The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1907-08-22

|, better turn back, Elsie"
I'm view of this heat, a wetting would
be a distinct luxury. but think, as YOU
say. there is something else coming be-
sides. oh. Pat, here it is. Run, or we
shall be caught"
4, The storm gave but one weird moan
n rustic and a Shrek from over the
tree tops and then was upon them. Ii
a minute it was blowing with a hurri.
cane force which no human being could
stand against.
The WIND plucked the feet from under
them, and they fell to the deckingS OF
the pier, gripping with their fingers in
the gaps between the p1anks. A storm
against their heads. The crazy ~trestle-
work of the pier buckled and swung
beneath their bodies.
w must get shoreward." Cambel
yelled In his companions ear. This
jam crack thing will go by the board
directly"
"Right-o." came back the response
cheerily enough. and together they be-
gan to warp themselves oward the
beach n the wind, plank at a time.
The girl was strong and accustomed TO
using her muscles, but skirts are a poor
rig to play caterpillar in, and her pro-
gress was slow even with Cambel's
help. When they had gained a score of
yards. she bade him leave her to make
the best of his own way. II shall get
along all right" she cried. Go and
tell them I'm coming" d.
Naturally 1 should" he shouted
back, with a laugh. Here. let me link
my arm inside yours. That's right.
Now We'll ferry along at twice the
pace"
But they did not get much farther.
a minute afterward, TO the kick of a
hard squall, the gra old pier tottered
and clattered and crinched, and the
| wind r.oc f1laS ,rftb .ixyf1er hna, ri md
Cambel found himself with one arm
clutching the weed clad stump of a pile
and the other wrapped round Elsie Kill
dare.
Hurt" he shouted anxiously.
Not a bit. Sound rs a bell. You?"
"All right
Blu, where's the water? There
should be six feet here. and l can feel
none"
Blown away to tea. We may hank
God the wind is not on shore or we'd
have been drowned. as hundreds Of
other poo wretches are his moment
All That's a shave"
A lightning flash showed them a
huge tree plucked from its roots and
blowing past them, squirlning and
crushing about like a live mad thing.
Then a heavy squared roof beam hit
their jagged pile n missed Cambel,s
arm by a nails breadth.
The hotels going down." he shout
ed. The air Will be full of this stun
IN a nnihdie, ard If we try TO move we
shall be Drained before we've got a
yard. Crouch down. dear. at the bot
tom of the post"
You, too"
NO. there Isn't room
Then l shall stand"
She dragged al his sleeve and pulled
him TO her side Stay by me. here.
Pat. You might get swept away, and
/ could bear that"
"of course III sta by you, dear. I'll
never go till you turn me away" He
took now grip with his arms. pinnine
her between his breast and the weed
ragged leg OF the pile Elsie I want
10 tell you something. You know I've
always liked you as q friend, but now
ii has come to more than that. Much
more-iove. darling. Once my mind was
fuli OF another woman. and / thought
l could never care for anyone else as
l cared for her, but that was years
since, thousands of years it seems now,
and, Elsie, Twelve forgotten her. She
Is only a name to me and your sister.
Dear, II we get away from this. do
9 think you could | X me. too. a little
mere than an ordinary friend?"
She put her lips to his ear. DO you
think we sha come out Of it alive.
Pat? Tell me honestly,
Il hope So"
Honestly. Pat"
I'm afraid. darling. It's a poor
chance"
Her sofs. wet cheeks nestled against
him. and strands of her nalr inter-
twined themselves with his. Pat"
she said. you never knew, III l loved
you all along from the first"
Then for the first time during many
years Patrick Cambel knew what it
was to fear death. Beforetime life had
held many lorrlents for him. and II
lead or wafer or steel chose to show
Elm the great secret he did no. very
much care. Now it was all different.
He lusted to live with a ferceness
which almost drove him mad.
You are trembling" the girl said
| ~anxious1y.
Il know / am. You have made me a
rank coward, dear"
h understood him and kissed his
mouth, but no other words passed be-
tween them.
The cyclone blew on, believing and
tearing. INK the fiend fingers OF the
wind did mischief beyond all reckon
Ing. Timber which had stood hundreds
Of years. ceibas n Expresses, live
oaks Inc pines, sprawled down among
the tangled underground, mere masses
of spiintered m~afchwood. The man
grove thickets We're clogged with
stones, with grasses, with granny tan
giles Of Spanish moss. Lakes were
licked from their beds and spirited
+ far over the creammg waters OF the
gulf. The land birds were driven Hike
helpless spume flakes far away to sea
and choked with the gale before they
We're flung breathless from Its clutches,
The palmetto shaeks OF the humber
coast dwellers vanished in dust. The
frame houses of the better to do burst
at all their angles and spread like plat
forms upon h ground.
And meanwhile the great struggling
wooden hotel on Point Sebastian dis
solved away like a sand bank In q
flooded Estuary. First the heat twisted
shingles had been stripped off, fyine
away into the wind like some strange
dark fowl sent as ayant couriers O.
more fearsome things to come. Ther
we~atherboards followed. singly and ii
coyeys, then gable ends and joists ane
~rafters. Hi floating ana pitching ii
the air as though the wind had tn,
density OF tossing ocean stream
Chairs and wooden b~edsteads, clothes
J blown out into grotesque shapes d.
! though tho freakish spirits OF the storm
i had donned them. the Scantling OF tt,
long piazza. and still more board
Whirred nut into the night and var,
ished forever down the track of tn,
q + CyClOne. And IN fhaS ~. o1es - sxHt