The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1906-08-04

Pierre had stayed With the women
EiRvt title house ont he marsh: y. He
drew close to Celeste, laughing and
telling sdroll stories to divert her S.
TIT hate that 'Kanuok,' : SO Edo" said
Mrs. Hutchinson, as she hurried out into
the kitchen to shut out the hateful sight:
She was jealous for the absent Luke.
The storm was now a fearful thing:
In all her 30 years Of living on the
bay front Mrs. Hutchinson remem-
bered nothing like it. Pierre got out
his violin and tried to drown the noise
OF 1t with loud, brilliant music, but
he could not conceal nor cover the
trembling of the house, the terrible
shiver of every beam, rafter and
plank within it. ,
Suddenly a thin stream OF water
crept under the front door.
Lord a-massy," cried Mrs. Hutchin-
son, "the crick's a~risin'!"
Even so, it was. The water gained
rapidly; it was foot-two feet-deep
upon the floor. The women got to-
gether some fuel, bread, blankets and
a flask Of spirits, and all together
they assembled the narrow stairs-per-
haps for the. last time, they thought
to the garnet. Them Pierre kindled
a fire in the little alright stove, and
the four sat down to await the end
of the tempest. or else sudden lift
ing of the old house by the tide surg
ing around it, and swift sweeping
of the ancient structure out to sea.
"Ahoy! ahoy! Somebody open that
winder!" There was a sudden thud
against the side of the house. as a
boat came up under the window.
''The house'll never stan till mornin'
You'll all be swept away! Come, hur-
ry up! We've come to take you off"
1t was Joe Bradley, the boldast
young bayman of the shore, who
shouted these words to them as he
kept his boat with great difficulty
alongside Of the house.
"The rest kin go if they wants to-"
said Mrs. Hutchinson; "but, as fur
me-"
Her sentence remained unfinished,
and in the tumult and confusion may
have been misunderstood. At any
rate, Celeste and Pierre got into the
boat, which a violent gust of wind
wrenched away from the house, and
it was seen no more.
The two deserted women crept close
together, clasping each others hands,
and thus they kept their lonely vigil
in the now desolate house.
Lies sing somethin', MAJ said
Evylania, after they had watched thus
half an hour or so. Don't you kinder
miss Pierre's fiddle music? An its
Christmas mornin', too, now-its four
o'clock
The pale unearthly light of the
Christmas dawn stole into the ROOM
What a sight met the eye, as it's pal
lid beams illuminated the landscape!
A raging, furious sea filled the spot
where yesterday had stretched pleas
ant meadows and gardens, and where
stood the houses of the neighbors,
submerged to their upper stories most
of them were ROW. Bits of wreckage.
and boats floating bottom upward,
were everywhere seen.
"Ahoy! ahoy!" again shouted Joe
Bradley, coming back. ''Got emmy
grub?''
eyes," they shouted back, thank
ye," and then Evylania faltered out:
"Have you-have you seen anything
of the Bay Queen?"
''Not yit," answered Joe, trying to-
speak courageously.
"An' S'leste-" said her mother,
hastily.
"All right" was the brief answer,
as Joe pulled quickly away.
The water began to subside and as
hour after another the two women
sat with despairing eyes fixed on the
distant horizon. But no battered and
bruised Bay Queen came. beating her
way slowly into the Creek The wom-
en- scanned with feverish eyes each bit
to recognize some portion of the brave
little craft.
A third time Joe's boat came up to
the window with offers of assistance.
The skipper would take them away
anywhere they wished to go. There
was, his mother, now, whose house
was dry and warm. She would be
only too glad to take them in. !.
NO. said Mrs. Hutchinson, "S'leste
would be comm back soon'' Then,
eying Joe sharply, she said: "Wlrere
is she? What cher keepin' back from
me-" - =,
"Wall, If yer will know" said Joe,
as if every word were being forced
out of him, "'S'leste and Pierre went
to the city this mornin' after Father
Mckay had marri'd 'em." -.
| The mother sat as if stunned.
Evylania crept to her softly. and said;
tYou know, ma, as there was things