Show The Sandman Story FOR TONIGHT I I. I UNCLE BENS BEN'S STORY l Just before before bedtime each night after atter r playing and romping with Juno uno a nice old collie dog Nancy and Jack would cU climb b upon Uncle Bens Ben's knees and beg for a story Uncle Ben had be been n a fL lighthouse lighthouse- lighthouse keeper keeper keeper- for tor nearly thirty I thirty ye years rs' rs and always had had an Interesting Inter inter- inter inter-I e esting story to to tell bout about his adventures I tures I Tell us the most exciting thing that ever happened on n the lighthouse demanded demanded de demanded de- de Jack sitting up very straight I am not at all sleepy tonight So Uncle Ben lien after atter peeping into Ino Nancys Nancy's bright eyes began his tale It It was In the winter of 1883 that it happened one happened one of ot tho the worst winters that I ever spent on Stony Ledge I I Lighthouse The ice had up and piled plied up and pushed the big blocks of I ice around the lighthouse Just like Iko pebbles This night I remember r it was sleeting very hard and I had to hang on to the railing of ot the balcony to keep from slipping sUpping off ore on the rocks below as I made things shipshape for the night It was good to shut the door against the gale and seo Aunt Mary cooking the dinner In our our cozy little kitchen I had to shout to make her hear the wind was blowing so loudly and with every gust the lighthouse light light- house would sway like a boat The harbor was so Ice blocked t that at not a ship h had d passed for tor over a week and being so BO far from shore made me a bit anxious We Va ate supper r rather silently silent silent- ly listening to the crashes of ot the ice floes outside and after atter another look nook from the tower I told your Aunt Mary to wrap up well for tor now the lighthouse light light- house was creaking and gr groaning dan dan- She lost no time about it and it was well we were prepared for about an hour later the whole lighthouse light light- I house lurched over on its side completely com eom torn from Its rocky Oh Did you get hurt asked Nancy breathlessly Not the least bit bit Uncle Ben en re reassured reassured re- re assured her Only shaken up upa up-a a a little for we fell on top of ot some coats and sweaters which hung on th the wall wal Things were sliding eliding around everywhere everywhere every every- where but my PlY lantern was still sUII lit Ut and I crawled on my hands and knee p to the he door and opened it It blew me across the tho room but bilt I I could see that the lighthouse was was was' Jammed between two piles of ot Ice and would be safe enough until morning when we I r could see to get ashore I heard no sound of ot an explosion from the light tower so guessed that it had been put out in the fall and we tried to make o ourselves sel es as comfortable as for for tho rest of the the n night We Ve did possible did not sleep leep very much and we were grad glad to see morning dawn The v ind had bad gone gone down so 50 we decided to go ashore J Just st i as I opened the door I heard hearel a Hello there and on the ice below were two of ot our good neighbors from shore who had come out as quickly as the they could to our rescue We were delighted to see them and soon were climbing over the tco blocks block's toward shore safe sate and sound And now sir that is quite enough I for one night so scamp scamper r off oct to bed v both of ot you Please Uncle Ben tell us us what happened hap hap- tl to the light tower pleaded Jack as he slid down from tram Uncle Bens Ben's knees Why the whole tower was knocked right off oft and was found later quite a along along along long way from the house said sold Im so glad it didn't explode Nancy gravely and I think you and Aunt Mary are are- the bravest ones I know I |