The evening Argus., 1866-06-15

ne was shivering as if with cold, and that he
dashed his tail from side to side in the sand
What beautiful dog-he reminds me won
derfolly OF one I once owned. Pray, what is
his name p
tBran,' I said.
& Bran =
No sooner had he repeated the word with the
great emphasis he did, than Bran was uoon him.
lie sprang and licked his face-howled-
as If mad-jumped back and then up again on
the strangers breast--licking him-cried, He
seemed trying-the great beautiful animal-,o
climb and paw all over him but now the stran.
gers arms were about him; his brown curls and
,nous'ache were in bran's shaggy Goa. He for
got my preserce and laid HIS head on Bran's
neck, his arms still holding tho immense dog
against his breast, and Bran motionless except
his tail, which he whipped from side to side in
ecstasy, while he moaned in the sadness of per-
feet happiness. He had found his master
On the same evening that Bran found his mas
ter, Mr.. Manton told me were returning to
the house, that exactly two years before he was
on his way in small brig to New York from
Portland, where he had been in the capacity of
an officer OF engineers in the United States army,
to inspect some forti6cations and that he had
with him this same dog Bran, about two years
old then, and which he had raised from a puppy.
All that day it had blown a gale. They sup
posed themselves in the neighborhood of Mon
tank Point, though the captain had not had an
observation in forty-eght hours. That night or
rather in the morning, about two, when the
wind had fulled somewhat, and whilst the brig
was lying to, he went on deck and stood by the
forward bulwarks, talking to the captain. Hard
ly had he been there Ave minutes-Bran stand
ing close by his side-when sudden sea struck
the vessel so violently as to throw him into the
sea. The captain Immediately cast him life
preserver, which, fortunately, hung in the COM
| panionway right at hand but before that Bran
had sprung after his master, and was beside him
when he caught the life preserver In few
seconds more, he had hold of a rope the captain
had also thrown, and, with the help of some OF
! the crew, was got safely on deck. The danger
| had been extreme as it had been brief. All
attempts to lasso Bran, brave fellow, and rescue
him were in vain. He was tossed past them on
| the waves, and was soon lost sight of. After he
| had told me that much, Mr.. Manton hesitated
| for while, and then smiled as he said that the
strangest part of his adventure yet to be
| told Whilst buffeting with the waves in those
moments of darkness and danger, he had seen,
as he might in very startling dream, a girl s
| face looking at him in fearful anxiety. The ap-
pearsnce was but for II blush OF time, yet IL had
clung to his memory since perhaps impress
| ed the more because he had again and again,
| since the occui renee, wandered in metaphysical
| speculation over it. AT the ball he recognized
| in my face the prototype of his vision.
| did not tell him then of my spectral vista.
| ton of the wonderful coineident in our expert
| ence on the same hour. Nj astoushment almost
amounted to terror heard his story
| 1t was again the eth of October, but a very
| different night from that two years ago--calrn
| and mild, with some of summers warmth vet
| lingering in the evening clouds. After tea,
| which Mr. Manton had taken with US, he and |
| walked out on the beach, as we had done almos
| every evening in the three months that had pas
| sed so happily to me- We had the hard, she'll
1 llad bod Of fba lo hafo IN
| distinct BROWNIES of the fields and bluff on one
| side the vast, soft spread gleam of the waning
| twilight on the ocean stretched on the other
| We walked on. Night came; it was black about
| US only the white rim OF the little breakers
| splashing near as the track of our path. Out OF
| the darkness, on the ocean side of us, there
| spread from spot q half circle of just percep-
| tible mellow light--it increased, grew brighter,
| softer, throwing silver like tentacles into the
| waves that rolled between il and us. The sky
| became visible, and a small, dark cloud just
| above trimmed with silver. A moment later
| and the yellow rim of the moon peeped above
| the sea line, and grew and deepened in fullness
! and warmth until its sphere was perfect The
light showed a seine house us, and the skel-
| eton of an old boat In that | found Il seat, and
| Mr.. Manton spread shawl for me. lie sat on
| the sand with his back against the broken bow.
| Neither of us spoke for au hour, suppose, until
| Mr.. hiauton rose and walked up and down by the
| boat and said
| Miss Observation-Disclosures a filter time
| than this to say what my heart urges-I love
your Leaning his the boat side he
asked-'AEce-will you be mine p
made some answer, suppose, foT he came
| and beside 1t then, with my hand
| i'll his, and Bran looking up into our faces, that
| told him OF what had seen of him two years
| ago that night, and how knew nov that | lad
| loved him since that time. We were mar
ried in the spring. 1t was he, my husband, The
| odore Manton, who five years ago carried Bran
down TO the sea side, for he had grown too old
| and feeble to walk without pain. There
| told you before, Bran died with his head in my
| lap, and Theodore made his grave on the little
! Bluff always called Saved Craig Bran A
| part of every year still pass II: my old home,
| and my white haired father has found new friends
and his dearest companions in two wild, sturdy
| boys.