Little Falls herald., 1913-01-17

For Marta's father worked on the
new causeway, helping with his labor
to make permanent way to the
rocky promontory which was cut of
from the mainland at high tide.
Sim Gregory, or, as the people Of
the town called him. "Black Gregory" I"
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
winter sent them to the city Sim
cared little for money. Perhaps that
was the reason he had the name of be-
ing peculiar.
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 at the docks in deep
er water.
Sim loved Marta. Every day he
brought her some offering from the
sea-. Sometimes Marta refused the
gifts. II can't take them," she said to
Sim, one morning, as he held out to
her pair Of shining mackerel.
'"Why not?"
Marta looked away from him as she
answered. Mother says it isn't right.
She wants-she wants me to marry
Edward Pond, Sim."
Sim leaned far over and drew her
dory close to his own with q strong
hand.
MARTA" }" he said, with q sharp In
take of his breath, Marta, are you
going to marry Ed"
She shook her head. mo, no, !
don't love him, but mother has set her
heart a It." ....
"Why does she want to -sell-you?''
Marta raised her head quickly.
Don't you speak Of it that way. Moth
or doesn't realize-she only thinks
that Edward is prosperous"
That night the wind blew away the
fog, but it also blew itself into q
strong gale, which increased as the
day advanced, until, at sunset, sky and
water showed the blackness OF q
storm. ~..
= It was not until midnight, however.
that the people Of the town began to
be afraid. Then it was learned that a
half-dozen 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
were 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
ia, 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 a star. The lifeboat,
working it's way against wind and
! wave brought back five men.
Everybody is safe,'' said some one
near Marta.
Marta, searching the bronzed faces,
asked. did you-did you find Sim
Gregory"
1--WE 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 it rose it showed far out on the
tossing waters a black speck.
! "It's a boat!" said Marta.
"And there's man in 1t, miss,
said one of the guards.
Then Marta fed homeward to hear
the reproaches Of her mother.
It 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
Tor news Of me"
She answered him az she had an.
swered her mother, Surely q 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 eltconsciousness.
she told him the truth. II youshad
died my heart would have died with
you, Sim"
No one could have called him BLACK
Gregory If they could have seen him
at that moment. His face was melted
into tenderness.
Il think came back because you
called me, Marta" he said. There
was one moment when in the black
ness / lost hope. but something seem.
ISd TO urge Martab waiting. and so-
lcalaoss 5s-sS. +