The democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1868-1874, 1872-11-11

scant calico, were familiar to every one who
dwelt alUngshOre; and rude sort Of respect
was accorded her, Notwithstanding that she
ranked among the poorest ofthe poor,
A thorough.going woman was Aunt Mar
got, after the New England type; angular,
thrifty, uAeompromising: having no thought
Of adapting herself to modern times and
ways; having no miEgiying Of her fitness for
anything In this world or the next; neither
humiliated by hor position nor harboring
thought ofrising above i. y
She cultivated her little garden'patch with
her own hOrney hands, and In the season
eked out her scanty living by selling fish, or
clans, or the like to big hotels farther down
the shore,
II had never occurred to her that any kith
or kin Of hers was entitled to DO on the charity
list because hOr hands were hard with labor
and her back oyerburlcned-b you, mol
There was Tom, now, the wild young fellow:
she had had her hands full with Tom; but,
after all, the boy had turned out not so bad
mot so bud, thank Providence, after all
Yet why her poor silly sister should have
married q foreigner, and Frenehman at tkat
"a ne'er do.wecl, who never did anything
In the world worth doing but going out sf II
why Providence should have permitted
such thing, was . problem she could not
clearly make out, But when the sister died
also, leaving her little tsn-ycar old Babctte
10 Marget'S keeping, the burden was cheer.
fully accepted, without reference to the prob
lem involved.
Not knowing exactly what to do with her
little pensioner, Aunt Marget sent her to the
village acadcmy-that at least would got the
problem out Of her way for a littlo time, and
the child would be losing that heathcnish nc
cent.
Very scant were the'scrapings that went to
support tho orphan at school, and BNbetto
had some bitter experience Of her own in the
way Of half pupil, half teacher, and wholly
drudge in tile great seminary which was the
pride Of the place.
Very few friends she had, fewer still since
Tom had gone for sailor. She longed for a
friend, and fate, as Is its wont, bad sent
sinister answer TO her prayers In tho shape Of
Professor PEBBLES, tho teacher Of mathematics,
This man made himself odious to the girl by
oficious attentions, which her humble posi-.
tion rendered more annoying because size was
SO much in bis power.
Politely, and with as little expression as
possible, she hated the professor and his
mathematics. Abig igehpty.headed mnn, with
o soul tho size Of cipher, q smart figure, a
wig, and gold-headed cane; IN elderly man,
who had neverattainGd the beauty and dignity
Of age, and never would-0h, the learned
professor, with oil his arithmrtics at his back,
could not render any solution Of this one
humble maidcn's ShyneSs and coldness
Neither Euclid nor common.senso shed any
light, and hu pursued his stupid fancy until
the young girl learned to shun his presence
with unSpeakabc antipathy.
And here ho was seeking her out again.
And she had accepted o gift from him, and
shone and blusHed and been happy In the rag
that her anger should have burned TO ashes.
Her whole nature felt demomliEed and beg.
CARED by tho thought. but over all tho. ruin
and desolAtion tho remembrance OF Tom lin
gercd like glimmer Of sunlight. To 60 out
into world which held Tom In II might not
10 so utterly desolate, after all. '.l'4
And 50 thinking, she stretched herself out
wearily on the old boat and fell asleep.
The twilight faded over the sea, tho long
stretches Of sand lost thOir yellow luStte, IN
ominous siadow, like IN east wind mNde vlsi.
bic, brooded In the sliy-aad still Babotte
slept. ~ o.
Slept while tho tide came creeping, creep
Ing, with Snakc.likc silence and rppidity,
farther up the shore, tapping in the drifts Of
sea.weed to wash them ocean.ward again, and
making m island Of the sand-bank where the
old hut stood.
At last 1t touched the top Of the uptunOd
shallop, It kissed tho barred feet Of the sleeper,
and she awoke. Scared and amazed, she
rubbed her eyes and looked about. On every
side very ocean seemed TO stretch, rising,
rising, swayed by o fierce wind, gathering
wrath against the day Of wrath, the blackcn-
Ing, on.rushing tempest Only at the back
Of tho hut slim, thread.llke peninsula still
stretched q little way out toward tho rocks
beyond. u L
On this peninsula OF this moment stood a
horscman-a wiry, well.brushcl man, angu-
lar as ono of Euclld's problems, Dabette
looked upon him with wide, startled eyes, rs
II she saw an embodied nightmare
"Quck |" he cried. "Thcrc's not mo-
ment to lose. You will have to ride for your
life, or swim. Come, my pretty one, I've
been waiting for you all the afternoon. Give
mo one kiss, and mount hero by my side"
Babctte shudler6d. "You do we'll 70 In
suit mo when no ono Is near, Muster PEBBLES.
| mn In no need Of assistance will wait till
the tidc falls" % = I1LF
"Fallsl' he repeated, with an unpleasant
laugh, "the tide tonight will be many q foot
over that old hovel. Come" s..'
There was no answer.
"You arc q little foo" said the uchool.
master, violently. al can compel you to
come with me. have you all In my power
now" He stretched out hiShAnd, but BGbette
cluded the grasp
"Yop will not stay hero and dle" hc
Queried. gea as
HIf God sends no one else to my rescue"
"Come, come, that Is childish nonsense
and stubbornncss, God has sent me. You
arc risking my life rs we'll shall csomc
ado now 10 reach shore with this old nag,
though ho can swim pretty we'll. The tide Is
rising every minute; there Is a great storm
coming, Nobody will see you. Only one
kiss, and will bear you in my arms 70 safe
Ig." It-a 4 -
'HT will not give it--nct to buy heaven"
nBut you shall! r. he cried, his face gather.
ing passion and insolencc at the uracctstomed
thwarting Of his will. ait Is my duty to
save your life, my girl, and must do 1t in
my own way" l.
a cry Of fear and despair broke from the
lips Of Babettc as she looked at the face con.
fronting her-a face whose hard and cruel
lines lifelong submission TO rules and do.
ccney had only deepened, Those lines, dis.
torted now, losing the sanctimonions smirk
that was their wont, revealed MS on map a
very villain. a u"
1God help mel she said, and turned to
lAee-whithcrl 10 fling herself Into the
waves and be carried out TO tho great hungry
depths beyond, Death was not q pleasant
thingfor young girl to contemplate young
sirl null Of rosy life, just lifting her blossom.
| like head to look at the world. There was q