The Daytona daily news., 1912-03-23
The Red
Marshes


4 eooss1ashA Nh. ~ Assssaassa Idasmzg Pssnl
! Beyond the red marahee lAy the sea,
In The cray November daya Il was q
tnmbling go. with The waves topped
with white foam. end coming in hsav.
ny through The rusty marsh grass.
i But Il was ak low tide that Marta's
httle dory alipped down the silver
pathway of The streams that cut their
way through the marshes.
Il 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 yoa taking 10 your dad this
morning. Marta1" and Marta would
pipe up with her clear note. "ItAs fried
i clama"
i For Martas father worked ON the
new causeway. helping with his labcr
to make Q permanent way 10 the
rocky promontory which was cut OF
from the mainland at high tide.
H Sim Gregory. or. a. the people e
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
i winter sent them TO the city Sim
cared little for money. Perhaps that
was the reason he had the name Of be-
/ Ing peculiar.
Il It was because Marta carried her
fathers dinner down the silver high
ways that Sim Gregory came through
the marshes with his mornings catch
rather than land &C the docks In deep
i or water.
i 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 pair Of shining mackerel.
i why not?"
i Marta looked away from him as she
answered. Mother says Il ian't right.
She wants-she wants me to marry
Edward Pond. Sim"
i Sim leaned far over and drew her
dory close to his own with . strong
hand.
Marta" he said. with q sharp In
take Of his breath. 'MartA, are you
going to marry Edf"
She shook her head. mo, no,
don't love him, but mother has set her
heart on It."
/ why does she want to-sell-you3"
/ Marta raised her head quickly.
Don't you speak OF II that way. Moth
or doesn't reahze-she only thinks
that Edward 10 prosperous"
That night the wind blew away the
fog. but 1t also blew itself into q
strong gale. which increased rs the
day advanced, until. at sunset, sky and
water showed the blackness Of q
storm.
1t was not until midnight, however.
that the people of the town began to
be afraid. Then It was learned that 4
half-dosen Of the boats that had gone
out early In the morning had not come
back. The men from the hfe-saving
station were on the watch, and fires
we're 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.
ta. 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
q light like q star. The nfeboat,
working It's way against wind and
wave brought back Ave men.
Everybody Is SAFE" said some one
near Marta.
Marta. searching the bronEed faces.
asked. Did you-did you find Sim
Gregory"
I'VE saw him just as the storm
broke" said one OF the men. I'VE
shouted. but he was too far away to
hear us-we haven't seen him since"
All night long the life guards pa
trolled the beach. All night long Mar
ia strained her eyes out to sea. When
dawn came the wind died, and the sun
came up. rosy red above the horizon.
And as 1t rose 1t showed far out on the
tossing waters q black speck-
It's 4 boatl" said Marta.
And there's q man In It miss"
said one of the guards.
Then Marta fed 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 a man has
right to have one heart cry out for him
when he's at the mercy OF the wind
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
you. Sim"
No one could have called him BLACK
Gregory" II they could have seen him
at that moment. His face was melted
into tenderness.
II think came back because you