The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1909-01-21
FOR THE SHIPPERS LIFE.

Stretching away to the horizon was
wild waste of turbulent waters. The
wind was blowing from the open sea
with terrific force, flashing the cold, gray
winter water into rage as great rs it's
own. Green geysers spouted over the
heaving bosom of the sea, and dizzy
white whirlpools marked the conflict of
| tide and wind.
Partly sheltered by the veranda of a
cottage, man and girl looked out on
the storm. The girl was of the people,
the daughter of race of fisher folk,
and she looked with troubled eyes on
the great, green sea, which she had been
| taught to love and to fear. The man
by her side was not of her kind. His
ways were the ways of big cities, but
now the spirit of the sea had seized him.
"Effeminate nature, tickle in her
moods, is equally beautiful in her anger
as in her smiles" he said, speaking the
thought more to himself than to his
companion.
The girl shuddered. ITO me it seems
fearful" she replied. ''The gray sky
looks so cold; so hard and hopeless, and
the sea is so cruel and merciless. Last
u,
battering, I could not sleep for thinking
of those at sea-"
"You were thinking of him, I sup
poser" said the man, keeping his eyes
on the seething cauldron below.
"Yes, Philip, though I have wronged
him cannot forget him in his peril, and
the least can do is to pray for the
safe return of the boats"
Especially the Concord"
"Now you are cruel. You know love
you, and there can be no harm in pray
ing for Toms safety"
"Of course not, Nora. did not mean
to be cruel. You had better 60 inside
now. have kept you in the storm long
enough"
Don't be long, Philip. You will be
wet through with the rain and spray"
said the girl, as she turned to obey him.
"All right, little girl; / want to have
talk with the sea-"
He stepped from the shelter of the
veranda and leaned over the low stone
wall which encircled the cottage garden.
Here he felt the full force of the wind,
and, half blinded by the flying sand and
spray, he chung to the wall and faced
seward.
The first time he had stood at that
wall a golden sun was setting in a pur-
pie sea. 1t was in the late summer and
he had stumbled across the little fishing
hamlet during long walk along the
coast. He had grown tired of the at
fractions of the neighboring resort-as
he had grown tired of most things
and when he found himself in Cocker
sand the oldworld atmosphere and quiet
beauty of the place appealed to him. An
idle man of whims and means, Standin
decided to rusticate for few days at
the little fishing village.
The prcotiest village in Cockersand
was owned by old Pete, and it's mistress
was Nora, old Pete's pretty grand
daughter 1t was here that Standin de-
cided to stay; the days heightened into
weeks; and Standin still fingered at old
Pete's cottage. And when the harvest
moon rose from the silver sea Nora and
he admired it from the little wall; and
Nora had glimpses of paradise and
| purgatory. She had had a lover in
Cockersand, but that was before Stand
in came; and when she thought of hon
est Tom Harling, the loyal young fisher
man, the gladness went from her heart,
and the light faded in her brown eyes.
There was a time when she had loved
Tom, but the ways and words of Standin
had charmed away her love. And Tom
went fishing with heavy heart, and
Nora was happy and sorrowful by turns.
! And Standin! Standins was fighting
the thing out by the little wall in the
teeth of a winter storm. He had not
been long in Cockersand before he told
himself he must go away--next week.
But the next week found him still with
in sound of the sea, and it seemed to
him as he lay awake at night that the
syrens were weaving coils from their
hair to bind him to the spot, and sing
ing seductively as they worked
| Yes, he must go on the morrow.
| Cockersand must be an episode in his
career; not tragedy in his life. But
would it mean an episode to her? He
thought it would. She was young and
easily impressed; and, after ALL he be-
| lieved that her love for Tom was deeper
and made of truer stuff than the love
he had aroused. In any case, it, would
be better that she should suffer for a
little time rather than have her whole
| life blighted. So let the syrens sing and
the storm imps yell, he would neither
be seduced nor threatened; he would 60
away on the morrow.
He was on the point of returning to
the cottage when his eye caught a dark
object appearing and disappearing be-
hind the curtain of rain. 1t was a ship,
or what was left of ship, and it was
being driven relentlessly on to the cruel
coast. Other eyes than Standin's had
seen the helpless ship and he quickly
found himself running in the midst of
crowd down to the beach. He had
| lost sight of Nora in the confusion and
when he found her she was standing
apart from the rest, gazing with a white,
set face at the dismasted boat rapidly
driving to destruction. The wind had
gone down considerably, but the sea was
| still running strongly.
"It is the Concord" Nora cried, when
she became aware of Standins pres
ence. "It is in the current and will soon
be on the sand bank, and Tom will be
drowned. Oh, can't you do something's"
| Standin tried to soothe, but she con-
| tinued to wiring her hands and moan.
+! The Concord was carried swiftly and
surely to her doom, and there were deep
curses from the men and means from
the women when she struck on the bank.
Standin turned to Nora. The girl had
fallen on her knees, holding out her
arms to the boat He raised her to her
| feet and said gently, "Nora, listen,
am going to make an effort to save
Tom. knew all along that you loved
him more than you realized
s'YOu are OOinO t0 cava him Heaven