Democratic Sentinel, Volume 16, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 February 1892 — GRACE DESMOND'S PERIL. [ARTICLE]

GRACE DESMOND'S PERIL.

BX HARRY O'CONNOR.

“Did you hoar that, boys?” said Pierce liyan to a group of which ho formed a part, sitting around the cheery turf fire of an inn, in a small fishing hamlet on the western coast of Ireland. Every voice in the company ceased speaking at once. The roar of the neighboring surf and the wild tumult of the tempest, us it whistled end shrieked without, broke distinctly on the hearing, but for more than a minute, during which all listened intently, nothing else was heard. “It was merely fancy. Pierce,” said one of the group. You ought to ” The speaker stopped short, for, at that instant, the deep boom of a cannon, out at sea, sounded distinctly and fearfully across the night. “There is a ship on the coast,” said Pierce. “Hark! a third, gun. und it sounds nearer thun the last.” “And the wind is right on the shore and blowing a hurricane,” said another. “Lord be merciful to them,” ejaculated Pierce, “but let us hurry to the coast, und spe if we can help them in any way.” With one consent the party moved toward the door, first, however, calling to the landlord to bring lanterns and ropes in case the latter might bo needed. As the door was opened a gust of wind eddied into the room, flaring the caudles in their sconces, and whistling keenly around the corners of the apartments. When the adventurers stepped outside they wore almost borne down for a moment by the intensity of the gale, which, sweeping unchecked across the plain that lay betwixt the inn und the beach, burst on the house with almost incredible fury. It was snowing violently, and the flakes, hissing and spinning in the hurricane, almost blindod the eyes of the adventurers; but drawing their frieze topcoats around them, the warm-hearted travelers bent their heads against the wind and hurried to the coast.

The shore to which they turned their steps was a high, bold, rocky eoust, against which the surf was now heating with a violence that shook the cliffs to their base and flung the spray in showers over their edge 100 feet above the raging deep below. The party hud stood some time, however, on the summit of the rocks before they could distinguish anything through the storm. At length a light, shadowy object gradually assumed the outlines "of a ship flying before the tempest und started out of the misty distance. For one moment she was seen driving up toward the spectators. That moment, seeming to them an age, was spent in breathless horror. Each one involuntarity clenched his hands tighter together and gazed with straining eyes on the powerless craft that was sweeping onward with such mad velocity to the cliffs at his feet. On, on she came, driving amid the white foam. A moment moro and there was a crash, followed by a shriek that rose even above the storm, and froze the very hoarts of the listeners. It ceased and "the hurricane alone was heard. “It is all over,” said one of the listeners. “May the good heaven give rest to the souls of those who have gone to their last account this blessed night.” “Amen, said another, and again a breathing silence followed. At length Pierce Ryan spoke. “Did you hear that cry ? ” “I did. It sounds like the wail, of a child.” “It is just beneath the cliff,” said Pierce. “Listen! there it is again—it is a woman’s voice.”

There was no doubt any longer that a living being was crying for succor from tho foot of tho cliffs, and a dozen lanterns were immediately' lowered over the edge. For an instant, and an instant only, by the light of a lantern lowered furthef down tho precipic?, but almost immediately shattered to pieces, the face of a female had been seen, cast upward in earnest supplication. But what could be done for her? The frenzy of the gale forbade any attempt to rescue her by descending the cliff, and it was certain that she could not live until morning, exposed to the driving snow, the intense cold, the washing of the surf and the fierce eddies of tho gale around the precipice. The spectators looked at each other in dismay, and when, in a lull of the hurricane, the cry of agony came again to their ears, a shiver ranthrough their frames. Meanwhile the cliffs were becoming crowded with people, who, apprised of the wreck by the signal guns she had fired, poured forth from their cabins to render what assistance was possible to the sufferers. A fire was soon kindled on the verge of the precipice. As the fire flung its light across the countenances of the group, there might be traced in every face an expression of the most anxious concern, while each spectator gazed out toward the ocean, striving to catch through thdfleecy storm a sight of the wreck, or peered down over the cliff to discover the exact position of the sufferer below. During all this time persons had been arriving at the scene of the disaster, bringing ropes, tackle, and other appliances by which aid might be rendered to the crew aud passengers of the dismantled ship. At length, the fire, flinging its ruddy blazo far and wide around, enabled the spectators to catch momentary gleams of the wreck. She appeared to bo a ship of heavy tonnage, and had ran so high up on the rocks that she stuck there as if impaled, her stern falling off seaward, whilo her bows overhung the boiling vortex on the land side of the sharp rock on which she lay. The racking of the sea had by this time broken her hull in two, and the forward part, crowded with living beings, fell away into the gulf below, just as the ruddy blaze of the flames enabled the spectators to catch.their first glimpe of the wreck. One wild shriek rose over all the uproarof the gale and then a silence, if silence there could be amid that hurricane, fell on the scene. “There is not a soul left alive. I fear tho sufferer below is the sole survivor,” said Pierce. “Can nothing be done to save her?" asked some' of the spectators. Many

shook their heads, and several turned away as if longer delay spot was useless But, when silence reigned for some time, Pierce Ryan stepped out and said: ■ “The only hope is in descending to her aid, and with Heaven’s Help 1 will make the trial. Give me a sope.” “It's madness,” said one. “Don't attempt it, Pierce, if you value your life,” said another. “You’ll be killed before you're half way down.” “Xo matter,” replied Pierce, “I'll risk my life to save a fellow creature, and if I am killed, I’ll die in a holy cause.” “Nobly spoken, Pierco Ryan,” said Father O'Brien, the village pastor, “and may your Heavenly Father he with you in your attempt. He who guided the children of Israel through the desert, will not desert you in this extremity.” The words of the venerable priest lmd an invigorating effect on the listeners, and infused now hope into their bosoms. The tackle was speedily rigged, the tire was replenished, and then the adventurer stood on the edge of the cliff awaiting a lull in the gale. The attempt now to be made was one ot the most perilous nature, and death would bo sure to overtake the adventurer if his nerve should fail him. The side of the precipice was I nearly perpendicular, it shelved in perhaps a few yards in its descent, while its surface was broken everywhere with fissures and jutting crags. The only possible means by which the foot of the i precipice could be reached would be by the aid of a pole, used with a quick eye and steady nerve, to fend off the adventurer from the side of the cliff. Added to all this peril, however, was that of the darkness. How could a person descending the face ot the cliff on such a night, guard himself with any certainly against the numerous jutting fragments of the rpek ? Or, how could he, even if he could effect his own descent, ascend again to the edge of the cliff above with another person? At length it was arranged that Pierce should descend at once by means of a rope, girt around his body, and made fast above, while another rope should accompany him dow r n. Then if ho reached the foot of the precipice in safety, cloaks and blankets should be lowered to him in order that the sufferer might be protected against the chilling blasts. Everything having been arrangod, the daring ad venturer seized a favorable opportunity during the lull of the gale and commenced his descent. The light of the fire, us it shivered on the dark face of the precipice, and the wild whirlpool of foam below, gave an ominous character to all around him; but his heart was a stranger to fear; und skillfully avoiding the jutting angles of the rock, he readied at length the foot of the cliff, and with a light bound springing over an intermediate chasm, stood by the side of the fugitive from the wreck. We shall not attempt to describe her emotions during the dizzy • descent of young Pierce Ryau, nor the glad cry of joy with which she saw him land on the rock to which she clung. • She would have thrown herself ut his feet but he would not permit it. Raising her up, he said:

“Our thanks are duo to God alone, let us pray to Him that we may escape the peril which yet surrounds us, for I scarcely know how we can reach the top of the cliff. But do not. droop, for 1 have come to save you or die with you.” The fugitive raised her grateful eyes, and then Pierce saw for the first timethut she was a young girl apparently seventeen, and of unusual loveliness. Pierce felt that he could duro the same danger a thousand times to win another such grateful glance from the eyes of the lovely stranger. But the exposed situation of the rock on which they stood—for every wave dashed the cold spray over them—soon recalled him to the necessity of providing a place of shelter for his companion uutii means should be found to raise her to the summit of the cliff. With great difficulty, and aided by the rope from abovo, he succeeded in elevating her to a narrow shelf of the rock, some ten feet higher up the face of the cliff. “I can never sufficiently thank you,” said the grateful girl, “but God will bless you.” “I see that they are lowering down cloaks in which to wrrtp yourself und keep out this pitiless storm,” said

Pierce. The bundle was by this time swinging overhead, and, watching a chance,young Pierce soon succeeded in catching and diseutangling it from the rope. Happily he had provided himself ere he begau his descent with restoratives, and these he now applied freely to the sinking girl. He besought her to walk to and fro, on the narrow ledge of rock on which they stood. By these efforts he succeeded in partially reviving her, and at the end of half an hour, he saw with joy unspeakable, that the tempest had begun to lull. Pierce now gave the signal to those above, and soon a chair was descending. How lie trembled with eagerness during the minutes that elapsed ere it reached the rock. At length the chair swung on the ledge where they stood. Not a moment was to be lost. Exhorting his companion to rally her energies for this last effort, he lashed her firmly in her seat, and seizing the rope by which the asoent of the chair was to be guided, gave the signal. The attempt was perilous to the last degree, but thoy knew that it was the only chance for life left. With tearful eyes his companion took leave of him, but Pierce, assuming a cheerfulness he scarcely felt, bid her retain her presence of mind and ail would go well. “Oh,” said the girl, “it is only for you I fear now. How can you reach the summit, when there will be no one below to guide your ascent?” “The God who presserved meonce will preserve me again, if He sees fit,” said Pierce. “Before ten minutes I shall be safe at your side.” With a beating heart the yonng man gazed at tho dizzy course of the chair. Once or twice he trembled violently as he saw it despite all he could do, swinging in dangerous proximity to a jutting rock, At length he saw it grasped by two or three strong arms. It was drawn inward and then he knew that his late companion was safe. In a few inmates the rope again descended and Pierce By an, by incredible exertions, reached the summit of the cliff without injury. The moment his feet touched the cliff the first thing his eyes sought was the rescued girl, who, deaf to every entreaty, had watched from the top of the cliff until she saw her preserver safe. The rescued girl, whose name was Grace Desmond, proved to bo the daughter of a wealthy merchaut in a neighboring town. She was returning from her education in Home with her governess. Pierce Ryan, her preserver, was the son of a well-to-do farmer. The grateful father deemed it the happiest day in his life when he placed his daughter's hand in that of her preserver, and gave her away at tho altar to one who by risking his life for her when she was a stranger to him, had proved that he would, be a protector to her in after life when she was known and loved. —[New York News.