St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1908-05-30


tered her as she lay upon another
straining and groaning, like a beast in
pain. Her bows had climbed over the
hoden rock, pointing scornfully up
wards till they were bent with theil
own weight and sagged downward
again.
Beyond the oasis of calm, a heavy
sea swept shorewards in towering
green waves, until it reached a comb
OF Jagged rocks, and poured through
the openings in sheets of foam to q
long, sandy beach. Three tossing
boats were approaching the rocks as
slowly as the current would suffer
looking for a passage through The
rourth-the last remaining-was just
leaving the ship. The men who had
lowered it, with no appliances but
bare ropes, rubbed their chafed hands
on their trousers and mopped their
foreheads. and gathered together ST.
lently-except a tall gentleman of
about 40. He left the rest and went
toward lady, who stood back little,
watching them. The rest of the WON
en-, and all the children, were in the
boats.
She turned when he reached her,
and they walked forward together.
He patted her shoulder approving1y,
and she smiled at him. She was about
f1ve-and-thirty; could scarcely be
called good-looking, but very likable
when she smiled.
That's why she wouldn't go in the
boat" one of the gathering observed.
"Aye!" said an old sailor. She's
the right sort"
Then they were silent again.
The man and the woman were
silent, too. When they reached the
end of the saloon promenade, beside
the wrecked music saloon, they
stopped and rested their arms on the
rail and gazed at the shore mile
away; not as if they wished TO look
at the shore, but as If they feared to
look at each other. The chief officer
came swiftly down the narrow ladder
from the navigation deck, with two
life-belts on his arm.
BEST put them on" he advised;
"but l don't think they'll be much
use" He nodded toward the break
ers. She'll go in ten minutes"
The man laid one belt on the deck,
woman. She held up her arms and
smiled at him all the time. When he
finished his task, and picked up the
other belt, she took it from him.
Let me do it for YOU" she offered.
II should like to if may"
His grave face lit up for moment
81 shall like you to-" he told her.
you are a brave woman"
Drawer than l thought she as
scented. Il used to think that l was
just-ordinary; that we all were. Now
think it was life that was ordinary,
not we. What shall we do with the
rest of 1.-THE ten minutes?" s
Let us open our hearts," the man
proposed. 1--WE may venture now.
Dear lady, have admired you and
liked you all the voyage. We shall go
as friends together, think?''
81 wish no better company" she
told him.
'Is there no one who has a better
rlght?". he asked.
mo one. And you?"
mo one"
"And that" she said, as why we
thought life ordinary, l suppose"
eyes," he said. I'VE are Drawer
Iol
the bravest and the best. You gave
up your life when you gave up your
place in the boat Why?"
Il stayed for a friend" she ex-
planned.
"Me% He looked at her quickly.
"You. wonder-it doesn't matter
what we say now, does it'll wonder
If we really cared for each other!"
"Ah!" said the man. Il wondered,
too, but I thought women always
knew"
She shook her head.
Il liked you, certainly, but have
liked other men. never liked any Of
them enough You see, | am not
marrying woman. l have-I had
aims in life. Marriage meant sacri
ficing so much. And for what? To be
a toy and plaything for year. Per
haps not a year-don't call it selfish
ness. I'd have given up everything II
/ had thought that love would last!
My dear friend, it doesn't last You
and l are not children. We have seen
life. We know! But the woman's
lasts longest. was afraid of that"
81 know" The man nodded. II
liked you, too; liked you more than
was comfortable! l thought it out
many time. 1t was more than lik-
ing, Marian.
81 was very tempted sometimes to
ask you to give me yourself; but
you see, also have liked others; and |
not enough. l, too, was not sure il I
liked you enough; but liked you more |
than any of the rest-much more.
used to fancy that some night when |
the moon shone-some night when |
the end of the voyage and the part
ing from you were nearer than I
could bear-and you looked at me
with your beautiful smile-I could |
never reason with that smile Of
yours, Marian"
She turned to him, and smiled; and |
he took both her hands and kissed |
them.
81 did not mean to either" she con-
fessed; "but | thought that perhaps
near the end of the voyage, as you
say-if you took my hand could |
never reason with the touch Of your
- - .,;ra T-ob 1,aci 7 chou1d |