The mountain Democrat., 1865-10-14
At the Lighthouse.

greeable portion of the earth's surface
commonly known to a select few of |,
beau monde, and to a great many seasid,
fishermen, as Long Beach. The tide wa,
coming in, in long, ~h;,e sweeps @ss:s.ss2s
the slippery shingles cold and dreary
enough the sea lay beneath its grey, low
ering sky, few gulls screamed over tn,
sands, and out across the barren prospec
Of low beach and black rocks, standing
grim and uncanny in the dying light, anC
tumble down boat house, and great bed
OF rank grasses, hiding salt and treacher
Gus pools, q streak Of tawny red "A singl,
bar Of bright, tan. .colOred flame, seer
through q elump Of dwarGed cedars TO
wards the west, was Haunting the sign o
sunset against the windy and threatening
clouds.
'Contound it, muttered Guy Rodney
looking regretfully ct bis patent feathers
not remarkably improved by their cOntac
with the soil Of Long Beach; how cam,
Belle Thornton to exile herself to such al
AbOminable place as this. thought sh,
had better taste. Pom my soul, this il
love working wonders, when find my
self plunged about in chaos like this. with
out the slightest knowledge Of my latitude
or longitude
Mr. Rodney drew from his pocket 4
it'll" Periumed card, on which was traced
in delicate hand: John Dudley, Light
house keeper, Long Beach
That was all A smile fitted across hl-
aristoctatic lips. He could see her, Just
a. she had stood in that lin, shAdowy al
cove, on the night of Mrs Oleander's ball
plAyfulIy peOciIIing the above address, her
perfumed golden hair almost touching his
cheek, her lace and satin all in a simmer
her proud cool face flushing like a sea.
shell. and down gilded saloon a waltz by
Strauss stirring fsintly-a dreamy tinkie
Of dancers feet, 4 scent Of heliotropcs
breathing out their purple life! II Was
the old story, you know, lived over every
day.
WMrr, went a plOver over Mr.. Rod
ney'S handsome head, awaking him sud.
denly 10 Il vivid sense Of existing realities.
lie booked across the bleak, grey shore.
darkening in the twilight, with ill,con-
ccalrd impatienCe
Good heavens! where is the old light
house 2
Not Perceptible to the naked eve from
hat point of view at least. He thrust
Miss Thornton card back into his pocket
aad started on with Tremendous stride.
ACROSS the shingles, and through the bed
Of rank grass, shivering in the teeth 0
the east wind.
'''Tis we'll 10 be merry and wise,
'Tis well tn be hOOest and true,
'Tis well Ia be of with the did love
Before you are on with the new"
Clear, high, like clarion, over the roar
Of the tide and the whistle OF the wind,
rang out that sudden peal Of song. Mr..
Rudney stopped short in his tracks look
ing first at the sprawIing crabs on the
Shingles, then up at the grey sky and
down again at the tossing sea, evidently
quite at loss to know from which ui
these points the voice proceeded. lie was
not left long in doubt. A sharp dip OF
oars struck on his ear simultaneous with
the h>t echo of the song, and out from
the @arrow cove. just beioe Mr.. Guy Rod
neys eyes, there gIded little green and
Write dory. with single rover standing
erect therein, with a cloud Of long dark
hair streaming behind'her, like bunner,
ih tie breeze.
'Aphrodite, said Mr.. Rodney, under his
breath. .sr,
Hardly, though q mistaken identity Of
the kind might have been pardoned. She
turned suddenly, and without relaxing a
speed that was last taking her quite past
him, looked from under a pair Of bent
brows at this unsophiSticated traveller
among the wids of Long Beach.
She was a young girl more than
seventeen, certainly, her grey Quaker
sun bonnet fallen loosely on her neck, her
grey dress and one single knot of scnrlet
ribbon fastened in that shining hair, flut.
tered idly in the wind.
1t was II gorgeous face turned 50 care
leSsly upon Rodney little brown, per
haps, with sun and Sea breeze, but dashed
With Vivid crimson at the full lips and the
oval cheek. and lighted by two eyes, i'm
merse, brown as berry, and darkened
furthermore by la>he> of astonishing
length. From her low, broad forehead
swept back that banner Of curling, night
black treSSes back from the sparkling,
defiant face, and the slender little figure
OF which Mr.. Rndnev'S eyes were rivcted,
witha latcntand intense admiration strug
CLING through all his surprise. One glance
more cast at the leaden sky and the lnng
stretch Of bleak shore, and sudden tho't
struck hlm.
'IIalIo". shouted Mr.. Guy Rodney.
The next moment he stood amazed at
his own audacily, vet intensely gratitird
to note very prrccp'ible relaxation Of
the beautiful rower'S efforts.
is this Long Beach = qn"ried Mr. Guy
r d ey, lifting his cap aud bluShing Ink"
a school boy under the gaze Of those great
brown eyes
It.> commonly known AS such,' ind'f-
ierently.
I'll beg your pardon stammercd
Rodney, butt think | have lost my
way
Very likely answered this astonished
young lady.
do you chance to know anybody iv:
ing on this beech called John DudIey?'
persisted the young Gothamite, returning
her stare with interest.
HDudley?' with quiet little GESTURE
Ike is the~lighthouSe keeper. You must
60 on mile farther down the byach.
a mile fartherl' cried Rodney, casting
his horritied gaze across the shore, how
the dickens a@ | to GO mile father,
with the tide Gaming in like this!
There are the marshes
Thank youI
Il know of nothing else except my do
ry. | chance to be going to the light
house.
'Ah!' cried Rodney.
With one long sklllful sweep of the
oars, the little green and white cookie
shell rama dnnCinN fnEard the shingles,