Cape Breton's Magazine

could no longer see the bridge, we, or rather the men, kept their eyes on the lights of the train and at last they moved and slowly passed over the bridge and then, oh! joy, we turned again and the wind was fair and we were at peace. All too soon we neared the bridge, for it still was shut and there was nothing to do but wrap me up and tack again to meet the same hard fate of wind and sea. "Is there no place where you can land?" said Mr. Bell. "No, sir, not in this sea," answered the men. "What is the nearest harbor?" "Christmas Island, three miles off and the wind dead ahead, sir." "Make for Christ? mas." Three miles! I wondered how I could bear it, as we rose and fell in the blast. "Do you suppose we could make them hear if we shouted, the wind is with us. Now. one, two, three, ahoy!" So they shouted three times, and the lights on the draw moved and turned and the way was clear! How thankful we were as we sailed into quiet water beyond the bridge where the little harbor lies, and soon we stopped at the wharf in front of the hotel and saw a man standing watching us. Our men bungled a good deal in taking down the sails, for the rope of the lantern was caught at the mast? head and we did not make a clever landing, and when Gardiner undid me and I tried to stand, I staggered about and fell down again. "Any rooms?" said Mr. Bell. "No rooms," answered the man firmly; for, as he afterward explained to Mr. Bell, he mistook us for a gang of drunken rascally sailors and he had no room for any such crew! "I'm Mr. Bell, and this is Miss Blatchford," put things straight, and as Gardiner had writ? ten for rooms five days before, which let? ter had been received that night (five days going twelve miles!) and as the ho tel was by no means full, we were soon shown into comfortable quarters. I wish you could have seen my room with all the things from the valise spread out to dry, the wet? test things having been sent into the kitchen. The only things that escaped dry were our two nightgowns and a pair of cuffs! As for Mabel's fur cloak, I am afraid it is ruined. We had been knocking about, waiting for the draw, over an hour and it was eleven o'clock when we landed. Mr. Bell decided not to attempt the return trip until morn? ing, and I am wondering whether they lived to put it through. And how Lina would have enjoyed every minute of it--all of them, in fact, but me! The next morning we surprised the Kennans at breakfast, and then we all took the train at seven and travelled sixteen hours, to St. John, arriving on time and finding our rooms waiting for us. And so we bid good-bye to dear, wild, adventurous Cape Breton. Shall I ever see it again? Yes. Mary Blatchford returned to Beinn Bhreagh in 1911 • and we will offer letters from that period another time. Our thanks to Aynsley MacFarlane, Alexander Graham Bell Na? tional Historic Park, for sharing the Blatchford letters with us. Photographs are from the Beaton Institute collection, U.C.C.B. H0.1 IN HOME HEATING • State of the art heating equipment • Trained heating technicians • Largest Fleet of Home Heating delivery vehicles • Ways to save you money • FREE Furnace Efficiency Tests IN SYDNEY CALL: STEVE BLUNDON 564-6293 '4' Is there anything that packs more good eating, more great flavor and more of the things we look to for proper nutrition than Nova Scotia fresh or processed seafood' Nova Scotia seafood is at the i heart of many great meals. | Try some. ..it's easy on the j eye, tempting to the taste j buds and good news for calorie counters. THE BEST FOR YOU ?? THE BEST FOR YOU A Deli Bakery Using a 17th Century Design Brick Oven No ifeservatives • A Family Tradition for Over 60 Y' ior Quality International Breads and Rolls ing in Sicilis' 'le Old CountryiPan ' La family "DELI" BAKERY SPECIALIZING IN INTERNATIONAL BREADS AND R0LL??-4 ''AND EUROPEAN OLD COUNTRY STYLE PAN PIZZA, WE WARMLY WELCOME Wm) YOU TO VISIT us AND TRY OUR "SUPERIOR QUALITY PRODUCTS." You deserve the very best. Return to the past. Try our REAL bread. BERNIE'S BAKERY LTD 12 Meadow Street, Sydney, Nova Scotia • PHONE: 562-3139 Hours: Wednesday - Sunday • 9 a.m. - 6 p.nfi. ''"Baking Bread'' the Polish Way Since 1929" • Good Eating • Bon Appetit • Smacznego THE BEST FOR YOU ?? THE BEST FOR YOU ??