Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1870-05-19

meaning no harm, only little teasing IL
play, youIe playing with feelings q mar
can't keep under; It's as If the devil was lei
loose IN me, know. You don't think mel
murder one another of set purpose, do you
Fanny, when they're themselves"
Fanny turns white, and retreats still
farther from the cliffs edge; then she give:
a little forced laugh.
Il must say, John, you've got strange
notions of pleasant talk; first, you scold
me till cry, and then you speak about
mur der. Now / must go home, and ifyou
can't trust me to go to by the beach, III
take the long way over the cliffs. Are you
isatisfed now, sir?"
/" isfedi John is radiant at such unex
Inec.- sweet submission. for the road on
Iahead over the cliffs is just womiles round
for fanny, and when they began to quarrel
she had said nothing should induce her to
go home unless she went by the beach,
where, as John knew, Captain Standisb
and his friend are pacing up and down in
front of the little bay. ''You little duckr
he says, ard John oiiers up good deal OF
atonement in word and act, which Fanny
receives with many smiles and bushes, and
at last he let's her go.
"Why not 90 by the lane2' he asks.
L
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 clcad lines. By the time she
| reaches the end of the rock path her FORE
head is dinted with frown.
The path ends Its shelf-like course along
the cliff, and slopes down to the left in a
steep descent to the road leading to the
beach; on the right it mounts as steeply 10
the upper part of the village. A lane with
high hedges fringed with plumy fronds of
ladyfern, and nearer the ground, rarer,
more minute kinds nestle like green tas-
sells 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.
"I don't believe he thinks half enough
about me-he wouldn't dare be so master
ful if he did, And then (for good intent
ton repented of seldom gets second hear
ing. Fanny tells herself she is an idiot. :
"a nice slave shall be when I'm married
| if I'm never to look at any one or speak to
any one but him. What's the use of good
looks if they're all to be hidden out of
sight?" and she hardens herself 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, hearty laugh, and
then some words which bring blush to her
cheek-a blush of pleasure; her lips part,
and her head Is thrown back saucily as two
IN,
the path.
"By Jovei this is lucky"
Captain Standish takes his cigar ont of
his mouth, and says, Good evening"
He is tall fair youth, with pale hair
and eyes; there is a washed-ou look about
him. MIR. Russell has a more manly aspect !;
be is short and thickest, something of the
bull-terrier breed.
Fanny is In such futter 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 listening and laughing
while the Captain talks.
PART II.
John stands listening too-just where
Fanny left him-listening, and yet not
hearing the querulous scream of the sea-
gnlis at he foot of the cliff, dipping their
bl tck- tipped wings IN the creaming curl of
the waves, and then rising in sudden flight
with tanning outspread feathers, or sink
ing again slowly as the air resists their pin
ions.
But John is not frowning. He smiles at
himself. He thinks that he has wronged
Fanny by halfformed fears. Dear little
creature! how good and docile she is, after
ALL girls worth nothing if she hasn't
spirit of her own. All! at Biddeford there II
be none of these fellows coming down to
plague honest menr'
John came back yesterday from Bidde-
ford, he has an uncle there, q fisherman,
who has offered him half share of his boat
and his business for very moderate COM
pensation.
.Johnl-John Fry. say! Hollo-where
are yo?"
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 aliveI' save Davie, with a red
face, and jerking his thumb over his should
er. eyer wanted below; the Biddeford
boat Is off the rocks and there's one awant-
ing yo."
"Wanting of me?"
John pulls eff bis wideawake, doubles it
up, and then fiattens it out with his strong,
brown hand; finally, this proceeding hav-
ing failed to solve his perplexity, he moves
on to where Davies thumb is pointing.
"There'll be bit of gale tonight afore
the boat reaches Minehead," says Dayie;
and then he stands still and lights his pipe,
while John Fry hurries down to the beach.
Unless he had scrambled down the face
"a the crag-a bold feat for even so fearless
a climber-he must follow the path Fanny
has taken, but he is not thinking of Fanny
as he hurries along. His uncle at Bidde-
ford was an old man; he had already had
one seizure, and this might be another
John had few friends or relations. but those
he had he loved with the intensity of q
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
sympathy with his nephew's happiness.
So that when John, in his headlong race,
comes suddenly upon the group-or. rath-
er, the pair. for Mr.. Russell has moved off
to discreet distance-the young fisherman
is SO bewildered, that fer an instant he
stands in silent wonder.
For an instant only. It is quite dark in
the narrow lane between those high fern
crowned hedges. Before one can note the
changes that have come into the two faces
30 near 70 each other-for Captain Stand
ish's whiskers touch, Fanny's cheek as he
whispers-John's hand is on the captains
shoulder, and the captain stumbles back
ward into the hedge.
keep your distance, will you?" John
says, iercely; ''that young woman is not
free to listen to your fooleryT
he has grasped Fanny's arm while he
speaks, and now he hurries her along with
him back by the way he came.
Vehement action has calmed 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 of the point
where he left Davie, and he stops short OF
tbat. The light has faded so completely
that he can only just see Fanny Heywood's
face plainly. - -
She is very white and trembling. She
remembers what John said just now about
murder, and as self IS usually paramount