Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 18, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 August 1906 — A COAST ROMANCE [ARTICLE]

A COAST ROMANCE

Allx Wint, a farmer, and John Christopher, an oysterman, agreed to a friendly spar as to which should give way to the other in reference to Dorothy Mosher. In the fight Christopher was beaten. Christopher took his defeat deeply to heart and left the town. He had saved money and Invested in a schooner that was engaged in the coasting business. He sailed a few weeks as mate of the vessel and then became her captain. Meantime Wlnt wooed Dorothy more ardently than ever, but he got but little satisfaction from the girl, who blamed him for driving Christopher away. He believed that he would win her for his wife sooner or later and persisted In giving her attention. He was not a little surprised one morning to find that the night before Dorothy had disappeared from town. Her friends went in search of her and found that she had been secretly married to Christopher, who had taken her aboard his schooner to live. Wint, disposing of his farm, joined the life saving station at Hereford inlet. In the excitement of this wild life he did his best to forget Dorothy. He was considered the bravest of the crew. There was no wind or weather in which he was afraid to put out in the lifeboat, and he seemed happiest when in the midst of a storm on the sea. Some thought that his mind was unbalanced, and the advisability of discharging him from the service had been considered. but the faithfulness with which he always performed his duties argued strongly in his faVor. There came a great storm on the Jersey coast. The wind blew fearfully Inland, and the wreckers kept a sharp lookout for in distress. All day the rain came down, but at sundown the clouds broke and fled, but the wind Increased its strength, and the surf of Hereford inlet ran higher by many feet than the roof of the life saving station. About midnight the patrol of the beach saw a rocket curve through the darkness. It was” quickly followed by a second and a third. A vessel of aome sort was in distress in the vicinity of North bar. The crew was aroused and the lifeboat got in readiness, but it was impossible to launch it, so terrible was the surf. Answering signals were given to encourage the unfortunates on the foundered vessel. When day broke the wind began to die out, and by sunrise the surf had lessened in force. Nearly a mile from the shore the masts and rigging of a schooner were visible above the tumbling waters, and at the head of the mainmast was seen a dark object. The vessel was completely submerged, pnd the masts were swaying like reeds. Evidently one of the crew had been lashed to the mast After several vain attempts the lifeboat was finally launched, and the sturdy crew sent it across the waves as rapidly as it was possible for them to go. They finally came uear enough to the wreck to see that the object at the masthead was a woman. She was alive and encouraged the crew in the lifeboat by waving her arms. As the lifeboat came nearpr it was found that It would be extremely dangerous to attempt to take the woman off until the waves had subsided, for parts of the shattered hull projected above the water and to be dashed upon them meant quick destruction. While the crew was debating what It was best to do Wint caught up a fleldglass and turned It on the woman. An Instant later the other members of the crew were surprised to hear him exclaim, “It’s Dorothy!” He held the glass to his eyes for a few seconds, as If to make sure that he was right, then tossed It Into the caddy and snatching up a life preserver fastened It under his arms and, tying a oh* ground bit waist, ordered

the men to pull the boat as close to the wreck as they dared to. The captain remonstrated with the man, but be calmly told him that if the boat wasn’t put nearer he would jump In there and try to swim to the woman’s rescue. The captain saw it was useless to protest, and he told the crew to do as Wint desired. Wint fastened one end of the rope that was around bis waist to a cleat la the boat and waited for a favorable moment to leap into the sea. At last, when the boat was on the crest of a wave that was sweeping toward the wreck, he jumped overboard and the next Instant was battling with the strength of three men with the foaming water. The wave ran like a race horse and dashed Wint against the rigging. He grasped the ropes, climbed to where the woman was lashed to the mast and In a few seconds had fastened the life preserver around her. Tying the rope around her waist, he signaled the men in the boat to haul her aboard. It was a terrible trip to make, but Dorothy arrived safe and sound. The problem now was how to rescue the man. The life preserver was fastened to a rope and thrown overboard in the hope that it would float within Wlnt's reach, but it didn’t reach the mark. Again and again it was hauled in and cast overboard without striking the rigging. At every wave the masts showed that they were growing weaker, and It was expected by the. men in the lifeboat that they would go by the board before the life preserver could be got to Wint, but luckily the swirl in the water as it broke over the wreck carried it among the ropes, and Wint got it. He put It on and was soon aboard the lifeboat. Dorothy’s husband and ail the crew of the schooner were lost. The young woman had no home, and what could she do? Why, become Allx Wint’s wife, of course, and that was what she did two days after her old lover rescued her from death. Omaha World-Herald. Roman Notation. The ancient Roman method of notation is so much used that every boy and girl should understand it. It is based on three simple and easily remembered rules, but the trouble Is that many people do not know the rules or they forget them, and when they come across the notation they cannot interpret it. Seven letters of the alphabet are used. I-represents one, V five, X ten, L fifty, C 100, D 600 and M 1.000. To express other numbers these letters are combined as follows: 1. The repetition of a letter repeats its value, as 111 represent three. 2. When a letter is placed before oue of greater value the difference of their value is the number represented, as XC, ninety —ten from 100 leaves ninety. 3. When a letter is placed after one of greater value the sum of their values is the number represented, as LX, sixty fifty plus ten is sixty. Remember these rules, and you will not have any difficulty.—Chicago News. Btsr Peaaati This Year. . Peanut lovers have noticed that the nuts are generally very much larger this year than usual, a fact which may be verified by the most casual glance at any stand where they are sold. They are also said to be much better in flavor, though there are some connoisseurs who declare that the small nut Is the sweeter. “The Increased size of the peanuts now in the market” says a wholesale dealer, “Is due more to Improved metbods of cultivation, I think, than tp ti& accident of favorable weather condF ttons, though the current crop la unusually large in quantity. As to the relative merits of the large and salall nuts I cannot apeak, being a seller and hot an eater of them. I do know, however, that with these big, fat looking fellows on sale there is practically no market for the little ones.”—Philadelphia Record.