coast town Ia which he had been born.
Ills love for the ocean was his ruling
passion. From his earliest boyhood he
had played ia It's breakers and sailed
upon. it's bosom.
There was another passion which
struggled with his love for the ocean
that was his love for his classmatc,
Marjorie Sanford. When he went to
sea lie wished to be engaged to her.
Tier parents smiled at the proposition
OF d hoy 81 seventeen, going of before
the rnaet Being engaged TO their daugh-
ter. They raised no objection, not an
tictpating that he would be able to
marty any aone before the Youthful att
taehment had faded away.
The young sailor had spent two years
at sea and had studied navigation un-
der the captains own instruction. but
he was now putting into the home port
still an ordinary seaman. II was this,
coupled with the fact that Marjorie
was still as far from him as ever, that
made his world look as black, as void
as the world he looked into from the
deck Of the Alnphltrite
"darkland, lay aloft and fix that
clew line on the maIntopsail yard, !"
said tAe mate.
aye, aye, sir" The young mans
somber thoughts vanished for the mo-
ineat, and he sprang up the ratlines,
working his way cut TO tile extreme
end De the yard. Giving tug at the
ciew line, bis hand slipped. He clutch
ed with the other, but too late. In an-
other moment be was in the water
/ When be rose to the surface he saw a
white ring floating near him, which he
recognized for life buoy. Ne graapad
I II, but his main concern was that he
mIght see the ship hauled to the wind
or putting about. He did not see the
ship at all. Then he listened for the
sound or oars. Nothing disturbed the
appalling quiet. When half an hour
had passed and that quiet was still the
same he gave up all hope Of rescue.
I Rising and sinking monotonously
with the waves, the heavens dark
above him. the waters black about
/ him, Markhnd passed the night If he
was ever sure about anything during
his life il was that he was doomed
1 The world of life seemed TO him 20 be
so far from him that he had no part in
It. Suspended, as it were, In the center
OF al inorganic universe, he could take
comprehensive view OF his past con-
nection with the organic universe.
what had 1t all been worth? Even hts
lore for Marjorie now seemed past
condition to BIN, such az an exhilara-
tlon, fit OF passion an absorbing
dream.
1 Before morning he became drowsy
lie had already cot the life buoy under
bis arms, ana there was nothing to
keen him awake. lie sank TO sleep or
\ 70 stupor, fsncying that he was dying
and that Il was by nasmesns an IN
( pleasant sensation after all
III there!'
lie certainly heard the words spoken
4 BIZ humsn voice and, opening bis
eyes, discovered TINT It was day. with
in few yards Of hin was boat
pulled by sailors and in ihe how a man
ready TO reach FOR him. Within hun
bred yards was a bark. and MARYLAND
noticed that her foretopmast was gone.
He was pulled into the boat and taken
To the ship, which he noticed as soan
as he stepped upon the deck had re-
Gently gone through a gale. A number
Of sailors were at the gsngway. crowd
ing together to see the eastaway, not
an ofhcer appearing TO keep them in
their places.
Take me to your captain. said
MARYLAND.
4 We've got no captain. mate. We're
In hard luck The first mate died OF
The yellow fever at Panama, the sec
ond mate went crazy and killed him
self. and week ago the captain was
washed overheard I'll storm that car
rled away the mainmast. The ship
sprung a leak that keeps half Of US
pulnpin day and night. and we haIu't
got man in the crew as can navigate.
see by your togs that you're an ordi-
nary seaman yerseif. and, tell you
plain. mate, II wed "a knowod Il we
wouldn't a picked you up. We wants
n navigator
sIil navigate your ship for YOU"
said MARYLAND, 'hut just now want
some dry toys and something to eat"
The men standing about gave q
shout and In another moment every
one Of the crew knew TINT the deep
lad given them a navigator.
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