"Poor Polly was baling out water from the kitchen, and the children were standing at the top of the stairs watching her."
"'Oh, Jonah,' she said, 'what a fearful night!'"
"'I do hope you won't have to go out with the boat, my lad,' says Granny. (That's my old mother; she's been dead a many years, Master Stanley.)"
"Granny had no sooner said the words than we heard the clattering of horse's hoofs coming down the hill and up the street at the side of our house."
"'There's somebody in a mighty hurry,' said Polly."
"'Listen! Hush!' I said, as the children were talking to each other."
THE FARMER'S RIDE.
"Nothing was to be heard at first but the roaring of the wind and waves. And then clear above them all we heard the ringing of Peter's bell!"
"Polly turned as white as a sheet, and old Granny began to cry. For we knew well enough what that bell meant. Some poor ship was in distress, and we must take the lifeboat out."