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

inside and began to send the little bark
out to the rolling ocean, The sky had
darkened, rain was coming down and the
lightning blinded and the thunder deaf
ened. But not for single moment did
Nora falter. She had great purpose,
and she meant to carry it out.
Looking ahead she could see the little
row boat struggling towards t! e'shore,
but it was not gaining foot in five min
utes, for the young man seemed to have
lost all use of his right hand and was
trying to manage the boat with the one
paddle that he had found in the bottom
Of the boat. In this feeble way he could
never be able to get ten feet nearer the
shore, and would doubtless be swept out
to sea should the wind veer a bit to the
west. The girls had sunk to the bottom
of the boat and were clinging to each
other, their faces white and frightened.
They feared their last hour of life had
come and they were praying for succor.
Nora could make out very plainly the
three persons in the boat, for she was
nearing them rapidly. Her young arms
were strong and practiced, and she had
courage and determination to urge her
on. Pretty soon she came alongside the
struggling boat and managed to get into
it. Then she handed to the young man
the rope from the boat which she had
just vacated and asked him to secure it
to the stern of the boat she had just
climbed into.
This was rather difficult task to per-
form, but crawling along the bottom of
the boat, the young fellow succeeded in
doing as the little rescuer babe him.
| Then, with newborn courage, he clam
bered back into the seat beside Nora
and begged to be given one of the oars.
Hasn't your right arm gone back on
20 2" cried out Nora, speaking above
nodded his head, then screamed back,
''But can use the left arm all right. :"
But Nora merely held to the two oars
and bent all her strength to the work
before her. The water of the bay was
rolling pretty roughly, and tossed the
boat about in rather careless fashion;
but Nora, being an expert with the oars,
soon had her headed inland and going at
a good speed.
The rain beat down severely; the wind
tore over them; the thunder almost took
away their hearing. The two frightened
! girls in the bottom of the boat, directly
in front of Nora, sat looking up at her in
wonder and admiration. not to speak of
the deep gratitude which shone from
their eyes.
1t took Nora quite some time to bring
the little boat back over the half-mile Of
rocking water; but she managed to do it
safely and soundly. Then she led her
new found friends to the house and found
dry clothes for them. And then the storm
ceased; the clouds passed away and the
sun broke forth over now calm day.
And then it was that Mrs. Goodwin
came home. and little later the three
young people from the village returned
to their summer hotel, and then the story
of Nora Goodwin's heroism went like
| wildfre about the village and surround
ing country. And great crowd of peo-
pie hocked about the Goodwin cottage,
and the parents of the three young folks
Nora had saved from drowning brought
her gifts in the shape of certain very
large gold coins and checks written for
goodly amounts, all of which Nora at
first refused outright to accept, but
which she was persuaded by the crowd
to take.
Il only did my duty, the duty of a
seaman's daughter" she said simply,
sand l dislike to receive money for it. :"
ats our only way of showing our ap-
probation of your heroism," declared
the father of the two young girls, who
had returned to the Goodwin cottage and
stood with their arms about Nora, land
we shall be very unhappy unless you al
low US this pleasure of giving to you a
little of our worldly goods in return for
our children's lives"
And then it was that good Mrs. Good
win broke down and wept-wept for Joy
at being the mother of noble, splendid
girl