Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1863-11-17
HILDRETH DOANE'S LOVES.
BY ESTHER sERLE KENNETH.
"oh, love, love, love,
Maketh the brave heart ache ~

Anoho'H tno OEuNe neart ache :"
A bleak, November day. The sea and
sky pressed their sulen faces together, and
seaweed shifted in ragged heaps over the
beach. The waves roared continually and
broke in sheets of seething foam upon the
gray sand-gray that day, but in the sum-
mer Gays. golden as the sunshine that mel
ted in the air.
Over the sands, far and farther away
fr"m Ter home HiIdreth D0ane walked
swiftly. pressing against the blasts of high
wind-neVer swerying-her head erect un-
der the gray hood of her clCak-her lips
shut firmy-a steady glitter in her dark
eyes She hsG wrapped her CLOAK CLOSELY
over her breast, and held it there with her
folded arms. The wind Huttered her SIX irts,
and the waves leept uPshungrily at her as
she passed-breaking them IN wild confus-
ion, and crawling humbIy to her feet spent
and lost. The sea affected her horribly
that day. Its rUar was terrible, and the
hiss OF the surf had e cruel malice in
it.
The beach grew moro pebbly, and at
last rough with myriads Of stones. that
| crunched under her tread as she walked
She pressed on with the same eager haste
! oven the rough wey. Her speed did net
| seem To slacken. When the blast was the
strongest she bowed her head, but that
was all; she never even paused or heslta-
| ted.
One mile-two milas--nearl7 three, and
| she came to Gun Rock She commenced
climbing the clefts of rock that on one side
arose from the shore, and on the other de.
| scended into the sea. From point to point
che sprang, still wrapped neatly in her
grey clnak-going rapidly higher and high
or, until she stood, small aud straight and
! slender, at tho edge of the narrow chasm
where the sea creeps in slowly and uncon>
scIouely. and then goes mad to find itself
peDned thus in q prison. She stood still
and Looked down the chasm With q strange
intentness. The tide was rising, and the
advancing wave foated IN calmly-risipp
higher and hiRber-filiug through the mar.
row opening and filling the small bav
around the turn-till, crowded and pressed
| by advancing waves, it turned to retreat -
Missing the outlet, it grew papic.strickeu
and wild-leaping high against the walls
that held It-rushing here and there
snoW-whIte with terror. Hildreth watch
| ed curiOusly to see what it would do. II
paused In kind of dumb despair at last,
when the ebb tide took it and carried it
safely around the turn into the free, wide
sea: Aud the cbasm glOomed deep and
seli-only little foam fretting along the
rocks at the bottom:
TAXING downward in trance Of fascina
tioD, Hildreth DOans dropped her secret in
to the dark gap.
i love himP she whispered.
The swell rode in, deep and strong, and
ere it rose to its crisis Hildreth turneJ and
sprang down the rocks, cry ing under her
breath:
i have buried i'll 1t will never trouble
me p
The wind lulIod, and the sun broke
through the clouds. Swiftly at first-ther
more slowly-Hildrsth walked towards bel
homo. The sky lifted itself from the sea
and the little, whitessilsd boats skim1eC
out of harbOr acrossthe blue waters. Going
out of harbOr across the smooth sands Of
Nantasket, Hildrsth observed the batheri
running down to the sur:-heard their gay
sbOuts---saw their gambols and wild aDticl
10 the water. they booked like blossoms
blown Into the sea-. in their bright costumes
Of crimson and scarlet. The sand va
golden then, and the dark blue tide tina
rolled upon it had s.snowy edge of foum.-
People sau0tersd to and fro, chatting mer
riy. Carriages ghttered by. Over eli tn
clear, azure sky bent from the distant edg
OF the sea to the breakwater, high up OF
the shore. Over the breakwater were to-
houses and Hildreth's home. She did no
want to go there yet, and so she sat dow
on heap of rusIlipg seaweed under th
} lee OF rock. She was Wearied BY he
long, swift walk-aimless at first, it ha,
oeen, but as she sat quiet and alone in tn
sunshine. she felt as if she had been On
iSne erraod, and it was done, and vel
uoGs' ana she was satisfied.
Suddenly she saw a CAV group of batber
q coming down from the Pacific Houss. :
The seaside hotel was Just Shove tn
breakwater. Where she sat sha .o,,j
hear the racket Of balls in he boWiiue Al
ley. :7sa ata 0 :" y" -
Foremost in the group that buried sov
to the water, was the figure of a voun
!. man in crimson tnnic, belted at the ws;.
"a pretty boy 10 red and white, and hin
ZOuave suit, riding gsily on bis shoulds,
Very quiet 10 her sheltered seat, Hhdrst
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