Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1907-02-18

q refuse. / tell you! Don't torture
|tne further"
ANY chance Of row in the morn
krg? The purser and Mr.. Emmett
mount guard when the storeroom is
opened"
Il acted my role well. l built up the
vacancies with empty tins"
My sakes.' cried Pyne pityingiy,
|'you deserve to win through
4 think my heart viii break" nut
'tcrcI Brand. But look! The lamp! 1t
needs adjusting"
Indeed. a fresh gale seemed to be
springiug up. The wind vane having
gone the index was useless. 1t was
not until a burst Of spray drenched the
LANTERN that Brand knew of a change
taking place The wind was backing
round toward the north.
The barometer fell slightly. 1t pOr-
tended either more wind and dry
weather or loss wind. accompanied by
rain. Who cogld tell what would hap
pcnf Fair or foul, hurricane or calm.
an things seemed to be the ungovern-
able laundering Of blind chance
When the rock was left I'm peace aft
or the fall Of the tide Pyne promised
to keep the icht in order if Brand
would eudeayor to sleep until day
break. Rest was essential to him. lie
would assurcdly break down under the
strain sc the tension were too long
maintained and Il time was coming
when he would need all his strength,
mental and physical.
Here have / been suooZing in odd
corners ever since | came aboard"
urged the American, land l have moth
ing 20 do but starye quietly. It's ri
diculous. Ny funeral is dated: yours
isn't You can't be on deck all the
time, you know. Now, just curl up
and count sheep jumping over a wall,
or any old game Of the sort. until your
eyes close OF their own accord"
Brand yielded. He lay on the hard
boards. with a chair cushion for a pill
low. All the rugs rescued by Con
stance were now needed in the hospi-
tai. In less than minute he was
sound asleep.
THAT was a close call" mused Pyne.
ed M. He's a wonder anyhow"
The lighthouse keeper slept until long
after daybrenk. Pyne refused to al
low any one TO disturb him.
Soon after Z o'clock the watch re-
ported that two vessels were approach
ing from the bay. One was the Fal-
con, and the sailors soon made out that
the other was the Trinity tender from
Plymouth.
when they were both nearing the
buoy Brand was aroused.
IL was evident that the brief rest had
cleared his brain and restored his self
confidence. Instantly he took up the
thread Of events. and his first words
showed how pleased he was that some
\ one of authority in the lighthouse serv-
ice should be in active communication
with him.
Through his glasses Re distinguished
Stauhope on board the Trinity steam
or. standing by the side of the inspect
ing officer Of the south coast lights
Other officials were there. but neal
Stanhope was q tall elderly man. IN
known and certainly a stranger in Pen
.zance.
The Falcon was now chartered b!
press men. so the civilian on the officia
boat was evidently a person of con
sequence. Indeed. Brand imagined
long before Pyne was able to verif.
the impression. that the newcomer wa
\ Mr. Cyrus J. Trail. whom he had failet
10 notice in the poor light of the pre-
vious evening.
He knew quite we'll that the expert
enced chief of the lighthouse servic
would appreciate fully the disablitie
under which he labored. with eighty
one mouths to feed from a stock al
ready far below the three months
All maximum.
Tie first telegraphed question be
trayed the prevalent anxiety.
. Hope all is well:"
What was he to say? Was il nc
best 70 speak boldly and let men knoy
the truth. not alone as 10 their preseu
desperate plight. but revealing tn
measures he had devised for the pro
lection Of the light? He could nc
make up his mind to launch out into
full explanation that instant.
So he signaled:
Every one alive. but many cases Q
grave collapse"
Stanhope was again the signaler-
evidently he had arranged matters wit
the admiral ut Portsmouth-so Bran
expected the prompt reply:
How are Constance and Enid?"
quite well and cheerful"
The tall man near StanhOpe Der
closer.
Are Mrs vansittart and Pyne a
right
Brand assumed that the lady was i
no worse condition than others. Coz
stance. telling him the state Of the sic
during n hasty visit. had not mentione
her name
SO he sent the needed assurance an
went on fOrlornly:
Suppose no effort can be made {
omen communication -