The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-12
THE EVENING STORY
The Red Marshes.
by Temple Bailey. ]

tumbling sea, with the waves topped
with white foam, and coming in heavily
| through the rusty marsh grass.
But it WIS at low tide that Marta's
| little dory slipped down the silver path
way of the streams that cut their way
| through the marshes.
| Sometimes she met Sim Gregory COM
| ing back with Holsters from the early
I morning catch, and Sim would shake
| back his black lock, and would ask i'll
| his Surly way, What good things are
you taking 10 your dad this morning,
| Marta?' and Marta would pipe up with
her clear note, Its fried Clans
| For Marta's father worked on the
new cauSew2y, helping with his labor
to make permanent way to the rocky
promOntOry which was cut off 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 pre-
| ferred the free method of earning his
| living III the sea- He sold his Holsters
| to the summer hotels, and in winter
sent them to the city. He lived in a
| tiny and very comfortable cottage,
/ which had been built in substantial
fashion by his greatgrandfather. The
value of the land on which it stood had
| increased greatly, but Sim cared little
for money.
Perhaps that was the reason he had
| the name Of being peculiar. That =
man who had been educated in the vii
| lage school should be content to dream
his life away was thing these am
bilious folk could not understand
1t was because Marta carried her
fathers dinner down the silver high
! ways that Sim Gregory came through
| the marshes with his mornings eaten
rather than land at the docks in deeper
water.
Sim loved Marta Every day he
brought her some offering from the sea.
Sometimes it was only a handful IF
pretty shells or cod just caught. Some
times Marta refused the gifts. Il cant
take them,' she said to Sim, one morn
ing, as he held out to her pair OF
shining mackerel-
Marta looked away from him she
answered. Mother says it isn't right.
She wants-she wants me to marry Ed
ward Pond, Sim"
dory close to his own with a strong
hard.
Marta he said, with a sharp intake
of his breath Marta, are you going to
marry [d?"
She shook her head. mo, no. don't
love him. but mother has set her heart
on IT,
Marta raised her head quickly, Dent
YOU speak Of it that way. Mother
doesn't realize-she only thinks that
Edward is prosperous and can give me
2 lovely home-and-and@"
Sims hand fell from the dory and
the two boats drifted apart
"Yes-ne can give you a lovely home
lis that all you ask of life, Marta?"
II don't know"
Did you never think that you might
ask more than that, that you might
ask life to give you love?'
Her boat was drifting out with the
tide. and her whisper came back faint
ty. But If I asked-would life give II
to rne?''
A strong pull on the oars again
brought their boats together
Il will give it to you. Marta. You
1e q n ord
that he should offer you a house and
a dull and prosperous career? Come to
me, and we'll Jive-and love-till eter-
nifty. Marta P"
was up. and with his dark hair flung
back from his forehead, revealing It's
Wilderness. with his dark eyes lighted
with fire and tenderness. he took on a
nobility of ASPECT which made him seem
a different man.
Sim Marta said softly, "sim-world
you make ME happyt
mot # riches are what you want.
Against his hand was drawing her boat
II must co. she said, hurriedly;
tomorrow morning-IH be here
The boats drifted apart. Something
clutched ut SIMS heart as Marta went |
en- and on. until the gray fog closed
Just beyond was The cause~ ay, bit II |
seemed to him that so would life some |
dav shut her away from him.
That night the wind blew away the |
fog but it also blew itself int" a strong |
Gale which increased as the dag ad- |
varced, unt;l, at sunset, sky and wa
ter showed the blackness of storm.
1t was not until midnight, however,
THAT the people of the town began TO De |
afraid Then it was learned that /
half-dozen of the boats that had gone |
ont early in the morning had not come |
back The men from the life-saving |
station were the watch, ana nreS |
were lighted and bells were rung-
Up and down the beach went the peo- |
ple whose sons and husbands and fath-
ers were at sea. Mothers went for their |
bows children for their parents
But nobody went for Sim Only Mar
ia, strainjng her eyes through the black
ness prayed that he might be safe-thac |
he might come back to her.
A shout went up, as somewhere, out |
in the leaping blackness. there shone
light like star The lfebOat. working |
it's way against wind and wave brought
back five men
Everybody is SAFE said some one
near Marta.
asked, Did you did you find Sim |
We saw him, just as the storm
broke said one of the men. we |
shouted, but he was too far away 10
hear us-we haven't seen him since
ed the beach. All night long Marta \
strained her eyes out to sea- When
lawn came the wind died, and the sun
came up, rosy red above the horizon
And as it rose 1t showed far out on the
tossing waters a black speck-
ITS a boati'' said Marta