the golden road-第32部分

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〃This　is　too　dull　for　me；〃　she　exclaimed。　　〃I　want　something　more　exciting。〃

Mr。　Davidson　stopped　short　and　Peg　marched　down　the　aisle　in　the　midst　of　complete　silence。　　Half　way　down　the　aisle　she　turned　around　and　faced　the　minister。

〃There　are　so　many　hypocrites　in　this　church　that　it　isn't　fit　for　decent　people　to　come　to；〃　she　said。　　〃Rather　than　be　such　hypocrites　as　most　of　you　are　it　would　be　better　for　you　to　go　miles　into　the　woods　and　commit　suicide。〃

Wheeling　about；　she　strode　to　the　door。　　Then　she　turned　for　a　Parthian　shot。

〃I've　felt　kind　of　worried　for　God　sometimes；　seeing　He　has　so　much　to　attend　to；〃　she　said；　〃but　I　see　I　needn't　be；　so　long's　there's　plenty　of　ministers　to　tell　Him　what　to　do。〃

With　that　Peg　shook　the　dust　of　Carlisle　church　from　her　feet。　　Poor　Mr。　Davidson　resumed　his　discourse。　　Old　Elder　Bayley；　whose　attention　an　earthquake　could　not　have　distracted　from　the　sermon；　afterwards　declared　that　it　was　an　excellent　and　edifying　exhortation；　but　I　doubt　if　anyone　else　in　Carlisle　church　tasted　it　much　or　gained　much　good　therefrom。　　Certainly　we　of　the　King　household　did　not。　　We　could　not　even　remember　the　text　when　we　reached　home。　　Felicity　was　comfortless。

〃Mr。　Davidson　would　be　sure　to　think　she　belonged　to　our　family　when　she　was　in　our　pew；〃　she　said　bitterly。　　〃Oh；　I　feel　as　if　I　could　never　get　over　such　a　mortification！　　Peter；　I　do　wish　you　wouldn't　go　telling　people　they　ought　to　go　to　church。　　It's　all　your　fault　that　this　happened。〃

〃Never　mind；　it　will　be　a　good　story　to　tell　sometime；〃　remarked　the　Story　Girl　with　relish。



CHAPTER　XXII

THE　YANKEE　STORM


In　an　August　orchard　six　children　and　a　grown…up　were　sitting　around　the　pulpit　stone。　　The　grown…up　was　Miss　Reade；　who　had　been　up　to　give　the　girls　their　music　lesson　and　had　consented　to　stay　to　tea；　much　to　the　rapture　of　the　said　girls；　who　continued　to　worship　her　with　unabated　and　romantic　ardour。　　To　us；　over　the　golden　grasses；　came　the　Story　Girl；　carrying　in　her　hand　a　single　large　poppy；　like　a　blood…red　chalice　filled　with　the　wine　of　August　wizardry。　　She　proffered　it　to　Miss　Reade　and；　as　the　latter　took　it　into　her　singularly　slender；　beautiful　hand；　I　saw　a　ring　on　her　third　finger。　　I　noticed　it；　because　I　had　heard　the　girls　say　that　Miss　Reade　never　wore　rings；　not　liking　them。　　It　was　not　a　new　ring；　it　was　handsome；　but　of　an　old…fashioned　design　and　setting；　with　a　glint　of　diamonds　about　a　central　sapphire。　　Later　on；　when　Miss　Reade　had　gone；　I　asked　the　Story　Girl　if　she　had　noticed　the　ring。　　She　nodded；　but　seemed　disinclined　to　say　more　about　it。

〃Look　here；　Sara；〃　I　said；　〃there's　something　about　that　ring　something　you　know。〃

〃I　told　you　once　there　was　a　story　growing　but　you　would　have　to　wait　until　it　was　fully　grown；〃　she　answered。

〃Is　Miss　Reade　going　to　marry　anybodyanybody　we　know？〃　I　persisted。

〃Curiosity　killed　a　cat；〃　observed　the　Story　Girl　coolly。　　〃Miss　Reade　hasn't　told　me　that　she　was　going　to　marry　anybody。　　You　will　find　out　all　that　is　good　for　you　to　know　in　due　time。〃

When　the　Story　Girl　put　on　grown…up　airs　I　did　not　like　her　so　well；　and　I　dropped　the　subject　with　a　dignity　that　seemed　to　amuse　her　mightily。

She　had　been　away　for　a　week；　visiting　cousins　in　Markdale；　and　she　had　come　home　with　a　new　treasure…trove　of　stories；　most　of　which　she　had　heard　from　the　old　sailors　of　Markdale　Harbour。　　She　had　promised　that　morning　to　tell　us　of　〃the　most　tragic　event　that　had　ever　been　known　on　the　north　shore；〃　and　we　now　reminded　her　of　her　promise。

〃Some　call　it　the　'Yankee　Storm；'　and　others　the　'American　Gale；'〃　she　began；　sitting　down　by　Miss　Reade　and　beaming；　because　the　latter　put　her　arm　around　her　waist。　　〃It　happened　nearly　forty　years　ago；　in　October　of　1851。　　Old　Mr。　Coles　at　the　Harbour　told　me　all　about　it。　He　was　a　young　man　then　and　he　says　he　can　never　forget　that　dreadful　time。　　You　know　in　those　days　hundreds　of　American　fishing　schooners　used　to　come　down　to　the　Gulf　every　summer　to　fish　mackerel。　　On　one　beautiful　Saturday　night　in　this　October　of　1851；　more　than　one　hundred　of　these　vessels　could　be　counted　from　Markdale　Capes。　　By　Monday　night　more　than　seventy　of　them　had　been　destroyed。　　Those　which　had　escaped　were　mostly　those　which　went　into　harbour　Saturday　night；　to　keep　Sunday。　　Mr。　Coles　says　the　rest　stayed　outside　and　fished　all　day　Sunday；　same　as　through　the　week；　and　HE　says　the　storm　was　a　judgment　on　them　for　doing　it。　　But　he　admits　that　even　some　of　them　got　into　harbour　later　on　and　escaped；　so　it's　hard　to　know　what　to　think。　　But　it　is　certain　that　on　Sunday　night　there　came　up　a　sudden　and　terrible　stormthe　worst；　Mr。　Coles　says；　that　has　ever　been　known　on　the　north　shore。　　It　lasted　for　two　days　and　scores　of　vessels　were　driven　ashore　and　completely　wrecked。　　The　crews　of　most　of　the　vessels　that　went　ashore　on　the　sand　beaches　were　saved；　but　those　that　struck　on　the　rocks　went　to　pieces　and　all　hands　were　lost。　　For　weeks　after　the　storm　the　north　shore　was　strewn　with　the　bodies　of　drowned　men。　　Think　of　it！　　Many　of　them　were　unknown　and　unrecognizable；　and　they　were　buried　in　Markdale　graveyard。　　Mr。　Coles　says　the　schoolmaster　who　was　in　Markdale　then　wrote　a　poem　on　the　storm　and　Mr。　Coles　recited　the　first　two　verses　to　me。


　　　　〃'Here　are　the　fishers'　hillside　graves；　　　　　　　The　church　beside；　the　woods　around；　　　　　　　Below；　the　hollow　moaning　waves　　　　　　　Where　the　poor　fishermen　were　drowned。

　　　　〃'A　sudden　tempest　the　blue　welkin　tore；　　　　　　　The　seamen　tossed　and　torn　apart　　　　　　　Rolled　with　the　seaweed　to　the　shore　　　　　　　While　landsmen　gazed　with　aching　heart。'


〃Mr。　Coles　couldn't　remember　any　more　of　it。　　But　the　saddest　of　all　the　stories　of　the　Yankee　Storm　was　the　one　about　the　Franklin　Dexter。　　The　Franklin　Dexter　went　ashore　on　the　Markdale　Capes　and　all　on　board　perished；　the　Captain　and　three　of　his　brothers　among　them。　　These　four　young　men　were　the　sons　of　an　old　man　who　lived　in　Portland；　Maine；　and　when　he　heard　what　had　happened　he　came　right　down　to　the　Island　to　see　if　he　could　find　their　bodies。　　They　had　all　come　ashore　and　had　been　buried　in　Markdale　graveyard；　but　he　was　determined　to　take　them　up　and　carry　them　home　for　burial。　　He　said　he　had　promised　their　mother　to　take　her　boys　home　to　her　and　he　must　do　it。　　So　they　were　taken　up　and　put　on　board　a　sailing　vessel　at　Markdale　Harbour　to　be　taken　back　to　Maine；　while　the　father　himself　went　home　on　a　passenger　steamer。　　The　name　of　the　sailing　vessel　was　the　Seth　Hall；　and　the　captain's　name　was　Seth　Hall；　too。　　Captain　Hall　was　a　dreadfully　profane　man　and　used　to　swear　blood…curdling　oaths。　　On　the　night　he　sailed　out　of　Markdale　Harbour　the　old　sailors　warned　him　that　a　storm　was　brewing　and　that　it　would　catch　him　if　he　did　not　wait　until　it　was　over。　　The　captain　had　become　very　impatient　because　of　several　delays　he　had　already　met　with；　and　he　was　in　a　furious　temper。　　He　swore　a　wicked　oath　that　he　would　sail　out　of　Markdale　Harbour　that　night　and　'God　Almighty　Himself　shouldn't　catch　him。'　He　did　sail　out　of　the　harbour；　and　the　storm　did　catch　him；　and　the　Seth　Hall　went　down　with　all　hands；　the　dead　and　the　living　finding　a　watery　grave　together。　　So　the　poor　old　mother　up　in　Maine　never　had　her　boys　brought　back　to　her　after　all。　　Mr。　Coles　says　it　seems　as　if　it　were　foreordained　that　they　should　not　rest　in　a　grave；　but　should　lie　beneath　the　waves　until　the　day　when　the　sea　gives　up　its　dead。〃


　　　　〃'They　sleep　as　well　beneath　that　purple　tide　　　　　　　As　others　under　turf；'〃


quoted　Miss　Reade　softly。　　〃I　am　very　thankful；〃　she　added。　　〃that　I　am　not　one　of　those　whose　dear　ones　'go　down　to　the　sea　in　ships。'　It　seems　to　me　that　they　have　treble　their　share　of　this　world's　heartache。〃

〃Uncle　Stephen　was　a　sailor　and　he　was　drowned；〃　said　Felicity；　〃and　they　say　it　broke　Grandmother　King's　heart。　　I　don't　see　why　people　can't　be　contented　on　dry　land。〃

Cecily's　tears　had　been　dropping　on　the　autograph　quilt　square　she　was　faithfully　embroidering。　　She　had　been　diligently　collecting　names　for　it　ever　since　the　preceding　autumn　and　had　a　goodly　number；　but　Kitty　Marr　had　one　more　and　this　was　certainly　a　fly　in　Cecily's　ointment。

〃Besides；　one　I've　got　isn't　paid　forPeg　Bowen's；〃　she　lamented；　〃and　I　don't　suppose　it　ever　will　be；　for　I'll　never　dare　to　ask　her　for　it。〃

〃I　wouldn't　put　it　on　at　all；〃　said　Felicity。

〃Oh；　I　don't　dare　not　to。　　She'd　be　sure　to　find　out　I　didn't　and　then　she'd　be　very　angry。　　I　wish　I　could　get　just　one　more　name　and　then　I'd　be　contented。　　But　I　don't　know　of　a　single　person　who　hasn't　been　asked　already。〃

〃Except　Mr。　Campbell；〃　said　Dan。

〃Oh；　of　course　nobody　would　ask　Mr。　Campbell。　　We　all　know　it　would　be　of　no　use。　　He　doesn't　believe　in　missions　at　allin　fact；　he　says　he　detests　the　very　mention　of　missionsand　he　never　gives　one　cent　to　them。〃

〃All　the　same；　I　think　he　ought　to　be　asked；　so　that　he　wouldn't　have　the　excuse　that　nobody　DID　ask　him；〃　declared　Dan。

〃Do　you　really　think　so；　Dan？〃　asked　Cecily　earnestly。

〃Sure；〃　said　Dan；　solemnly。　　Dan　liked　to　tease　even　Cecily　a　wee　bit　now　and　then。

Cecily