Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-10-18
but he hoodwinked me-"

left him. cried Enid passonately.
Eyes, we would. Think of him,
sticking to his post. Was it for us to
disobey"
Overcome by their feelings, they
stood in silence for little while.
Through the thick glass they could
dlmly distinguish Brands figure. A
great wave assaled the lantern, aud
Enid screamed loudly.
Don't. dear" cried Constance shrilly.
"Father would not remain there If it
were dangerous"
Nevertheless they both breathcd more
freely when they saw him again, an
indeterminatc shape against the lumi-
nous gloom.
Constance felt that she must speak.
The sound of her own voice begat con-
fidencc.
81 have never really understood dad
until tonight she said. What an en-
nobling thing is sense OF duty. He
would have died here quite calmly,
Enid, yet lie would avoid the least risk
ont there. That would be cndangering
his trust Oh, am glad we are here.
! have never lived before this hour"
Enid stole a wondering glance at her
sister. The girl seemed to be gazing
into depths unreasonable. Afterward
the words came back TO her mind
THAT would be cndangering his trust"
Brand faced the gale full five min
utes. He returned hastily.
There is big steamer heading this
way-a liner, l fancy" he gasped, half
clicked with spray. II fear she is disa-
bled She is firing rockets and I sup
pose her siren is going constantly,
though l cannot hear it,"
He ran to HE room beneath. Flush
ed with this new excitement, the girls
donned their oilskin coats and arrang-
ed their sonwesters. When he hur-
red up the stairs he was carrying four
rockets. He noted their preparations
Don't come out until have fred the
alarm signal" he shouted, land tie
your dresses tightly around your
knees"
They heard the loud kissing of the
rockets. and the four reports Travelled
duly from the sky. Three white star
bursts and one red told the Lands End
coast guards that ship in need of
help was near the Gulf Rock. Proba-
bly, they had already seen the vessels
signals. In any event they would not
miss the display from the lighthouse.
Walking with difficulty. the girls
crept out on to the balcony
] boI nIr I,- a.. a
ward side. The first rush of the gale
made them GREATNESS, yet they perse-
vered and reached him. They We're
greeted by climber, but their father
with q hand on their shoulders, pressed
them down. and the spray crashed
against the lantern behind them. He
knew they would take no harm. When
the vessel passed. their boots and stock.
ings would be soaked. Then he could
insist that they should go to bed.
At first they distinguished nothing
save a chaotic blend of white and vel
low foam, driving over the reef at an
apparently incredible speed. Over
head the black pail of the sky seemed
to touch the top of the lantern. Around
In vast circle carved out of the ml.r
| ky wilderness, the wondrous beam OF
| the light fought and conquered its un
wearied foes. Constance caught the
| three quick flashes of the Seven Stones
| lightship, away to the right She fan.
cied she saw a twinkling ahead. but
this was the st. Agnes light. and nei
Their girl could make out other sight
or
| lily toward one spot in the darkness.
Before they could follow his indica
ton they were compelled to duck tC
avoid another wave. Then, as If it hat
just popped up out Of the sea, they di
vined tiny white spark swinging
slowly across a conSidera BILE area. i
was by that means that Brand had es
timated the size and nearness of the
steamer, and soon they glimpsed the
red and green side lights, though eve
and anon these were hidden by the tor
rents of water sweeping over hel
decks. OF the vessel they could SCI
nothing whatever
Steadily she rolled along her fearful
path. Having once found her. there
was no difficulty in estimating the IN
pidity of her approach. Enid, whos'
eyes We're strong and farsighted, fan
cied she caught a iitful vision of hi.
black hull laboring in the yellow waves
Though it was difficult to speak, sh
crept close to Brand and screamed:
SIS she drifting on TO the reef!'
81 fear So" he answered.
"Then she will be LOST
"Yes, unless they manage to pass t,
s'uth ard"
Luckily for poor human nature, men
tai stress and physical effort rarel.
unite forces. The mere attempt TO re
sist the wind, the constant watchful
ness needed to avoid the ambition
seas, though these, strange to say, az
pearcd to be diminishing in size ant
volume as the tide rose, served to dul
the horror Of the threatened tragedy.
Brand quilted them for an instant t
glue his eyes to the lantern after wiz
ing a space on the glass. He must So
If the lamp needed tending. Statistic
by the scrutiny, he stood behind tn
girls, who had shrunk closely togethe
the moment he retired.
"rhey are trying to steer clear o
the reef" he shouted. Twice the
have got her head around but the Sc
is too strong for them. am afraid sh
is doomed"
Now they upquestionably saw tn