Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1912-03-28
The Red
Marshes
Copyright. 1911. by Associated Literary Press)

, In the gray November days 1t was
tumbling sea, with the waves topped
with white foam, and coming in heav-
lily through the rusty marsh grass.
But it was at low tide that Marta's
little dory slipped down the silver
pathway of the streams that cut their
way through the marshes.
} Sometimes she met Sim Gregory
} coming back with Holsters from the
, early morning catch, and Sim would
shake back his black lock, and would
, ask in his surly way, What good
things are you taking to your dad this
morning, Marta?" and Marta would
pipe up with her clear note, tits fried
clans"
For Marta's father worked on the
new causeway, helping with his labor
to make a permanent way to the
rocky promontory which was cut off
J from the mainland at high tide.
Sim Gregory, or, as the people of
. the town called him. "Black Gregory"
did not work on the causeway. He
preferred the free method of earning
his living in the sea. He sold his lob
sters to the summer hotels, and in
winter sent them to the city Sim
cared little for money. Perhaps that
was the reason he had the name of be-
ing peculiar.
J 1t was because Marta carried her
! fathers dinner down the silver high
! ways that Sim Gregory came through
J the marshes with his mornings catch
3w,
er water.
Sim loved Marta Every day he
brought her some offering from the
sea. Sometimes Marta refused the
gifts. Il can't take them" she said to
Sim, one morning, as he held out to
her a pair of shining mackerel.
why not?"
Marta looked away from him as she
answered. Mother says it isn't right
She wants-she wants me to marry
Edward Pond, Sim"
Sim leaned far over and drew her
dory close to his own with strong
hand.
Marta" he said, with sharp in
take of his breath Marta, are you
going to marry Ed?"
She shook her head. "No, no, I
don't love him, but mother has set her
, heart on it."
why does she want to-sell-you?"
Marta raised her head quickly.
Don't you speak of it that way. Moth
er doesn't realize-she only thinks
that Edward is prosperous"
hot ;nh IErin1 1nT + q
, fog, but it also blew itself into a
strong gale, which increased as the
day advanced, until, at sunset, sky and
] water showed the blackness of a
storm.
1t was not until midnight, however,
that the people of the town began to
be afraid Then it was learned that a
= half-dozen of the boats that had gone
out early in the morning had not come
back The men from the life-saying
station were on the watch and fires
were lighted and bells were rung.
Up and down the beach went the
people whose sons and husbands and
fathers were at sea. Mothers wept
for their boys, children for their pa
| rents.
But nobody wept for Sim. Only Mar
ia, straining her eyes through the
blackness, prayed that he might be
safe-that he might come back to her.
A shout went up, as somewhere, out
in the leaping blackness, there shone
light like a star. The lifeboat,
working it's way against wind and
wave brought back five men.
Everybody is SAFE" said some one
near Marta.
Marta, searching the bronzed faces,
asked, Did you-did you find Sim
Gregory"
eve saw him just as the storm
broke" said one of the men. eve
shouted, but he was too far away to
hear us-we haven't seen him since"
! All night long the life guards pa
L trolled the beach. All night long Mar
ia strained her eyes out to sea. When
dawn came the wind died, and the sun
h came up, rosy red above the horizon.
And as it rose it showed far out on the
tossing waters a black speck.
Its a boat" said Marta.
"And there's a man in it, miss"
= said one of the guards.
Then Marta fled homeward to hear
the reproaches of her mother.
1t was nearly noon when Marta
went across the red marshes with her
fathers lunch.
When she met, Sim Gregory she
dared not look up.
Marta" he called, and brought his
boat close to hers, and his voice was
eager as he spoke, they told me, on
the beach, that you waited all night
for news of me-"
She answered him as she had an
swered her mother, Surely man has
right to have one heart cry out for him
when he's at the mercy of the wind
s. and waves"
Did your heart cry, Marta?"
In spite of her self-consciousness
she told him the truth "If you had
died my heart would have died with
T you, Sim"
No one could have called him "Blacl.
, Gregory if they could have seen him
at that moment. His face was melted
into tenderness.
81 think / came back because you
called me, Marta" he said. There
, was one moment when in the black