The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1912-09-26
Nora Goodwin, Little Heroine,

" -
Nora Goodwin home was on the sandy
beach overlooking the great sea. don't
mean that she lived right down on the
very beach itself, but a. safe distance
above the high-tide mark. The Goodwin
house. stood on high point of land
which jutted out well into the water.
Thus they had fine view of the sea
from three sides of the house, and al
ways sea breeze blowing about them.
Nora's father owned boathouse and
motor boats to the tourists and summer
boarders who thronged the village near
by fror early May to late September.
And Nora, being the only child, was her
fathers chum, as we'll as her mothers
comrade. On long afternoons Nora and
her father would row far out to sea and
soon the 15-year-old girl was considered
one of the finest oarswomen on the coast
for many miles.
One fine August morning Mrs. Good
win was obliged to go to the village to
DO some marketing and shopping. After
she had finished her shopping she drop
ped in to see friend for an hours chat.
While thus socially engaged she did not
observe the clouds gathering in the south
east, which always meant storm on the
water. And when of sudden the day
darkened and gusts of wind and. flashes
of lightning warned her of what was in
progress, it was too late for her to start
for her home, mile distant from the
village, before the storm should break.
Her friend, old Granny Downs, fisher
man 8 widow who had lived neighbor to
Mrs. Goodwin down or the sea, urged
Mrs. Goodwin to remain ''till the squall
was over. :"
81 don't like to leave Nora alone SO
long, and during such severe storm,
said Mrs. Goodwin, standing in the door
wind. "But Nora 8 not bit of a coward,
the continued.
Shed be the last one to want me to
risk the storm to come home. She's
brave child, is my Nora. l guess shell
. not be worried-'less it's over her moth
er." And Mrs. Goodwin laughed and
closed the door, for the storm had burst
full upon the village and rain in torrents
was being dashed on all sides the little
Downs cottage by terrific wind.
Then the two good women sat down at
little table spread with simple but
appetizing midday luncheon and chatted
as they ate, Mrs. Goodwin feeling assur-
ed that Nora would be all right at home,
even though alone. Mr.. Goodwin had
taken fishing party of gentlemen out
to sea that morning and would not return
until late in the afternoon.
After her mothers departure from
home, Nora found plenty of work to do.
She tided up the house; then spent an
hour or more painting an old boat which
her father had in '::dry dock" for re-
pairs. Nora was an able assistant to her
father in such work and often lent a
helping hand when Mr.. Goodwin was
obliged to abandon his work to take per-
sons out fishing or motor boating.
About II O'Clock two young girls, ac-
companied by young gentleman triffe
older than themselves. came along the
beach. They saw the rowboats tied up
at the little pier and one of them cried
out:
"Oh, let's have row. The weather
is perfectly serene this morning"
eyes" said the second girl, ''let's all
take an oar. Bert, are you much at the
oars?" And she turned to the young
gentleman beside her.
"Well, before sustained compound
fracture of my right wrist l was some
thing of oarsman, at least, so our col
lege crew thought. But since then
which is only about six months ago-l
haven't dared to use the oars. But
can manage a motor-boat all right"
well, then, veil take motor-boat,"
said the first girl.
Then the three approached Nora, who
had put aside her paint can and brushes
and was smiling good morning to them.
But when they asked to engage motor
boat-there was but one tied up at the
moment, all the others being let out
Nora told them she regretted very much
that the boat was already engaged for
the day, and that the gentleman who had
hireo it would be there at any moment.
Indeed, even as she spoke, two men and
as many ladies came over the cliff behind
the house and dropped down over the
sandy beach to the boat landing. They
took possession of the motor boat and
set out to sea.
We'll, let's try row boat" said the
young gentleman who had been called
Bert by one of the girls 81 guess we'll
make out-betWeen the three of US.
This was agreed upon by the three
young people, who were from the village
summer hotel, where they were stopping
with their parents for a few weeks rus
tlcatlng," as the girls laughingly told
Nora
4NS4 q S0lCNlCi OllS VI lIfC UCOL IUW UOd Us
and the young gentleman handed the
girls to their seat inside it. Then he I'M
tied the boat, jumped in himself, and
took up the oars. But they had not got
far out in the bay, which was of rather
shallow water, when Nora, who was
watching them interestedly, saw the
girls take the rowman's seat in the mid
die of the boat and the young man take
an end seat. The girls bent to the oars
and made good speed.
Smiling over the happiness of the gay
young people from the summer hotel,
Nora turned to resume her work on the
keel of the old boat, VIII, suddenly
something dark in the southwest attract
ed her attention. 1t was black cloud,
and was coming across the sky very
rapidly. Evidently the young folks out
in the bay had not observed the approach
ing ''blow," for they were still putting
out towards heavy water. Nora took up
her fathers megaphone and called out to
them through its great funnel, but she
could not make them hear. She stood
gazing at the far away sea. 1t was be-
coming bit more ruffied than it had been
when the three young folks started out.
She hoped they would notice the rising
wind, see the cloud, and make haste to
return. But they were too busily en-
gagged on their own innocent amusement