The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1908-11-12

said In amaZement. 81 can see the
rocks quite clearly, but there is moth
ing else. Come back to the house. You
are tired and overweight. Your
nerves are playing you a trick. 1t is a
thing that often happens, you must not
be frightened, it will pass off directly"
You don't understand she said i'm
patiently. ''I-ah." drawing a long
breath, lit has gone now" Her whole
fgurerelaXed as after an intense strain
and she almost fell on to Il seat close
by. You don't believe me" she said,
more quietly, in a few moments, but |
saw it plainly enough. 1t IS warn
ing. but few people can see it, only one
now and again. The Drummonds are
a Highland race, you know, and | heard
so many strange things in my child
hood that this old story does not seem
as impossible to me as to you per-
haps."
"Oh, there is some legend connected
with the rocks, then?"
Eyes. | found it Id an old manuscript
that when a ship Is going to be wreck
ed on the Black Rocks the flaming
sword flashes out. striking up and
down, as though it struck at human
life. Nobody has ever been saved by
the warming, because the sword is
never seen by those TO whom 1t means
danger or death. There was frag-
ment of verse which / have often
thought Of since:
1T counts the sins OF, all men there, and
Stays the red-stained horde
The ghosts of all the sins of men must
Know the whirling sword.
But don't you see how likely you
were-in your present disturbed ner-
vouh condition-to imagine you saw
the sword after reading that story?
You have been shut up in this wild
place, in the midst of everything cal
culated to stimulate the Imagination
and turn Ii In the direction of mystery
and psychological problems. think
you must acknowledge that there may
be quite a simple explanation of your
vision"
You mean that II was pure fancy y
she said, quietly. well! / won't ar
que about it. Wait a few days and
see IL anything happens"
But they had not to wait so long.
About 1 O'Clock that morning, at the
turn OF the tide. the wind rose, rush-
ing shorewGrd with the sea like giant
let loose. In what seemed an incredi-
bly, short time 1t was blowing gale.
Northbrook could not sleep for the
noise, so he got up and went down TO
the gallery, which commanded an ex-
tensive view of the coast. 4 moon fly
ing across wild sky gave him a
glimpse now and again of an evil-look-
ing sea, mass Of black-gray water,
foaming with white. He had not stood
there more than few minutes, watch
ing sea and sky grow every moment
more dark and threatening. when he
heard footsteps behind him. He turn
ed and saw Helen.
Il haven't been to sleep at an she
said, In a trembling whisper, Il
couldn't was too restless / felt
that something was waiting outside in
the night. that 1t would get loose be-
fore morning-and ii has. When I
heard you go down, I got up, too. II
was horrible lying there without any
body to speak to, listening to the wind
and the sea and thinking OF the fam
ing sword"
He wrapped her cloak more closely
round her, and they stood looking out
into the darkness without word. The
old house was SO intensely quiet that
it seemed to be listening with them.
Northbrook had not acknowledged 10
himself that he expected anything,
that he anticipated any disaster, and
yet he stood there. as silent and mo-
tionless as his companion.
The darkness grew of an inky deep.
ness, the night was as black as a VOLTS
| throat; they could see nothing, but
still they did not think of moving.
They stared out, as though under o
spell. The wind had turned from q
roar to a scream now; it went shrill.
ing round the house like a mourner be.
wailing its dead. The sea fell with Q
Suddenly the thick blackness was
broken by brilliant-hued stars falling
into space. ~ rocket" they both ex.
claimed in the same breath, as the ter
rifle signal of distress appealed silent
| ~ for help. Another went up. Ii "a me
from the direction of the fatal TO ks
Helen chung TO Northbrooks arm
hardly able to stand Was that awful
sword flaming In front of the Black
Rocks now, she wondered, waiting to
NOW down its victims?
Cor she said. pushing Northbrook
from her, for Gods sake, go and
help"
| He knew he could do nothing. that
any help-tO be of use-must come be.
fore he could possibly reach the coast
guard station. But TO be out in the
wind and rain, suffering a little OF
what the poor creatures on board the
doomed ship were bearing. was better
than TO stop in comfort and safety
now. So he left her and went. He re
turned at daybreak
'Well:" she queried, briefly, Will
stiff gray lips, as her wild eyes fasten
ed on the drenched. storm-beaten fig
ure that stumbled into the room
"Well?'
They have all been saved-but
one" he said. as soon as he could FIND
his breath
/ And that one?"
rs Douglas Vansittart, the owner oil
this house." he answered, softly.
For moment he was afraid OF what
she might do. Then she bowed hel
head on her hands.
God be merciful to him, a sinner y
she prayed.-Black and White.