The weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1869-18??, 1869-11-24

II
Grag to inspect after the time honored fash
ion Of my mothers.ia-law, the doings Of its
Iflittle mistress--was fain to confess thatefen
to her critical eye the household manage
ment was perfect. sif ,EEi &c nsiss -
dsHer cookery is faultless, and everything
Is sumptu0uslJ neat she acknowledged to
her next door neighbor, Ma Gray. IBei
she don't seem to pine after John hit.
But then, what else eonld one expect from
such child2 Out of sight. out Of mind
supPose ifJohn Is pleased ! ought to be.
But I'm cure il was never my way. when
Danforth was on a1Foyage. Many's the
night have cried all night, and the house
was more like a fa1e-al than anything else
| allthe time be was gone. af4f i.lifa ID
Mrs. Gray, wise woman that she was,
carefully abstained from limiting that this
might be the reason for J ohnls preference tn
| merry, cheerful Robin, whose unlsiling good
1 spirits were to him constant soursc ofwon-
der aud delight F.=.6Faf g far-,r j
II thought she always seemed ve;y fond
of John.n she codtented herself with say
| ing as Frs. Danforth rose to take her leave.
Seemed = echoed Widow Danforth, with
her deepest sigh; ''let me tell you, Mrs. Gray
when yoa have lived in this wicked world
as long as ! have, you viii ind that
things are not by any means al that they
I seem. .,.r, ,...a..,.l.- fls sssrr . $50. ~
And With this unintentional parody Of
the sublime song of the poet Mrs Danforth
went her lugubrous way homeward- hr Z
| So the summers came and went in fra
GRANGE and song to the little cottage on the
crag; and the white ship sailed stately and
grand, or few like frightened birds to their
"haven under the hill'' and the Ocean Bird,
commanded BY Captain John Danforth,
touching now at this port, now at that,
sometimes driven by prosperous gales, some
times butfetting adverse winds, set sail for
home. ~ "a "a q isFsits y
And in the heart of the brave man, who
sometimes in shine, sometimes in storm, al
ways cheeriully and hopefully paced her
deck there dwelt picture of 8 face whether
bright with piquant smiles or sad with
April tears, had always been eloquent with
lore for him, and which was fairer and dear
er to his eyes than all the world beside.
Dream on honest Captain Danforth. For
you the JOY and the brightness of love are
over-for yous storm is gathering which
win scatter your love dreams as easily as the
wind which sweeps over the Deck of the
| Ocean Bird scatters the foam that crests the
/ waves wherein she rides. st.
The Dutch clock ticks mer.ily away, sur
veying the neatness and cosiness Of the little
room with face shining with appreciation.
The fire burns cheerily in the fireplace, the
canary dozes sleepily on his perch, and the
cid cat purrs loudly in the corner. Mean
while, the little mistress, daintily attired in
merino dress, with lace at the throat and
wrists, sits before the sparkling fire and
4 gazes dreamily into it. -, t.l4.. i.
Her work lies idly upon her lap; the ball
of Borsted has rolled, unnoticed upon the
floor; SO deeply is she immersed in her re
verie that she heeds not the fact that Hans
has gone to sleep in his chair in his usua
fashion, and sits with his round head bob
bind up and down, like Chinese mandarin
in toy shop. Without the wind whistles
drearily, as only the November wind knows
how, and the moaning OF the surf upon the
shore chants its monotonous dirge.
Outside the cottage, close to the window
stands man needless of the bitter wind
deaf to the roar of the angry sea, gazing
with a hungry heart and happy smile upon
the picture within. gf 4rFg..
"How beautiful she is !" he whispered to
himself, and proud and loving look comes
over the bronzed face as he gazes on the lit
tie figure in the merino dress. se.s- ID. /
1t was thus that he had pictured hel
many a time-the bright fire, the shining
little clock, even the pattern OF the chintz
curtain, had blended together in harmo-
NOUS whole labeled in his mental picture
gallery Home" il III .ls IN
But the slight, girlish figure, bent little
forward. the falling brown hair, the shining,
truthful eyes, this had been The brightest,
because the dearest of all. ti..,.iai ,
She was thinking of him, perhaps, little
dreaming of the happy surprise in store for
her in his unsupported return. g
Ali start, John Danforth, and reel, as if
struck By sudden blow. Is this the wife
you have seen in doting dreams, for whom
you have kept you soul pure and unstained,
that it might hold enshrined her sacred
image lilar Il ~. af.-. Ia tsi ,tli
An inner door is opened, quick manly
step upon the floor, and man, muf1ed with
coats and wrappings of fur, ia beside Ro
bins chair. She looks up ia his face. How
| we'll John Danforth knows that loving smile
and though the winds prevents their words
from reaching him, she seems from her ges
lures to be urging remonstrances against his
going in such storm. u 81 tsii. "a
He shakes his head laughingly, the boyish
eurls glanc;ng in the freight, and stoops
down beside her She filings both arms
round his neck, pressed her lips to the
smooth cheek, innocent of beard or razor,
and he lays bis hand upon the latch, slowly
opens the door, and in a moment more is
/ ont IL, tho OF pfnhf .f ~
| The heart of Captain Dantorth sinking
down, like lead in his bosom with the
weight of his loss, leaps and burns with all
the fury of savage as hears the footsteps Of
his rival beside him, so close that if he should
stretch out his hand he could throttle him
in a moment. No..
He looks at the darkcning sky and starts
on the road 10 the village. -
The village road That way is long and
| rugged; few travellers ever tread the lonely
way. Revenge, ievengel 80
It is said there is drop Of tigers blood
in every human heart. think Ii must have
been alive in JOHN Danforth's heart then,
and prompted the stealthy. creeping pace
with which be followed his victim, on, on,
over rugged paths, watching the boyish
form till the sudden, blind impulse of re-
yenge grew into settled purpose till the
sure, relentless hand seconded the murder
Gus plans of the heart. =,
4 Halfway down the winding, rocky road a
deep chasm ran parallel with it for little
distance, then, with an abrupt turn, takes
another direction toward the coast
John, breathlessly logging the footsteps
of the boy-he is but little more than that
t-chuckled with savage delight at the
thought of misstep, which might plunge
his unconscious enemy headlong down the
abyss to frightfrl death on the sharp
jagged rocks, below. -. -
As he reaches this point in his journey
the youth pauses moment, turning his
back to the fierce blast, which has beer
blowing steadily in his face all the way
John is beside him in a moment. - = !.
"ViIliann He grasped the boy by thu
shoulder fercely, with an oath Kissed be
tween his shut teeth, and there is struggle
unequal, short decisive. !. -.
Unequal, for the youth Is but babe il
that fierce, strong grasp, and overpowered
he shouts with all his might for help.
"Robina !" ...-..,..
That name, wrung from him in his ago
nizlng fear, is his death warrant. A thou
sand demons rage in the heart of Danforth
as be holds HIM for. moment over the
abyss. The moon, shining through riff
liz the clouds, show him two bfae eyes ga
ring With wild beseeching fear into his
tvs white hands tossed helplessly in the
air; futter Of yellow curls, and then some
thing goes crashing over jagged points o.
rocks and rolling stones below.
t -