Norwich bulletin., 1914-11-19

ful one at first, but her blood did not take long to reveal itself in pulses of undauntedness, and presently, restrain ing her tears, raised her bowed head her eyes flashing 0 fierce determination she said ::
 Thank you just the same, John; but inc sea. took my living, and the sea shall give it back to me-or swallow me altogether
 And two days after she went out to sea with an uncle who had not sue eeeded in making her change her mind.
 For years she kept up the fight and grew to make the other fishermen say:
 'tShe is a freak of nature, that girl; she surely was intended to be a boy And a vigorous one, too,' they invart- ably added. T
 At twsnty-two Marie Legoff found her mate. She had become a tall.
 straight-backed girl and married
 young man of her age, a red-haired fellow who had a brevet of captain in his pocket.
 The short, very short trips of her uncle's boat had not satisfied Marie Legon, and she had been longing for time when she could go on a bigger
 boat and fight and wrestle with the seq that had taken her father. That time had come with her marriage. Illus band and wife having some money, put 1t together to buy a sloop of about
 fifty tons burden, and they went to sea. doing the coasting trade.
 If the husband had the brevet. the wife was the acting captain, and no one on board would have chanced to. say a. word about it. People from the
 different ports of the coast have still
 that vision of a sloop coming into port crowded with sails, speeding in-
 soiently amidst an anchorage full of
 nloered ships. and steered by a tall,
 straight, energetic wonRp veritaole
 picture of determinatiolt8and daring.
 At the very moment when onlookers breathless anticipated a crash against pier or wharf, Marie IEegof uttered
 sharp order, stay sails and anchor dropped at the same time, and ths
 ship, veering sharply, came quickly stern to windward and rocked herself on her cable. Many time, having recovered their
 breath, the spectators clapped hands
 and cheered at the manoeuver, and the officers of the port, Winking at the vio- lation of the harbor regulations, eX- changed comments of admiration, say ing:
 Here is the admiral.''
 After years of high-spirited life, the
 end came. One day as the sloop. pur- sued by a maddened sea, was feeling chr way through a snowstorm and trying to enter the river of N1orlaix, the boom broke. the spanking power of 1 the fore-and-aft mainsail slackened. l and she was driven helplessly against the rocks.
 Between the ship and the shore was
 a rocky reef, a veritable wall, over which the sea broke, raging furiously Only one thing could save the crew from certain death, and 1t had to be done quickly. It was to swim ashore with Q line.
 Who would dare to attempt the per-
 ilous undeFtakign? The sailors shook l their heads and muttered: That is sure death
 Without a word Marie Legoff seized the end of a rope and began to fasten | it about her waist, when her husband sprang to her and shouted:
 :'What are you doing, Marie? There 1 is just blanket of foam on the rocks: you cant get across But the acting captain had not yet given up her command. She stopped l him with her intrepid look and said: Who told you that there was no more than blanket of foam on the rocks? Not I! I only say that I will carry the rope!"
 Without listening to further pro- testations, she spranS overheard and dived into the raging waters, After an age she gained the surface. Silence prevailed on board. Straining eyes watched her. She was dashed for ward by a violent surge, drawn back and buffeted by another, but still swimming and struggling she made her
 way, dragging with her the rope. Sud denly a huge wave hurled her on the top of the reef, another one tossed her to the other side, toward the shore. | She seemed then but a floating thing, with her clothes bagged by the wind. Finally she stranded, still clasping the rope of salvation. She was seized by the fisher folk who had gathered and watched her audacious act, but she was lifeless, crushed and torn by the sharp teeth of the reef.-Argonaut.