The Lincoln County herald., 1871-09-21

shsi,, absorbed ia tAs epic oS the Soets,
"How gsand the climax Of this poem is
1t 10 like the end of ali things---tbe bas.
ais- field. with not a living soul upon il
save che King. Il nakes me shuddes
- thiat of H."
He answered not . Sosd, but turned
and walked away down the steep pathway
leading from the summit OF sho cliff lie
heasd . little tinkle Of . laugh us he went
down the rocks. and he knew chat she
was enjoying his discontinue.
Poor Dick was in an uncnviable state
Of mind. He had committed himself .,
last, bus Lucie had leN him in doubt and
uncertainty - TO the real state Of her
feelings towards him and 40 he clam
bercd down 10 the late afternoon sun.
shine, l sm afraid he had soue hard
angry thoughts about the woman he had
left behind on the cliff He jumped into
boat which was rocking in the surf, and
pushed il of from the shore. Looking
up, be saw her watching him from the
cliff. She waved her handkerchief
to~.rds him whso she saw him looking
that way, aud called out that it looked
like q storm 10 the east, aud he had better
be careful Of himself
"Very little she'd care il anything
should happen tc me |" said Dick, bit.
terly, as be rowed away, not even looking
towards the east, where . cloud Was
spreading rapidly.
A slight wind was beginning to blow,
too but he was not thinking Of wind or
water just then. The sun went down 10
lurid cloud Of fame. and the storm Lucie
Gray had foresoen came up rapidly.
She stood in front Of the hotel at the
watering place where she aud her aunt
we're stopping, and she watched the sea.
Dick German had not come back. The
storm had come up SO suddenly that he
had not had time to put into safe place
with his boat before it was impossible for
him to do so and if he had not gained a
temporary harbor somewhere, where was
ne? A frail, light boat, like the one he
had gone out in, would stand but little
chance Of safety among the angry waves
"I'm afraid he'll get drowned, ir he
isn't already" said Lucie to herself, as
she watched the surf which broke in q
white line upon the shore, dimly distin
guishable through tho gloom of the night
frou the position che had taken. "If he
had put in to shore when the wind 6rst
began to blow so terribly, he could have
walked home easily enough, for he would
know we should be anxious to know he
was safe I'm so afra;d-oh I'm so
afraid he's dead; and | was so provoking
to him to dayl If Id only answered
him - l ought to have done u
And then she began to cry. Poor
Lucie "Nhe dolorous time" Dick had
read to her about was at hand.
All night long the storm beat aud
dashed ss.iost the rocks in wild, terrific
gee but, in the chill, gray morning, it
tired itself out, and died, with many
means and shuddsrins throes upon the
shore. And on the beach, they found 10
the morning grayness, the boat Dick
German had gone awsy in. 1t was bat
tered aud broken but, still, enough was
left Of it to be easily identified.
"There's no doubt but he was drowned
last night in the Storm" tho men said to
osch other. TOO bad He was such a
6ue young fellow"
Lucis kept her room all forenoon
She did not dare to 60 out, where she
would hear from every one she met soma
conjecture as to the probability Of Dicks
death, or some sentiment Of regret for
bis uutimsly fate. How much she re
preached herself With being the cause of
it; If she had only acted differently, he
might have been there with ber safe and
we'll, instead Of at the bottom of the sea.
But by afternoon, tho confinement of
her room grew oppressive sod she put
on . dark wrap, aud threw . thick veil
over her hat, to hide her swollen eyes,
and went down to the beach. She almost
expected to see his whito, dead face look.
ing up at her reproschfully from overy
pool where sea weeds had collected, or
that wave would come dashing 10, an
toss bis dead body At her feet.
"If they only knew how guilty I am
up there. she SAID, looking towards the
hotel, "they'd call me . murderer, l
know snd feel like one. II l hau
only answered bin a. he wanted me to,
poor Dick And l did love him Oh,
dearl If-if-oh, oh |"
For pair Of strong arms had cIa,ped
themselves about her, aud Y bright glad
face-not much like the face Of dead
man-looked into hers, laughing at the
fright the sudden embrace had caused.
"Oh, Dick, 10 it your" cried Aucie,
her face telling more than ber voice how
glad she was to see him living, when she
had thought him dead. II thought you
we're drowned 7"
"i'm not dead yet" answered Dick,
kissing her plum on the lips. II put
ashore on Fishers Island. and tho storm
blew my boat away in the night; so 1 had
to wait till the afternoon before l could
get Of the mainland. That's all there
was aboutn; but I'm glad it happened,
r = =. 4 "a n