Litchfield enquirer., 1873-07-24

on rock which fell away from the place where she sat. a
 ''You have said nothing about the sea l before
 "say what could I say? Stupid to praise it. What could say that has not been said ?"
 "But must Boston women never speak unless they have some new thing to say ?"
 ''Yes, of the sea for what good is it to ones self? Will it make this great wave, that is just tottering over into white foam, any more glorious to call 1t what every one feels it is 9
 'But, Miss Helen, it isn't very original to laugh; yet somehow laughing does one good, and think have heard you laugh"
 ''That, sir, was shrewd little sentence of yours. You shall call the sea as many names as you please, and I will listen. Go on."
 "Ron on, thou deep and dark-blue ocean, roll!''
 1 70, but that's Byron."
 "Well, and what objection is there to my getting another fellow to call the ocean names for me? That is what is meant by being fond of poetry. You get another fellow to call names for you" | sPlease don't
 ! She had risen and was facing the sea. The fierce northwest wind had torn away l again her knotted hair, and half of it was hanging on her left shoulder, or streaming seaward to be restlessly and absently pushed back at times; what with the old storm and the new wind there was battle and wild confusion in the waters, s,-cross- currents and still always the steady roll and stagger and crush of intending bill lows. She seemed to me to be beating time to the wild music of this gigantic or chestra; marking the rhyme of the wave in an absent fashion with her rising and falling riding-whip. Also her face was in l strange possession of the passing moods l of nature, having look of elation as 8 wave rose greater and greater, and cer- tain pathetic grief in it as the dark mon- ster reared itself out of being and was gone forever.
 70, did you see that? In the last wave. you were looking. You must have seen it. It was face p ''A-what-a face?" 'Yes, face. saw in the last wave face as clearly as see yours. could not
 Most likely some drift-wood, or what not'
 ''No; it was live, living face.'
 70 Miss Helen P ''Yes, it was." '"The sea-serpent." ''I saw face in the water" ''A mermaid ?"
 '1 don't know; why not? It was liv- ing face l saw. l am sure of that much. know two men who look like fish. Why should not some fish look like men? I mean to say l saw 8 mermaid"
 'sDo you know how they flshed for mer- maids in old days?"
 "How was it? ?"
 ssFirst, you found a woman who was not in love-"
 "Easy to find. I should think"
 ''Then you got her to give you four of her hairs. These you tied together, and on the last you were to hang gold ring, she eTaad Woaid dat assd sdpgEgp gg ring ing and would put it on her finger "Well."
 "If, then, the woman did really not love any one, the hair would hold and the mermaid be landed as safe as bass but if she knew not her own mind, or had fib- bed little. the ring would come up no more from under seas, but would go to gladen the hearts of the mer-folk.
 sYour fishery is one that would thrive but slightly here at Nepoft, think, I, for one But excuse me, may I ask you what time it is. Twelve? not really! I am afraid I shall have to trouble you to walk across the Neck towards the lily pond and ask Thomas to bring the horses up nearer to the rocks. left him think ing I would walk out on the rocks; and, despite this clumsy dress, I wandered, as you see, so far away that have not the courage to try the same walk. again, with out the sea in front to lure me on"
 Shall you wait here. Miss Helen?' 'sYes.'' "You will let me see you safely mount ed?"
 s'Thanks; you are very kind" And so saying she turned away toward the sea. while went leisurely on my errand. By and by came back. A quarter of an hour hav- ! ing gone. At first missed her, but by and by, coming nearer, saw that she was lying on a black rock just beyond the reach of the sea, stopped 8 moment to watch her, with that pleasant little sense of mystery which comes of standing un- noted by one who thinks herself alone. She was too intent on her task, whatever l it was, to note my coming; so that before she did so was standing above and be- hind her, and wondering with all my pow CT of wonder at what ! saw. One hand was hanging over the sea, aRd-surely- yes-there was a long, almost invisible thead of hair, and swinging at the end a gay gold ring, which now and again she cast lightly out on the darkness of the | coming wave. This was all full of strange 1 Ar VUhok SiI S& | of what odd birth was this child like whim? stumbled ct last over the thought that l she was acting out the scene had put in words, and was playing it, so to speak, to help herself to realize, perchance, l the woman's feelings. A shrewd instinct bade me fall quietly back few steps before spoke. Then standing with my face away from the ocean, said, ''Yonder come the horses, Miss Helen"
 As turned she had started to her feet. | 70, I am so sorry! l have lost my on my finger five minutes ago, and was just playing with it-and-I lost it. Is it any use looking for it ?"
 "Not much I should say. Was 1t of any value?"
 'sWas 1t of any value2 It is of value I want it. Why don't some one get it for me p
 s'Shall take header in search of it, Miss Helen ?"
 Don't laugh at me don't like to be laughed at. If this were few hundred years ago, I could really have found men who would have cast themselves into these wicked waves when bade them. }
 ''Do you bid me 9
 sNo what use would it be? Besides, we are nineteenth century folk, and the world is beggared in the way of honor, and there is no women SO fair that one of you would die for her, and no man that is brave enough to-But I am in my fools mood to-day. and believe in nothing. l wish had my ring! How awkward you are Give me the other arm"
 stHow can I, Miss Helen?" And indeed I could not very well, having left the needed member on the bridge at Antie