The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1870-06-09
Under the Sea.

gay, chattering procession-pretty Kate
with her Captain DR.. Gray supporting
his invalid wite; Helen, Tom, and their
midshipman cousin last Of all, Esther
! ane--alone. Ii seems to her morbid fan
cy that it should be SO. Hencefor,h she
must be alone-always.
The party felt on the eve of great things
| Having arrived only the day before, Noun.
! Newport, with its wonderful reach of sap.
phire sea, the bluff, the lakes in their set
! tings OF dark blue hill, were still to them
| the images of things not seen. This, their
/ first excursion, they had dedicated to the
''Grotte, or "Deviis's" as the coast peo-
! pie term it-a sort of submarine cave, un-
yelled and accessible at low tide only, and
a great wonder in its way.
! The path grew sleeper. Carefully they
| followed its windings, step by step, sure
| footed Kate accepting the help she didn't
need, for that pleasure in being guided and
watched. Aud now the little guide pauses
and with treck led forefnger points round
projection OF rock All crowd to the spot
| All there it is The cave of the mermaids!
| \ shrek Of mingled surprise and enchant-
ment bursts from the party at the right.
! With cries Of delight the party made their
way down, and scattered through the cave.
| There was room for an army. 1t was hard
to realize that with the returning tide the
! space must fill, the gateway close. and leave
no resting place for human foot.
You said the tide was going down,
dldn' you, little boy p
Yeah"
You re sure?"
aye ah.
That's nice, cried Isabel. Then we can
stay as long as we like. Oh do some
body come here and see this.
She was lying with her face almost touch
ing the anemones. Nobody responded to
her call-each had found some other point
Of interest Tom had fished up sea urchin
and was exhibiting it. Kate and the Cap
tain, in niche Of their own, at safe whis-
pering distance were absorbed in each other
Esther had climbed to the t0rmost ledge,
and WIS sitting there alone. For the first
time in six weary months, sensation Of
pleasure had come to her, and she was con
scious of cut one lOnging-that they would
all go away and leave her to realize it. With
some vague hope, she got out color box
and portfolio, aud began to sketch. At
least it kept people off and furnished an
excuse for silence.
And so an hour or more passed by. She
others, their questions to the little guide,
bis short; jerky replies. The pools were
all explored; the urchIns and anemones
had been tlckled with parasols, and made
to shut and open and shut again the young
people began to sigh for further worlds to
conquer, and Mrs. Gray to consider it very
damp.
near snlLbVts hey isgt "a. there something else
Guess so. :,
We'll, what is it? Tell US please
There the Heads | guess.
ooh! how far off is that? \ mile, did
you say? That's not far. Papa, the boy
saws there's a place called the lleads, only
a mile away, aud we want to so and see 1T.
Can't We go? You know the way; don't
you. little boy -
| ~ ah.
Il think this place is very damp" sigh
| ed Mrs Gray. Il should really be glad to
90 somewhere and feel the sunshine again.
| | begin TO have creeping chills. Suppose
we let the boy show us the way to this 9th
er place, father"
':Very we'll. Get your things together
girls. Come, Esther, we're going.
Esther reused herself as from dream
80 Mr.. Gray! must | go? L N in TIE
middle Of a sketch. YOU see. Couldnt yor
IoaTe lpeT me e' here s quietly, and pick me up a.
YOU come back Z? | should like it SO much. .
"Well-I don't know. The tide is goln:
OUT. the boy says; there won't be any troubl'
of that kind. Are you sure you won't b'
clilled or lonely?"
Promise me that if you arc, you will g
to the cottage at the bend and warm your,
self, or sit on the rocks in the sun. We
look for you in one place or the other. =
Good by, my dear.
Good by, sir.
And O Esther you must have som
lunch. You'll be starved before we com
back, cried careful Helen.
So she and Tom and basket make thei
way upward, and deposit OF sandWlche
and port wine was left in convenient ere
vice within reach.
Good by, dear. nope the sketch Wi
be lovely. y And they were gone-up tn
cliff side-Mrs. Gray last leaning upon he
husband S arm.
"P,or child" she said, lit makes m
, heart ache to see her look so sad. Dldn
you notice how she was longing to have
us go, and to be alone?
And the very worst thing for her, Sh
! needs rousing, and all this morbid thinkin
does her harm.
The voices died away. Esther caugf
the words, and she smiled at them-a bl'
ter little smile That was what all OF thei
had said since her trouble came. She mu:
be roused-amused-and they had crowde
business and pleasure upon her until sh
sometimes felt that she could tear it r
= longer. This was the first time in mar
weeks.that she had felt really free free to
silent, to look sad, to cry if she wished.
, What luxury it was? No anxious-eyt
. mother to watch her-these comparatl'
= strangers withdrawn-this cool, darkilI
silence-it was deliciousl There was som
thing in the very nature of her trial whit
made il necessary to veil her grief with 7
serve \ black dress which might wear
Paul was cousin, and some show
mourning is allowed for second cousinho
Of even fer intimate FRIENDSHIP such as the
had been. But no one knew of the ur
viewed engagement which bound them SIN
= that hurried farewell letter in which
love found utterance, and which only reac
ed her after he saied-the sailing frC
which there was to be no return. No o
knew as they talked compassiouately OF |
having had dreadful shock, poor girl
i ,nk