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Show - - ." . c. &( THROUGH FLOOD ANb PIR.E. B - I0t steamer ciosslng one of the i IT V Krpnt JaI:cs lu ' "iRl't of 8 A g sudden tempest w, t P thiown helpless nt tlu ' "WOW mcrey of ulna .uul wine Into the trough of tlio sea by the hte.aU. lng of ii nnrt of tlio nmcliliiety, ami It was feared by t!ic panic stilekpn pas- Bcngcrs-und with just lc.ison that tlio hour of doom nppioaehed. They 4 crowded, the deck and impeded the action of the crow. Tlipy screamed and sobbed mid piajed. One man who stood apart from tho others prayed si- lently with a hopeless agony on his f face. A f i lend with him touched him on tho shoulder. 'Cheer up. Edgar we are not lost I yet" (he had a Midden contempt for the cowardice of the occasion) "at least let iia die if die we i nist-IIko men " "It Is not foi ijhpf I fear, Walter, i but for Mltlnui: she is so sonslthe, si i loyal to those she locs; It would bi'enk I her heart to luuo her i0pr drowned ' like Uils on the o of hpr wcddlii, 1 She could neor nitllc such a t ne edy." "She would not bp the only one left to suffer. If we Ko down nil these others perish with us Think jou, they 4 will leae none to mourn their loss?" Ws friend, Walter IHcks-in ipspondpd. .-"Theirs are not paiallel cases. Miriam will be a widow, jot no wife. It will bo a ciuol disappointment of nor plans for our happy lives Walter. If jou nlonc aic sied tell her that slip must learn to foiKPt ne Her' sweet JouiiK life must not lie dail.rncl by un-happy un-happy nipiiiniips. rrnnlsp me" HomethliiK like n sneer distorted Wal-ter Wal-ter Dickson's face; be said wit i bitter emphasis: "You have Iipph blind, i:d?ar. blind as a mole. With eternity in Iew 1 must tell jou the titith Come below with me If wo are to die in this fctorm I shall ease jour soul of Its list fear. If w'o llp jou can prove the truth of my wonls" ITo led bis dazed and distracted friend tliroiiKli the tempest nnd tonfus-ton, tonfus-ton, drnpRliiK him by main force to the uncertnln shelter of the deserted cabin, nnd God alone knows whether his motive mo-tive was that of n slneeio friend or the madness and triumph of a sinister nature. Hut what he told bad at least the awful merit of truth. On the same nlcht on whlfh the steamer witli her precious human freight was tempest-tossed In the mid-nlRlit mid-nlRlit blackness of the hke. n young woman was walking the floor of her v room, wringing her hands In Impotent f ABngnlsh ns she listened to tho storm without. Her face was pale and worn, her eyes glittered with a fecrlsh excitement. ex-citement. Hxory muscle was tense nnd at last the strain became unbear nblo, and she rushed from her own room nnd sought that of an older Ms ter, who was sleeping enlmlv and pro foundly. "Margnrpti" she called, nnd shook the sleeper lightly. "Mlrlnn? What is It? Not time to rise, siucly? Ilao you not slept?" "-Vo. no, how could I? Do you not hear the storm? It Is awful! I cannot sleep." Tho older sister sat up and scanned th1 wiiite face bending over her. "You ha'Ne not slept, and tomorrow 1 Tour weddlnu' dnv' Miriam, j-ou will look like a ghost" "Do yon hear the storm?" cried Mlrlnm wildly. "If It rngps so on hind, how nnieh worse it must bo on the water, and Ildgar Is crossing to night In Urn face of this storm " "Miriam." said Margaret gentlj', "kneel here nnd let us sny a prajer" "I hare been prajlng piajed owry minuto this night. I hope fiod will henr mo and send tho bo-it on which I-dgnr Is coming to the bottom of the lake!" "Mlrlnm! Sister, you are craed. Do you know what you are saving' Tint you nro asking Clod to destioj tho bo it i -j that ' bringing jour l.ner to jou?" tl-T "Y, Jfs-that Is whnt I mean. I would be ghid If they camo aud told me tlmt ho had gono down, nnd I was free free freo!" ITer voice roso to n pathetic slirlek that blended with the walling wind nnd died ont In n moan. Thra It Is true-I did uot, would not. bcllee itt You did not lo Kfl pv Ilyerson, aud jou do love hie friend, Walter Dickson?" Hut Mb lam turned nwar. "Sleo again, my sister, I am soiry 1 dli. urbed you. My wedding day Is dawn lug. and we shall soon know whether God has nuswtred my pinjer." A In of line lu the morning paper told the storj The boat had gone down In mldlake with all on board. Years bad pissed. Mmgiret bid married n woallhx sultoi. and Milium spent put of her time with her. a pile silent girl, ub.olutelv dewild of Interest Inter-est lu life ii whom was she nioutii-I nioutii-I tig'' Sin. diclnied that It was not for Walter D.ckson, that II was all n mis. take 11 rt Mio httl cared for him, s.no as n Mmd Mmvaiet go id and prac tl-tl, was niiJpd i;UM1 ,n !K.(0 ,(,. n'"-y did not lend bet to belle that Cod had mis Pied the wild, bhsphe nuiiiH pi !,. of u (ri7cl gul. but Flu-hid Flu-hid her t fng apatbj to lenioisp ier Kdsu's deitli. And lolug the Kill us k!i Mild Mm gat et ti!d lu opm w.iv to l-itT'st and amuse her Milium took pait In these ofCoits, but without bent. Mngnret neer uotlc-ed the wrrds of the m.le sin- so oft,,, Ml.'inm'sjli v "How (oald 1 k ic,- I would loe tliee afar "When I loed thee not nne.u':" Thrv woithl bae meant nothing to Mnr-jiret. but thej oieed the uy ot .Mil Iain's soul, she lined i:dgar afar. 'I ho fainllj-. Including Milium, was gllng it house paity befoie closing their summer home on the banks of the like that lake of fatal Import, whole Miriam found her thoughts going out day nnd n.i'it. As n i losing enteitaln-input enteitaln-input some one suggested a masquerade masquer-ade mil a flie ot driftwood, as the cenlng was cool. When the eorIng of the mnso.ncr.ido cime, Mb Ian wore a tmil aud domino dom-ino On account of the temneraturo the dilttwood flic was the tint attraction. A Illni'ii uttend the piopheclcs, while others fed the flnnio. "I sec," he said oiacularly. "n sinking sink-ing steamer. Two men cinuades are with othcis upon Its deck." "Oh, this is shameful-stop him," cried Stargarct, but her husband whispered whis-pered sono'iblng, nnd she waited, edging edg-ing near Miriam, who In her attitude might have been a statue. "The f i lend Is telling him n lie, bnt he believes It. and when they two arc sned bv a mliaclo cf the waters, ho goes wlt'i him nnd makes no sign. Ho belle es tint bis loe Is faithless." The flame shot up blue nnd green, nnd the Hindu looked about as If seeking seek-ing Inspiration. "The false frienyl has lust died. He told the tiuth at tlio last. But he was not altogether wiong The woman they both had loed had not returned tho loe ot cither. I can read no further." The pretended lllm'u tinned away as a domino touched his aiu. "IMgar!" Virg& C "Miriam!" .Toy ncer kl'ls. The rernperntlve power It brings with It Is phenomenal. phenome-nal. Mis. M I.. Itajne, lu Chicago Itccord-IIci'ald. |
