The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-01-26

"How long have you been here?
he asked. at length.
| She left her seat and came to hi
iside softly.
"For an hour almost, Are yo,
better?"
eyes. 1 think so except my arm
l can't lift that. 1t must be broken
l think. How came 1 here?"
"Father brought you here las
night. Don't you remember? Yor
were thrown on shore from the
wreck"
"Ah, yes; 1 know. Were there
many saved2"
'Not many. Only two or three
alive, they saw"
"Who are your
"Flora Grant. And you2"
"Nobody."
"Hayen'tyou a name2" she asked
opening her blue eyes.
"Ah! My name? Yes. Arthur
Rolleston. Now l think 1 will go to
sleep. Please sit where 1 can see
you when 1 wake"
She returned to her window again
quietly, and resumed her work,
while the patient fastened his eyes
upon her with gaze so rapt that
one would think her the last thing
he was to look upon on this side the
grave,
No one will care to hear the story
of his long recovery; of the dark,
CHAOTIC days that seemed all dreams
of the brighter, pleasanter weeks
that were dreams too, but cheerier
ones; of the short and swifty-fying
hours that were painless at last,
when he could sit bolstered in one
lof Mrs. Grants great arm chairs,
and watch Flora as she sat working
in the sunlight at the window. OF
old Silas he saw but little. The
weather beaten fisherman was sell
dom home during the day, and the
young sufferer was left to the gen
tie ministration of the old woman
and her daughter, more especially
the latter, who waited patiently up
on him day after day.
And Flora, whose nimble fingers
were ever knitting, quickly and sure
Ily knitted Arthur Rolleston's heart
into the web with her worsted; and
Arthur himself, who had nothing to
do but sit in his great chair and
gaze for hours at her pretty cheeks
and hair, saw himself every moment
more hopelessly entangled among
the brilliant colors which her busy
needles were weaving together.
1t was dreamy, languid day in
August. He was then able to walk
about little with his broken arm in
a sling, and he sat with Flora in the
little porch before the house, where
they could look off upon the blue,
deceitful sea that puIred SO treacher-
ously along the shore beneath the
cliff.
She had let fall the work, and was
gazing thoughtfully at the distant
sails far away upon the water. At
the same glance, he perceived that
she was not the only listener. A
rough, sunburned figure, in a coarse
blue shirt, was leaning carelessly
upon the garden gate, and stead
fastly regarding them with look
which seemed to betoken anything
but friendliness offeeling. AS Flo
ra saw the figure, too, she gave a
little start, and flushed to
her very temples.
Afternoon observed the man in
the blue shirt.
"Good afternoon, Jethro," " replied
Flora.
'I'd stop a few minutes, if II
thought was wanted" observed the
stranger, biting off the end of wisp
of hay which he held in his hand.
"Come in,'' she said: "I should
like to have you stop"
"No," replied Jethro; 81 don't be-
Iieve you would"
Arthur Rolleston, thinking the
last remarked in his direction, closed
his book, and said he thought he
would take a stroll. Then he re-
moved his hand from Flora's, which
had lain quietly in his own all this
time, and sauntered off towards the
beach.
Handsome chap that" said Jeth-
ro. "S'pose he's nice company,
amt hep"
Flora bit her lips, and made no re-
ply. The man was silent, and then
confined: "He's quite cut me out
lately, amt he? 1 don't s'pose you
care anything about that, though.
He's better looking than I be, and
dare say he knows a good deal
more. 1 wish you joy, Miss Grant"
"Jethro," said Flora, ''you are for
getting yourself. What right have
you to talk this way To me?'
Forgetting myself? Good Lord
Isn't it enough to make a man for
get himself when you drive me mad?
Jest think Oft awhile. 1t will do
you good. When he first came here,
cared about it. I don't now, after
what I've seen this afternoon.
"G2od-bye, Jethrop'
Singular, was it not? That when
he was gone, Flora bent upon her
hands and cried. Singular, too,
that Jethro Butler, instead of return
ing at once to work in the field,
strolled lazily along the cliff after
Rolleston, and finally came upon
him, unexpectedly, of coarse, sitting
upon a great stone on the beach be-
ow.
Hello" he said grimly, taking
l seat near him.
"Hellor replied Arthur, "Jeth-
o Butler, isn't it! I've heard of
7ou."
"That's my name," said Jethro.
Then, as though his heart and head
we're both hot with some feeling
hat was ranking there, he added,
You seem to like your own com
,any better than you do Flora's."
"What IF it, asked Arthur,
harply.
"Oh, nothing" I'm getting that
ray myself, lately. 1 didn't used to
hough.''