Frank R Stockton

The Great Stone of Sardis Frank R Stockton

IT was about noon of a day in early summer that a westward-bound Atlantic linerwas rapidly nearing the port of New York. Not long before, the old light-house onMontauk Point had been sighted, and the company on board the vessel were animatedby the knowledge that in a few hours they would be at the end of their voyage. The vessel now speeding along the southern coast of Long Island was the Euterpe-Thalia, from Southampton. On Wednesday morning she had left her English port, andmany of her passengers were naturally anxious to be on shore in time to transact theirbusiness on the last day of the week. There were even some who expected to make theirreturn voyage on the Melpomene-Thalia, which would leave New York on the nextMonday.