National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1872-09-20

fall. II was great fun, like n game of
play with some friendly giant, | was
sitting in the sun aierward with it hang
ing down my back to dry, aud my lap full
of trilliums, when steps sounded, and Il
gentleman came down the stairs.
"You needn't pick up your ears in that
eager way. II wasn't Jack. On the
contrary, it was quite an elderly man,
with bushy white whiskers and hair more
than three.quarters gray. He was well
dressed, and looked altogether so old and
respectable that was dreadfully annoyed
aud ashamed at being caught with my
hair down, ] repressed my first impulse
to jump up and run away, and sat still.
Oh, il only hadn't" cried Ethel, cover,
ing her eyes, with n sharp momentary
shudder. But them smiling brightly,
perhaps in that case | might never have
seen Jack so, on the whole, | am glad |
did.
Tho old uaptla,aaa coaetNl iOuuu tllt
island with rapid step, looking off at
the Falls. That's what people generally
do you know. SO | wasn't surprised, and
thought tha- probably, having done his
duty, he would 60 away But when lie
got to the place whore | sat he stood
still, and pointing with his cane, said, in
gruf, excited voice;
"'Lots of it, lots Of it, amt there 2"
ayes, said, and couldn't help laugh
ing, his tone was so odd"
"I.ots of that, too he went on point
ipg at my hair. was surprised OF course,
but | only smiled. He looked like some
body's grandfather, and you know we
girls don't feel it necessary TO be very
much offended when old men say com
plmentary things to us.
$50 ] went on arraging my flowers.
Pretty soon / felt touch, and looking
up, there was the old gentleman close to
me, and just drawing back his hand from
my hair. suppose / must have looked
startled, for he said, alphabetically
"'Excuse ne-but | used to know n
girl wi hair like yours. SO long, so
thick, so shiny in the sun. | hope you
don't put it up in one of those messy
water-fallsf
"'No, generally braid it,"
"'That's right he reioined. Braid
it and bake it, and mark it with t! !
declare What am | sayingf
"Now | was really uncomfortable. My
hair wasn't half dry, but | caught at it
and began to twist and stick in pins pre-
paratory to immediate fight. To my
horror the old man pulled the pins out as
fast as put them in.
Ono, no he cried mo pins, no pins
Nature must have her own way sometimes,
or she'll explode. Your hair was meant
to hang. No pins, no pins =
"Don't,' / said; for in sezing the pins
he pulled my hair dreadfully; you hurt
me- Give me back those hair pins if you
please, sir But instead of giving them
back he cutched my wrist, and fixing his
eyes upon me, said, in low, sepulchral
voice Melinda consents. She is mine,
hair and all. But how to find priestl'
"Oh, Sadee, if you could guess how
frightened I was It was not the words
only, but the wild glare Of the eyes, which
told me that | was in the power Of ma
MAC, alone on that dreadful island. For a
minute all grew black before me. | sup
pose | was on the point of lainting away.
Then desperate sort oi courage came to
my aid, and forcing smile to my lipS-l
could feel them qulver and stiffrn-l drew
my hand gently away, shook down the
hair, and said,
There, then
"The terrible old gentlemen seemed |
pleased, Much better, much better be !
cried. That's the way we wore it in
Paradise, you know. Let me see; | was
talking What was | talking aioutF
About the girl with long hair | an
swered, for did not dare to remind him,
"'No, | wasn't and lie gave me sharp
look. 1T was something else. Oh, Meln-
da. Did she promise to be minei'
81 don't know. Won't you sit down
and tell me the story?' I taltered for !
thought time was my best friend, and
hoped each minute to bear somebody COM
ng that way.
The lunatic eyed me suspiciously.
Then TO my dismav he caught at my hair,
md tied it IN tight knot round one OF
the low bouehs OF the tree under which |
sat.
"'Now,' he said, sitting down directly
liked. and I'll tell you the story
"'But,' | said-and Saldce, | actually
yavc a gay little laugh; Juliet said she
amt imagine how did it, and neither
an | now Eve didn't wear her hair
led round a bough in Paradise. Nature
meant it to hang down you know.
"'You're right, you're right so she did,
le cried skipping from lis seat and unity
ne the hair as fast as he had tied it up.
1t ought to hang, and it shall, and he sat
iown again between me and the steps.
"'About Melir Ia he went on. She
Promised, you know, but the parson said
lad wife too much, or too little which
vas it?-and so he wouldn't come. That
,roke it up. But kept the lock of hair
he gave me. 1t was like yours. Are you
belinda ?
"'No,' l said, as positively as l could
peak, Il am no, Melinda
"' don 't-belicve-you,' rejoned the ,
readful creature, in a low deliberate voice. ,
Anyhow, this time we won't lose our
hance for want of a parson. Do you kearl :
here's one d0,0a Here.'-whispering, aid {
hielding his voice with his hand, as he
ointed over the edge Of the fall"
"Oh, Ethel, do go on p cried for she
ad suddenly stopped.
s'Oh, don't know what | said" she !
ontinued looking very pale, cor exactly h
hat came next. 1t is like some awful h
ream. tried to calm him but he a
'ouldn't be calmed. At last he pulled me +
, my feet, and erasping my arm, drew me |
D the edge Of the water. How strange I
nat little things should impress the eve r
S they do in moments Of extreme peril 9
remember perfectly that as we swayed +
n that fearful brink saw below at the =
,ot of the tall sort Of arched shell of :,
low and ice, streaked with lines of brown 4
lrth, and it struck me as looking like