Richland beacon., 1873-06-14

ing pranks: there's nothing but shark
can swim i'm it, But Rosy did not choose
to hear. and Mr.. MOnteith deliberately
took off his shoes and coat. and watched
| her. And not 4 moment too soon. for all
at once her head had disappeared; she
had gone down. had risen again with a
great cry. and then, as if giant hand
had reached and snatched her out to sea
while the Others scrambled up the shore.
there was nothing Of her to be seen but
her floating hair way out on the farther
crest of the surf.
| But at the first cry there had been a
bound through the air of the figure on
the ledge of rocks, and Mr.. Montcith was
after her. So strong was the undcr-tOw
that it seemed but moment to those who
waited breaihless on the beach before he
had reached and grasped her. But then
came the dreadful struggle for the shore
He had the girl on his shoulders, and he
fought his best. but twice he was beaten
off. The third time he caught the rope
the Others had waded far out to throw
him. succeeded in getting it about them
both, and was dragged to shore with her
at last more dead than alive.
OF course they did not wait for any
night fires or dancing on the beach after
this {; but as soon as the half-drOwned
| people could be dried and warmed the
| horses were put in. George Rivcs curSing
his luck as he buckled straps and girth.
| Mr.. Mayne pushing him about as if he
were worthless little boy, and crying
| and swearing between whiles. CRYING for
| ROsy's sake and swearing for Georges.
| and the whole party hurried on their
| to say how badly Rosy behaved that night
as they went along. Perhaps she felt
| chain Tightening round her. and rebelled
IF you want me to prevent your flinging
yourself out of the hay-cart, Rosy" Mr..
| Monteith said at last. ''yOu must come on
| this side" And then for the first time she
saw that the great waves from which he
| had saved her. in their white and fOaming
| onslaught on the sands and lodges, had
| broken his arm. But she did not say a
word. She only began to sing the gavest
| and sweetest songs she could remember.
| though she knew he must be- nearly faint
| ing with the pain. But as soon as the
hay-cart stopped at the lower gate she
| sprang out, and ran up the garden and
round the yard TO the barn. and had
thrown the saddle on the filly in the
moonlight. and without waiting for help.
and was gallOping for the doctor as fast as
the filly could carry her. 'Oh. oh -
Il
| slept soundly in the armchair, and she
herself sat wetting the cool bandages on
the aching arm. TO think that it was
hurt so for me-"
| "Rosy." said Mr.. Monteth. smiling
through his pain. ''that arm is always for
YOU" And Rosy laid her face down be-
side it and cried.
| ''Is this the way you're keeping off
fever. ROsy?" cried her mother. waking
oppOrtunely. "You go righ: away to bed
this moment" ~ And Rosy went.
1t was a strange accident. but it so hap
pened that Rosy was not once again alone
with the lover who had broken his arm
for her until he was well enough to come
down stairs. Mrs. Mayne, of course, was
| on the spot whenever she was wanted.
and so was the hired girl, while Farmer
| Mayne developed the most surprising
capability as a nurse. In vain Mr.. Mon
teith assured him he needed nobody.
You would have said. to see the farmers
assiduity, that he was in a hurry to get
the man well again and out Of the house
He read his weekly paper in the lodger's
room, and he took his MONDAY siesta by
the bedside, where he snOred so fearfully
as TO drive away all the flies. But if Love
laughs at lOcksmiths should he be less
merry at Farmer Mayne's expense? The
man was certainly ludicrOus enough as he
kept guard there. with his eyes shut and
his mouth open. for Love or any one else
to laugh at. But Mr.. Monteith never
thought of laughing at him; he was
ROsy's father, and an awful sacred being
to him, for all his rOughness and uncouth-
ness-a sort of arbiter of fate.
But one day the jailer awoke to find
| that his bird had flown, and starting up.
his first-glance out of the window showed
him Mr.. Montieth sitting by Rosy on the
brook side-and the farmer knew that the
mischief was done. For when you see
arms intertwped and lips meeting, you
may generally decide that your interfer-
ence is of no further avail, all the more
| where, as in this case, one arm is in a
sling, and Love has called in Pity.
1t was nearly month from that day,
and now Mrs. Mayne had gone over to
the enemy-nOt having great distance
to 60, to be sure-and the farmer had
been fighting hard fight. "Not," said
he, with more or less frequency, " that
have any objections to the man, if he
didn't want to marry my Rosy. But my
Rosy is for his betters. 1t beats all, the
trouble such a girl can make. Now il
she was One-eyed, and whOpper-jawe
and lazy, and no good to anybody. not a
soul would want her; but being just a
pearl, of course everybOdy's after her
Before she grew up we were happy
enough; and now. mother, we're all the
time disputing. Give woe to man and he
has wOman!" And so the farmer had
turned off this morning, as always before
with something between sigh and ar
oath, that relieved his feelings i'm every
direction. But Mrs. Mayne had detained
him in order that he might mend her an.
cient churn while she urged an argument
for the lovers-an argument, as we have
seen, pOoh-pOohed and silenced by the
desired listener at the beginning. 1t was
!, nevertheless, an entering wedge, and the
! indulgent mother felt that so much NIGH
J be followed by more, and had some poten
points to bring forward at the time tha
the hammer came down with such with
. ering effect on the farmers forefinger, ani
, we left him engaged in macerating the
wound on primitive principles.
f 1t was while he was occupied in tbj
soothing manner that, glancing up fer6
ciously, he saw MIR. MOnteith and Rosy
approaching hand in hand. 1t was lik'
shaking red rag before the old shOr
, horn; the farmer was infuriated. II,
! waited till they were close upon him, ant
then, "Drop my girls hand!" he rOared
shaking his mashed finger threateningl.
in the air.
| Instead Of dronninp IL the lover drew