THE MORNING AFTER THE STORM
NOT often was the little village of Holton in such a ferment of excitement as on the morning following the storm. As soon as the first faint gleams of day-break brightened the eastern sky, several fishermen assembled on the beach and strained their eyes in the direction of the Pope's Nose to ascertain what had become of the wreck. It was seen immediately that the ill-fated vessel had broken up during the night; the sea, which had calmed down considerably, was strewed with wreckage; and very soon the scene on the shore was a busy one, as the fishermen ran their boats into the water, and commenced collecting whatever salvage they could lay their hands upon.
By eight o'clock quite a crowd was watching the proceedings, including the captain of the lost schooner and the sailors who had been so mercifully preserved from a watery grave. Granfer Cole was there also, no worse for the drenching he had received the preceding night; and Miss Tidy hovered about, first gossiping with one, then with another, till it was time for her to hurry home and open the post-office to the public. Then Sir Richard Gidley with Ruth, closely followed by Nero, were seen approaching. Nothing had been known of the wreck at the Manor House till the morning, when the postman, the first corner from the village, had brought the news. Sir Richard had started for Holton at once with his grand-daughter, who had begged to be allowed to accompany him. The little girl had been thrown a great deal with her grandfather during her brother's illness; she had grown to know him better, and had lost her fear of him; whilst he, from at first tolerating her society, had actually grown to appreciate it.
The first enquiries Sir Richard made when he appeared in the midst of the villagers were for the shipwrecked crew. Immediately the captain of the lost vessel came forward, and gave him a brief account of the perils undergone during the preceding night. Sir Richard's eyes glowed as he listened to the story, so gratefully told, of how the doctor and his volunteers had gone out, at the imminent risk of their lives, to the doomed ship, for he dearly loved to hear of a brave deed; but he made no remark, although everyone saw he was deeply moved.
Meanwhile Dick had started to walk to the Manor House. Great was his disappointment, when he arrived there, at the absence of his grandfather and Ruth; but he found Mrs. Compton and Lionel in the dining-room, and poured the story of his experiences the night before into their ears.
"How I wish I had been there!" Lionel exclaimed. He was lying on a sofa, and his mother had been reading to him. "What a nuisance it is to have a game leg, to be sure! If there's anything exciting going on I'm certain to be out of the way! We could hear the sea roaring last night—grandfather said it was a ground swell; and I was simply longing to be down on the beach, although we knew nothing whatever about the wreck. You were in luck's way, Dick!"
"It was awful!" Dick responded impressively. "I never wish to see a storm again! The waves were like great mountains of foam, and the wind almost blew us off our feet, and made us gasp for breath!"
"How brave of Dr. Warren to go out to the wreck!" Mrs. Compton exclaimed. "Now, I call him a real hero!"
Dick looked delighted, especially when Lionel added his word of praise by saying heartily,—
"Dr. Warren's a very good sort! I shall never forget how awfully kind he's been to me, and I'm not a bit surprised that he showed up so well last night!"