Republican news item. [volume] (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, 1910-12-09
Danaris


| the wind Joined its moaning with the
| lamentation of the vast gray waters,
| and regularly over the eolian accom-
paniment Of wind and wave came the
| long walls of the whistling buoy far
down the bay.
Damaris French set a brightly
burning lamp on one of the kitchen
| window stills; 1t was custom hon
ored by the generations of Trenches
| who had dwelt on that island in the
| bay, that on stormy nights light
should be kept burning to guide any
man to haven who might be on the
| seething waves.
The girl stood looking down the
avenue Of light into the vast grayness
beyond, and her strong young face
trembled with emotion, for In the
quiet places of her heart there was
great sorrow that rang with the moan
ing of the waves.
'T set my signal and he failed to
come"
Through the long watches OF the
night before Damaris had fought with
the grim thing that lay in her broth
er's lungs and protested at each
| breath that came in or went out, and
when the morning had dawned it had
seemed as If her strength were gone.
| Then Damaris had stood in the
| doorway and watched the rising sun
tinge every wave with brightness, and
looked over to the little village on
the mainland where the roofs shone
white.
Over in that village on the main
land dwelt young DR.. Stickney. With
the earnestness born of his love for
Damaris he had come to the island
day by day and wooed its fair young
mistress with quiet persistency that
was full of latent strength. And when
Damaris had gently tried to make
superfluous to her happiness he would
come back the next day and talk lob
ster catching with Lon
To satisfy his persistency she had
made the concession of promise
that if ever she wanted him she would
hoist square white flag on her pole
and he would come-whatever might
be in the way he would come to her
And as she had watched the morn
ing light dancing on the crests Of the
waves she had stretched out her
hands as II something of the mans
strength came to her across the wa
ters.
"For Ions sake l will call you
Marc Stickney," she cried, and 10
minutes later square of white sail
cloth foated broad in the morning
sunlight.
AS she looked into the vast gray
ness of the coming night the sorrow
Of it filled her young heart; 1t was for
Ions sake she had waved that mes
sage to the strong man across the wa
tiers and he had not needed her neces-
sity. Now that the darkness and
storm had come it was too late
The girl was very weary, and now
that Lon was better and sleeping
quietly their was time for thought 1t
was a bitter thing that her call had
been disregarded and she spoke quick
ly to herself:
"I'll haul down the flag!"
Out in the night all was blackness
save for the shaft Of light from the
window and the twinkling of the Twin
Lights on reef far out to sea. The
sleet cut sharply against Damaris'
face as she ran along the cliff, and the
wind tore wildly at her hair. The
flag cracked smartly above her head
and Damaris pulled frantically at the
halyards to haul 1t down.
'T could pull like this at mans
heart!" she cried, and her laugh
echoed into the moaning of the waves.
With a long, ripping tear the flag
came down. A great sob burst from
Damaris. She had felt so certain of
Marc Stickney in her hour Of need!
The buoy whistled shriller now. and
the roar of the storm was echoing
from the waves. AS Damaris stag
gered back through the wildness OF
the night she fell strangely alone
amidst the vastness of the storm.
She pushed open the kitchen door
and stood amazed on the threshold,
her fair hair blown loose about her
head and the flush of the wind on her
face. A tall man by the stove turned
and put out both hands.
"Damaris!" he said.
The girl threw back her head.
Ions better" she said, briefly.
!, Marc Stickney did not move, but
the cords rose on his strong, young
face.
'I sent for you this morning for
Lon," explained Damaris.
Tho man raised ono hand slfpht1v
"My mother saw your signal set for
me. / have come from far to do your
bidding, Damaris!"
Lon needed you," said the girl.
She still held fast to the dripping
piece Of sail cloth that she had torn
from the night.
All at once Damaris remembered
| urhat thia had d0na for har: how