The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-09-15 00:00:00

4 Who' Of

CHAPTER XV.
A MATRIMONIAL PROPOSITION.
II„
a serpent again stung her, Deborah Burrows
esuld not have started from Helston more fiercely.
Yoe Lie I ' she said. "It is because I am not
•:'"ne,' and beautiful—because I am not dahlias:
''..Ssugh for your fine taste. Shame on you, that yesi
aid let me speak like I did—that you should
/Wiull me to you only that you may cast me off. But
?Oa don't mean it. Charles, dear Charles, I have
:seke up to a new life, and you will crush me down
ttitodeolation, where there is neither hope nor
Think of what I have said—of what my
•I Ae mieht be --and don't turn me away."
"It is useless—l must be frank," said Holston,
s "Let this be a secret between us. You
!said I mocked at you—that it was because you were
_seit (Jung and beautiful. Deborah Burrows, I can-
gist love you; but I can and shall always think of
:You with respect."
I ask him for bread, and he gives me a stone,"
'moaned Deborah.
' Hush, hush!" he said. "You would not believe
Ta me if I were unfaithful to one whom I feel that I
A.,?‘ss- Let us be friends, and try and make the life
4 ere one of peace for all."
He held out his hand but she struck it down, the
cyw falling upon it heavily.
Then in a transport of passionate love, she caught
"ale Laid she had struck, and kissed it.
" Then we are to be friends?" he said, holding
her hand in his.
"No!' she said, harshly.
And she dashed his band away, and strode down
the dell.
Ifelston stooped, and slung his satchel-stiap
.ceess his shoulder, raised his gun, and followed
leeling as if a heavy load had been placed upon his
apints •, till the fair, sweet face of Grace Monroe
seemed to rise before him, and he strode rapidly
41eng, following in the track of Deborah, who went
recklessly on, blind almost with rage and mortifica-
tion.
A holloa on the right taught them the direction in
•rvhich their companions were waiting, and Deborah
seemed instinctively to make for this, followed at a
distance by Helston.
•" Hallo, old fellow," saidj Laurent, "why, where
did you get
And he looked anxiously at his friend.
" I might ask you the same question. But' what
lia;se you found?"
A ny fruits, one snake, and a stream swarming
With fish. saand you ? "
" Green woods and ferns—nothing more."
Very little more passed till they reached the ship,
*4-tere those who stayed were eager to hear the
ttesss and in the course of the evening it fell out
that Grace Monroe was standing with Mary, leaning
ever the side and watehing the glorious hues in the
sky, when 'Thello was surrounded by a group of
Inquiring damsels the black's good humour
snaking him a general favourite; while, for his part,
he was willing to do anything "for any ob de ladies
who would not fro de taters at him."
" me then, 'Thello," said one of the girls,
"seas it true—did Mrs. Burrowe go away into the
!seeds alone with Mr, Helston I° •
Ino say dat ar, at all," said 'Thello; nebber
se, ;I ceder. 1 say—say—dat we go one way, and
day de edge, and that they bofe came out ob de wood
tog.. eder, dat's all,"
"-Well, all I can say is, that it looks very parti-
cular, said one of the girls,
"Vi s, and she's been as different as possible
towards him ever since the accident," said another.
" 'natio being a strong-minded woman," said a
third.
' " Heigh° !" said a fourth, "I wish a ship would
come and take us off."
"Or else bring us a cargo of husbands."
t Oa, here she comes," said the first speaker.
And, Deprah Burrows came along the deck,
aleay Dance heaving a sigh as Grace turned away
and went towards the cabin.
Matters were growing awkward in Virgin Island,
and Charles lielston wondered hew it would encl.
He could not laugh at Deborah, for he saw the
arnestness of the woman, and her love for him; lilt
he was not prepared for the bitterness of her hatred.
she did not show it against him, for her manner
towards him was quite calm and subdued; but she
stiuek at him in his tenderest feelings; for, from
the day of the adventure in the wood, persecution
began for Grace Monroe, who avoided him more
end enore—treating him in so distant a manner that
Relseoe began to tell himself that she could not
ease for him in the plightest degree.
Laurent, whose arm was now well knit togethei
again, was not without his tribulation, for the
eatural result of their position on the island followed
It would be no exaggeration to say that, qi a given
aumb,er of young girl emigrants bound for the south,
fully two-thirds go with the expectation of finding
a good home and a husband amongst the settlers.
Certainly it was 8,0 amonget the passengers of the
Zen obia ; and now that their journey was so strangely
Iri.terrup.ted, and that, as far as they could see, they
might be prisoners on the island for life, more
han oRp began—to use the homely old phrase—to
Oet their pave 4 their companions of the opposite
vex.
Mary Dance was not long liefere she began to
grow wroth, and to look daggers at Laurent; for,
said silo—
"I'll never believe but what he gives them en-
couragement. They would never talk as they do, if
he did not."
Stranger still, a change began to take place hi
'Thello.
Both Helston and Laurent noticed it with some
amazement; for, instead of neglecting his personal
appearance, as might have been anticipated in such
ft.bn out-of-the-way place, 'Thello began to bestow a
tfr,-eat 400, pl attention upon the natural charms of
MS person. "
Notably, 'Thello shaved very regularly, and made
himself. e large quantity of pomatuns, with which he
anointed his woolly hair, torturing himself
tremendously in his efforts to brush or comb it into
order, when it arbitrarily refiseed to alter its habit.
Ile was very perticular in his !hes' e tee, and caused
no end of amusement amongst the WOrnpn by his
dandyfied airs; for he had helped himself to some of
the captain's garments, and after the culinary efforts
Of the day were at an end, 'Thello used to dress, and
promenade the eands in the cool of the evening.
Why '.113.611:0,!? 'paid Laurent one evening, "what
does all this dieesing °of 'Mean ? Any one would
think you were going visiting."
"Well, you see, Mass' Laurent," he said, "times
je eltesed, sah. Dora are a many ladies on board de
ehip, and 4i *le tink 'um net epectful to go 'bout
not looking to "do' best adva. ntapa Why you no
. ,
dress, sah ?"
" Dress?" said Laurent, laughing.
quith well enough."
"I no 'tink se, sail. In dis 'culler position, where
de toder sect try to get de !vantage ob de men' I
tink we should show ourself to de berry- bast. You
look all froo nature, sah, and you see de cock bird
and de him animal always got de finess colours,
and look grand, while de hen only dowdy,
looking, an little." • •
"So you try to embellish nature, 'Thello," said
Helston, smiling.
''Yes, sah. In dig here situation, sah, de genlum
' • Plight make de boss of tings. You tink we always
tay here, iials
"I can see no chance of escape," said Helsten.
And Laurent shook his head.
"Den, sah, de bees ting we do is to make de bess
dp -asp,"
• !Yes, '!Thello, that's what we must do," said
Tielston ; "thaligh l'cloubt whether we shall be able
to live, unless we contrive bettei-in.eane of getting
fish."
"Kedge fie, sah ?" said 'Thello—" ah, you top a
!sit, I see to dat. I make you long net, and we
kedge tousands. But, sah—why not now begin to
tink oh de llidieti ??!'
"Think of the ladies ?11' said his listeperi together.
"Yes, sah; tink ob de Wiwi. We come to gib-
bage land, we do as sabbage land people do."
"What the deuce are you driving at ?" said
Laurent.
Pribing at, sah? lisah—iyah—iyah ! I tink,
Fah, if timp we all Unit ob gettun married, sah."
!‘ Getting maried.'?"
If Yee, Bah. I keep de wedder eye open, MA I
see de lubbly Ma'am Burrows falk.in love wid Mass
tielston hero."
" ' "
I' Oh, sah, it no use you look black. I see um,
Sure iniff, and twentcr —thirty more lubbly creaturs
. •
Irow de eye mese? doctor, Bali, and want him to
- feel de pulse, I-yali--1-yali—s4tilt I Ms ' Lau-
rent, too! I I see urn—dozen
ob dem want to fall in lub wid de mate. Dey want
nee mate. Yah—i-yah—i-yah!"
t' .Ach, and some of them have taken a fancy to
your' eabl° highnese, I suppose," said Laurent,
glancing at lieliitbn.
"Be sable highness. What dat, sail? Yoe
mean de pretty creature fall 'in lub wid dis chile,
'fsYes,,l saki Laurent, smiling.
"Yes, sail;' 'sure yon,, sah, it quite painful. Ino
tink ob such ting, sah, sure you, till (ley put it in
alin head. Yes, ash, plenty take fancy tp 'Then),
eah,"
„._" Indeed," said Laurent.
"Yes, ash, So I tink, sah, dat better dan we
tsee quarrel, and kick up bobbery about de women,
wp !sap 'em 'tween us. Tree hundred, sah, dat one
hundred 'piece, and mass' doctor here have the first
choice."
"Why you black rascal," paid Laurent, indig-
Pently, s eou've got a wife in London."
" • sab2 sso suels ting," said 'Thello, with mach
• ,
dignity, i‘ Pis ebile, pals, single genlum, sah—
dough dat not matter; 'caw if him nebber get
way from die island, him OUght to marry again."
"'Thence you're mad," said Laurent, seriously,
"Ye Sr proposition is absurd. If you like one of
the women, and Abe likes you, why, I beg t see that

"No, I dress