The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1870-02-18
THE WIFE OF JOHN
CARVER.
BY JANE G. AUSTIN.

"a fair wind anda strongl Shame
it We're it should be wasted as
those before have been Sit you here,
Dame Kate, while 1 go up TO the
change-house and speak again TO
Master Jones, who of truth is treat
ing us but scurvily in thus delaying.
You do not fear to tarry here a short
halfhour, with Roger Wilder for guard
and Elizabeth Tillie for company-eh,
Kate?"
"Surely not, John. Go your ways,
and we will spend the time in walk
ing up and down the pier. This same
fair wind blows somewhat shrewdly
for sitting STILL"
''Nay, if it is cold to thee, sweet
heart" replied the husband, a grave
man already in middle life, and dress
ed in the sombre garb of the Puritans,
turning back and looking somewhat
anxiously into the face of his wife, a
young and lovely woman, whose
blonde beauty proclaimed her English
birth, as her sad-colOred and demur
garments did her adhesion to the
strait sect of which her husband was
prominent member. And yet had
Dame Katherine Carver allowed her
self the cid of all the coquettish appli.
ances distinguishing the toilet of the
gayest beauty among the cavaliers,
she could hardly have selected head
gear so becoming as the hood of
dark purple velvet shaped around her
face in the fashion first introduced by
Mary the unhappy Queen of Scots,
and followed atintervals by the whole
female world for almost three hundred
years. Against the background of
this hood the pale, pure face, with its
delicate features, faint coloring, and
sweet, calm expression, showed an al
most angelic loveliness while the
glimpse of throat whittier than ivory,
vOuch-safed by the bandkerchiefmod
estly crossed upon the bosom, and the
delicate hand, foot and ankle, display.
ed at intervals by the "shrewd wind"
of which the lady complained, were if
not so angelic, perhaps equally adj
mirable points of beauty.
Fair and winsOme as she was, who
can wonder that John Carver's
thoughtful and somewhat anxious
gaze sOftened as it rested upon her
face, and that loving smile stirred
the gravity of his expression? But to
the tender eXpOstulation, seconded by
a movement to lead her away from
the pier, Dame Katharine hastily re-
piled:
al said not it was too cold, good
man, and / am overweary of staying
within doors. We two, Elizabeth and
/, can walk or rest here in all safety
until your return, and Roger Wilder
shall guard US if you will. Come,
Bess."
And putting her hand within the
arm of her companion, stout, rosy
English lass, not yet past her seven
teenth summer and fresh and bloom
ing as an English spring, Mistress
Carver led her down the pier, while
John Carver, the smile still lingering
on his lips, walked rapidly back to-
ward the town.
f'There he is again, damew said
Elizabeth, suddenly, as the two
women approached the end of the
pier.
"He? And what he, my girl ? asked
the elder lady, little coldly.
''Why, the young man of whom 1
was speaking yester-eve. / said that
he looked in desperate case, and as if
but little more were wanting to send
him off the end of the pier, where he
sits to-day as he sat then, gazing now
into the water at his feet, now at our
vessel riding there at anchor. 1 mar
vel if he may be wishing to join him
self to u.s."
"If he does, he should make his pc
tition to Master Bradford, or Master
Carver, or Captain Standish. Oftruth
he does look in evil case; and what is
worst of all he seems too down-cast to
bestir himself to the mending of his
condition. Iwould that my goodman
were here, that l might ask him to
give the poor soul an opportunity to
speak with him.
But chance and the wind at this
very moment presented another op-
portunity to the object of this conver-
sation; for, as Mistress Carver drew
from her pocket handkerchief some
what heretically embroidered, the
breeze snatehed it from her hand, and
would have whirled it into the water,
had not the young man sitting at the
end of the pier caught itas it flew past
him, and, rising, came toward the
two ladies with an eaCerneSs of man.
ner Immediately noted by the young
er.
stBeshrew me, mistress, but he is
glad enough of the chance to speak
with U.s." said she, softly.
"Hush, Bess," replied the other,
and the next moment returned the
obesience of the young man, with a
gesture courteous, but full of dignity
and reserve, while she said:
Truly, Sir, am beholden to you,
and render you my thanks"
at is nothing, madam. If | might
ventur to say it, am myself your
debtor in being permitted even so
simple service"
NYOu have my thanks, Sir, and
gOOd-evening TO you"
Pardon, madam, if my foolish
words have offended you. 1 spoke
only as l felt"
but ] and my husband, and this my
companion, are of the adventures in
yon vessel, and, as perhaps you know,
we of that sort hold not to compli-
ments and eOurtly phrases, such as
you seem to have been bred in"
And the young woman could not,
or did not restrain swift, scrutiniz-
ing glance at the soiledand disOrderly
dress which would have placed this
stranger very low in the social scale,
while his manner, words and express
sion were Enthusiastically those of a
gentleman. The object of this look
caught and read it as rapidly as it was
given.
al have, indeed, madam" said he,
gloomily; Sand, although not past
my five-and-twentieth birthday, have
come to the end both of my patrimO-
my and my friends. Poor as this suit