The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-02-18

knew, Captain Standish and his friend
are pacing mp and down in front of the
little bay.
"You little duck!" he, says, and
John offers up good deal of atone
ment In word and act, which Fanny
receives with many smiles and bushes,
and at last he lets her go.
"Why not go by the lane ?" he asks.
Fanny mods. IL was just thinking
so," she says, and she looks back over
her shoulder and smiles like an angel,
John thinks. -
But the smile fades out of her face
more quickly than the rose-cOlOr from
those long ribbon-like cloud lines. BY
the time she reaches the end of the rock
path her forehead is dinted with a
frown.
The path ends its shelf-like course
along the cliff, and slopes down to the
left in steep descent to the road lead
ing to the beach on the right it mounts
as steeply to the upper part of the viii
lage. A lane with high hedges fringed
with plumy fronds of ladyfern, and
nearer the ground, rarer more minute
kinds nestle like green tassels in the
chinks of loose-piled masses of stone
hidden by long satin strips of hart's
tongue.
Fanny stands frowning still where
the three ways meet. She is thinking
about John.
al don't believe he thinks half
enough about me-he wouldn't dare
be so masterful if he did," And then
(for a good intention repented of sell
dom gets second hearing), Fanny tells
herself she is an idiot. "a nice slave
l shall be when Pm married, if Pm
never to look at anyone or speak to
anyone but him. What's the use of
good looks if they're all to be hidden
out of sight 2" and she hardens her.
self in this one idea, of her own beauty,
and the amount of admiration due to it.
| She stands still, looking wistfully
down the steep lane to the beach. A
sound of voices comes up to her, a
hearty laugh, and then some words
which bring blush to her cheeks-a
blush of pleasure; her lips part, and her
head is thrown back saucily as two
gentlemen come in sight sauntering up
the path. '...f
"By Jove! this is lucky"
Captain Standish takes his cigar out
of his mouth, and says, GOOD even
ing"
He isa tall, fair youth, with pale hair
and eyes. There is washed-Out look
about him. Mr.. Russell has a more
manly aspect; he is short and thick
set, something of the bull-terrier breed.
Fanny is i'm such a fiutter of vanity
and delight that she hardly knows what
is said to her or what she answers. She
has quite forgotten her intention of
going straight home, and stands listen-
ing and laughing while the Captain
talks.
PART III. |
John stands listening too-just where
Fanny left him-listening, and yet not |
hearing the querulOus scream of the sea
gulls at the foot of the cliff, dipping |
their black-tipped wings in the cream
ing curl of the waves, and then rising |
i'm sudden flight with familiar Outspread
feathers, or sinking again slowly as the |
air resists their pinions.
But John is not frowning. He smiles
at himself. He thinks that he has
wronged Fanny by his half>formed
fears. "Dear little creature! how good
and docile she is, after all A girls
worth nothing if she hasn't a spirit of
her own. All! at BidefOrd there'll he.
none of these fellows coming down to
plague honest men!n 81.
John Fry came back yesterday from
Bideford he has an uncle there, fish
erman, who has offered him a half
share of his boat and his business for a
very moderate compensation.
John!-John Fry, 1 say! Hollo!-
where are ye?n .,.. -,
A coast guard, in blue flannel and
shiny hat, comes running along the
rocky ledge as easily as if it were six
feet wide. '-
He stops short when he sees John,
sets his legs wide apart, and both hands
go down to the bottom of his pockets.
Well, Davie?"
"Look alive!r says Davie, with a
red face, and jerking his thumb oyer
his shoulder. "Yer wanted below
the Bideford boat is off the rocks, and
there's one a-wanting yo."
Wanting of me?"
John pulls off his wideawake, doubles
it up, and then fiattens it out with bis
strong brown hand ! finally, this pro-
ceeding having failed to solve his per
pleXity, moves ON to where Davies
thumb is pointing.
"There'll be bit of gale tonight
afore the boat reaches Minehead," says
Davie; and then he stands still and
lights his pipe, while John Fry hurries
down to the beach. -e.ps ~.
Unless he had scrambled down the
face of the crag-a bold feat for even so
fearless climber-he must follow the
path Fanny has taken, but he is not
thinking about Fanny as he hurries
along. His uncle at Bideford was an
old man; he had already had one seiz-
ure, and this might be another. John
had few friends or relations, but those
he had he loved with the intensity of
deep, strong nature, and his heart was
full of anxious fear for his uncle; he
had left him so well and hearty, and SO
full of warm sympaty with his nephew's
happiness.
So that when John, in his headlong
race, comes suddenly upon the group
or, rather, the pair, for MIR. Russell has
moved off to a discreet distance-the
young fisherman is SO bewildered that
for an instant he stands in silent won
der. -
For an instant only. 1t is quite dark
in the narrow lane between those high
fern-crowned hedges. Before one can
note the changes that bave come into
the two faces, so near to each other
for Captain Standish's whiskers touch
Fanny's cheek as he whispers Johns
hand is on the Captains shoulder, and
the Captain stumbles backward into
the hedge, 3fll# 30
"Keep your distance, will you?"
John says fiercely; that young ,wo-
man is not free to listen to your fOol>
ery!" -
He has grasped Fanny's arm while
he speaks, and now he hurries her
along with him back by the way he
came. 54.,s .Fl ~ E...s $40
Vehement action has o;,lmed down
the tempest of his anger. As he strides
along, he is forcing himself to decide
what he shall say to Fanny. -
He has dim remembrance of3he
point where he left Davie, and he stops
Short of that. The light has faded so
completely that he can only Just see
Fanny's face plainly. -
She is very white and trembling.
She remembers what John said just
now about murder, and as self is usil- .
ally paramount in her thoughts, her
terror is that he means to fling her
over on to the sharp pointed rocks be-
low-terror so great, so paralyzing, that
she cannot even shrek for help. Even
if she could, her Voice would be power
less against the wailing, screaming sea-
gulls, and the roar of the waves as the
wind lashes them iuto foaning heights.
But John has no mind to harm her.
Spite of all, he loved her still, but he
has learned at last to put trust in his