Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-07-23
LOST IN A
FOG
By THOMAS r. DEAN

Wink on the petCu. Tau gone seNSt-
al miles perhaps q could have walked
on the same stretch of sand for half
a day without meeting an obstaele)
when / saw q bank of cloud coming In
from the ocean. In a few minutes
was enveloped In It The wind that
had brought it In died down to dead
calm, and everything was still.
l thought l had my bearings and.
turning, started back toward my ho-
tel. But was off my course. for |
had not gone far before | stepped on
the verge of shallow indentation In
the sand filed with water left by the
outgoing tide. 1t was evident that !
had been walking into the ocean. |
turned and started again, as | suppos-
ed, toward the dunes. but must have
swerved. for walked on and on for
some time on sand. Then stood still
1t was singular sensation. standing
there, all direction obliterated-some-
thing like being in perfect darkness or
on the ocean out of sight of land. No,
II was Ike neither of these: It was Ike
itself only. But | wondered If being
suspended In space would resemble
the sensation experienced Then sud
denly a voice came out Of the sur
rounding vapor. 1t was a girls voice.
sounding as clear and distinct as II
spoken In the stagnant atmosphere fol-
lowing snowstorm.
Here / am"
I was so startled at the sudden break
OF the surrounding oblivion that 1t did
not occur to me TO make a sound my
self There was something In the
change from isolation to contguity
that seemed like passing from nothing
ness TO life. Then. too. the density OF
the atmosphere impaired melodious
tone to the voice that harmonized with
a chord In my own being. ! had plen-
ty of time within few seconds to feel
all these things before said:
"And here am l."
Sound does not of flself give direc-
tion. and ] knew not whence the
words / had heard came. But In an
other moment the fog directly before
me darkened, then resolved itself into
a girls figure Seeing me, a stranger
to her. she stepped back, then stood
still.
"Are you lost3" asked.
Indeed / am" was the reply. "A
girl friend and were caught In the
fog. She stepped out ahead of me
and we became separated. called
her"
II would be happy to guide you" I
said. but I am unable to guide my
self. However, you had better permit
me to stand by you TIL the fog lifts"
"I'm afraid my friend may have
walked into some quicksand or water
or something She was with me a
few minutes ago aud has suddenly
disappeared"
''can her" suggested
>"Helen, Helenr' called my compan-
Ion
She elected no response.
"We may as well go on" said;
doubtless we shall come out some
where. Don't worry about your friend.
There are no quicksands on this beach"
We moved-in what direction we
knew not-and chatted as we proceed
ed. There seemed q great change, a
great relief from the preceding isoia-
ton to this companionship. l certain
iy felt It. and the girl kept very close
to me. as II fearing she might lose me
as she had lost her friend.
what is that?" she asked suddenly.
"whatT'
She pointed. but I saw nothing She
told me that she had seen something
dark moving beside US. but as soon as
she spoke 1t quickly faded
We went on for some time, but all
was sand. The beach was broad. very
broad. and the ebb tide went out a
great distance. / did not wonder that
we reached nothing different Then I
saw dark spot moving near Us. Ny
companion saw it too. and. frighten-
ed, chung to me.
am not supersdtious and had It not
been for my companion would have
sprung toward the spot to discover
whether 1t was human. But / found
that clinging OF a fair girl so delight
ful that preferred to remain as I
was. ! treasured my companion In a
whisper. putting my lips nearer than
Necessary TO her ear and feeling her
warm breath ! kept my eyes on the
spot while she turned her face toward
me that she might not see It. was
puzzled as to what 1t could be. but
believed 1t to be some animal. though
could hear no footsteps.
TT must be ghostw I said In
husky stage voice, whereupon my COM
panion chung TO me the tighter. which
was the effect intended to produce
Suddenly the fog began to clear. and
with that rapidity with which fogs
sometimes take themselves away. and
revealed the figure Of girl walking
rapidly away from Us.
why. it's Helenw exclaimed my
companion. II believe she has been
near us all the WHILE