Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1870-10-27

boat landing. Fer the first two mile:
the passengers, all of whom we're gen
tlemen, chatted gayly; after that grad
ually grew silent, the monotonous drag
of the wheel in the sand acted as a
kind of soporiic. One or two in fact,
fell asleep. And now Herbert began
half to repent of what he had done =
"Perhaps l have been too hasty" he
said to himself "What if Mrs Max
well was right"
He mused thus for quite half mile.
ave a great mind to go back" he
thought. "Hold on, driver" he cried,
"I've changed my mind. Stop till l
jump out. I'll walk back"
Before his sleepy companions could
ask what he meant, he had left the
coach, had lit cigar, and was plod-
ding through the heavy sands on his
return.
His mood soon changed again
"What a precious fool l am making OF
myself" he reflected, and he turned to
hail the coach, but it was quarter OF
a mile off.
He stopped still. "If that 6sh-hawk
dives before | count filty," he said,
':Ill so back to the Metropolitan; if not,
I'll walk to the landing and take the
afternoon boat"
The fsh-hawk dove almost imme-
diately.
"Fate has decided for me-" he said
desperately. "Now let us see how
wisely"
Meantime where was the offending
Kate. To do her justice, she was not
aware how much she loved him until
she refused him 1t was not altogeth-
er coquetry that led her to say mo /"
The answer had been given in the first
surprise and embarrassment of the
proposal. She was frightened 10 find A.,
almost Immediately, how much she mis-
understood herself. She grew more
and more embarrassed in consequence;
and her manner afterward, at which
Hastings took such offense, was, as
Mrs. Maxwell had suggested, really the
result of nervousness. Even before
he left her she bitterly repented what
she had said. Had he persevered a
little longer, she would have confessed
the truth. She did not, however, think
he would leave the branch even after
he had said so. Hence, early in the
morning, she had started for walk on
the beach, hoping 10 meet him there, as
usual, for hardly day had passed
within the last fortnight that those two
had not SO met
There was an old wreck, at that time,
about a mile or more above the Metro
politan, which had been a favorite
haunt of theirs, and thither she re-
paired. She tried to read till Herbert
should appear, but her thoughts wan
dered from her book continually
Meantime the hours passed without
Herbert appearing. Her heart began
to fail her. She spent the time exam
lining her real feelings, and the more
she scrutinized them, the moro she felt
that her love had gone from her forev-
er. By-andby the hot tears began to
come. She knew how proud Hastings
was, and she said to herself that he
would never come back.
The tide rolled heavily in; the fish
hawks sailed overhead; the breeze
blew fresh from the eastward; the sun
shone dazzling bright. 1t was getting
toward noon. She gave up all hope at
last, and rising, began to walk back
toward the hotel. But after a while
she sat down on a boulder, under shell
ter of the bank, for she had been all
this time upon the beach below it. She
would not yet abandon the chance of
seeing him. Gradually she fell into
sort OF reverie, and began, half uncon-
scious, to trace Herbert's name in the
sand with the point of her parasol.
1t was at this juncture that Herbert,
walking along the top of the bank
above, discerned her. Hehad already
passed her, and would not have seen
her at all but that his attention was
suddenly directed to fish-hawk that,
diving for victim, had gone sailing off
northward with its prey. His heart
began to beat fast. Here was the
chance he had wished, yet not dared to
hope for; it surely was a favorable
sign that she had gone to the usual rem
devouz. He hastily sprang down the
bank, and began hurridly retracing his
steps toward her.
He thought she would hear him as
he approached; but she did not. She
was evidently too absorbed; in what,
however, he could not yet discover.
He came nearer and nearer. What
with the roar of the surf, and her own
absorption, Kate still remained uncon-
scious of his presence. He approach
ed so close at last, that he could look
over her shoulder. Blessed vision!
Could he believe his eyes? She was
writing with her parasol, in the sand,
the word,
HERBERT.
His first impulse was to snatch her
to his arms. He was loved, then!
Mrs. Maxwell had been right.
But he restrained himself, waiting,
with bated breath, to see what she
would do next.
She did nothing for moment. Then
she sighed, and went on tracing slowly
other words. They we're HERBERT, l
LOVE YOU.
Hastings could control himself no
onger. His cigar had long been out,
though retained mechanically. He
now flung it away, and, STOPPING over,
caught Kate's face in his hands, and
kissed her full on her ripe lips.
She sprang up with half scream,
and turned 70 face him angrily, for she
lid not realize for moment who it was.
But, when she recognized her lover,