The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1908-12-12

Of the scene touched their rough
hearts, and hats were dotted, and
heads bowed, as the young wife prayed
to her God in that living gale.
And then, as If in mockery OF all
things human, a mighty wave, might
Ter than any Of its fellows, and fol-
lowing in the wake of two scarcely
less mighty broke over the Bretagne'
and buried her beneath its many tons
Of foam.lashed water. The vessel
swayed, trembled and disappeared be-
fore their very eyes.
Two men were holding Marie now.
II will go to him! He is calling me-"
she shrieked. "O God! will no one
save him."
The bronzed faces of the fisher-folk
were turned away each from the other.
The salt spray was On their boards,
but in their eyes was that Of which
they were ashamed.
Then they led her back to the house,
the little house that Leon had taken
her to only a few weeks ago. And
two of them watched into the gray OF
re morning, for meath oil skins the
fishers hearts are warm.
That was the third night, and still
she slept not. The storm was dying
now, and moaning, together they
passed away-the fury c6 grief and the
rage Of the storm. And for that day.
and for many days the great grief had
broken her miAd.
Storm and sunshine, day In and
day out, she sat down on the beach,
and questioned the passers as to how
many days to Christmas till her Leon
would come home; for had he not
said that he would come at Christ
mas, at the glad time Of the year, and
was not his word as the law among
the fisher-folk, 1t was so true? And
did she not pray every night to the
Holy Mother to intercede for her. and
bring her Leon home? And the
masses that had been said for Leon,
were they not to bring him home,
too?
Poor little Marie, her mind, which
was like unto child's, could not un'
, derstand that the mass which Father
Dupre had said, had been to take him
to that other home; for the good IA
| Their had said mass for ne repose Of
the souls Of the men lying out there
/ in LIE Bretagne.
And then a wonderful thing hap
pened. Many days after, at the time
of Christmas, again the cry Of Ii
Bretagne rang through the streets o.
Arichat; and again was there much o.
horror in the cry, for though the SEE
was calm now, there was LIE Bretagn'
slowly sailing into port; and was no
LIE Bretagne at the bottom Of the sea
and all hands drowned?
Small wonder that the Drowned
faces were blanched now, as thu
fsher.folk lined up on the sand, a.
they had on that day two moons be
fore.
What sorcery Is this?" they aske'
each other. 1t was La Bretagne. the
know her as they knew their owl
houses. Spirit hands were sailing hel
for on her decks no one moved.
A solemn hush settled down upo
them; few spoke, and when they ID
1t was with bated breath. What ev
was this? for good 1t could not be.
Twas Marie who had first seen tn
ship. Had her prayers worked thi
| magic?
! Nearer and nearer the dread shi
came, until but short way out frol
the shore she stopped, and swung
an anchor. Invisible hands had al
chored her, for there was the cab
right enough, running out from hi
4 bow, as she lifted lazily to the Ion
ground swell.
4 Take me to my Leon" Marie plea
ed of the awe-struck fishermen, "he
ID calling me. Do you not see that h
boats are washed away?"
Shamed by the presence Of the wor
|. en-, four stout fishermen brought up
N boat, and, Rking Marie with thel
L. rowed of to the ship that was like
phantom.
m stay with US, ma petite annie" Il
n fisherwomen pleaded with Marie.
~ well had they striven to check Il
" waEs of the wind.
How silent the ship was as the DO
20 glided under her stern! Not SCUM
~ not a voice; no movement, only Il
re- lap, lap, lap Of the waters against b
n wooden sides.
IA The men crossed themselves as Z
~ mont, the bravest fisherman In
Arichat, rose UP, and, with blaneh
- cheeks, caught his boat hook In
a Bretagne's rail.
"a How low she was in the water;
At they stood up in their boat they cou
n see across her deck-not across
+ they see, for half way they saw sen
80 thing which caused them to shudd'