Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-11-28

they made way for him after what they had
heard, and he was knecling beside her with
her hand in his--fur mamma was in the
marquee, and the two girls and Aunt Ma
ria were tbunderstruck and bcwildered-
bending over her as he had never dared TO
bend, as he had never had the chance to ap-
proach her before, and gently drawing off
unseen the ring she always wore--a curl
Gus ring of three diamonds set so as to be
strung like beads on their wires, and make
any design into which she chose to move
them-a ring concerning which Anstice had
once said to Ralph, as she alterward told
me, at was worn by my grandmother for
a wedding-ring, and l shall give ii TO my
lover IN the day he acknowledges me he
fore the world.'
II was al in less than five minutes and
Ralph would have been a person of SUPER
human selfcontro and discrimination if,
at all he saw and heard, lie had not been in
n transp of anger. lie had stood still in
his amazement, in spite of'Ansticc's fall
ing, for he was too far Off to reach hcr; and
p >w at the sight Of Stuart bending beside
her he strobe toward mamma, coming from
the maiquec.
"Will you tell me what this mca1s?" he
cried hoarscly.
Bat mamma pushed past him without
hearing, and Austice was carried into the
house, and the pretty garden party broke
up in confusion.
And it was just under my window that
Ralph mot Stuart, and repeated his demand,
this time with an uplifled hand.
Il should think il is very evident what
il means,' said Stuart, with a cold sneer.
"Do you intend to say, Mr.. Mayuarder
49,"
II intend to say nothing. You heard
Ansticc say enough, said Stuart, regardless
of the suspended thunder on Ralphs brow.
"She is little coquette, and l dare say has
smiled on more lovers than one. But this
afternoon has put an end TO all that. Now
she is mine by open proclamation, and
warn all others out oil the way"
at is lie T. shouted Ralph. And in an
other m oment his falling hand would have
lelled Stuart in the path. But Stuart slip
ped aside, and Ralph's hand fell, in shame
perhaps, that he would have struck man
Just recovering from a blow
II won't dispute you," said Stuart again,
with his calm snoer, "because / know your
disappointment. But if you doubt such
evidences as your senses have just given
you, what do you say to this?" And he
extended his hand, on whose fourth finger
he ring with its three diamonds was gilt
terne. Ralph tossed up the hand extend
cd TO him, and turned and plunged out of
the Garden, though / called after him as
loudly as | could but my sick and tremb
ling voice hardly left my lips, and | was
taken back to bed, and to new access Of
fever. in which lived among shadows for
a week.
When gathered siren til enough 10 re-
member that afternoon l noticed that An
stice sat in tie window clothed in deep
black, and looking out to sea, and by and
by they told ne what had followed.
Ralph had the next morning been called
| to test his torpedo; and lie had sono /" do
it.. strangely, Anstice thought, without
| coming to soc her or inquring for her after
| her swoOn. And when there was some him
drance to the explosion down below, Ralph
has said it was his invention and his place
| TO 20 down ard see what the matter might
! be. And he had gone down, and on the
| instant there had come mu11led shock,
| and the sea was tossing in a huge fountain,
white with the foam Of miShty waves, and
the distant gunboals rocked with the swell,
and Ralph never came mp again that they
saw.
w.itcd liule while hut il seemed
best to do, and 50 1 told Anstcc Of what
had seen aud heard. And Anstice swcp
down the stairs in her black dress, and me
Stuart coming in; for he had been obsc
quiously kind in coming to help and sym
pathze.
"You are n murderer IA murderer I!
she cried. 'Give me back the ring yol
stole! You meant TO make me kill hin
myself when You called TO me to shoot, an,
then YOU drove him to his death Give mt
back my ring, you murdererr' and whit
as ashcs. and trembling before her augr,
majesty and fire, he gave her hack the rim,
he kept concealed and went away. II
was very i'll after that, and then the docto
had him sent to the West Indies. and W
heard no more of him.
And so our gay home became dark an
sad one. once in while we had a drear
hope that Ralph had been picked up by a
outward bound craft, and would be back
and persuaded by reflection that Anstic
was incapable of loving any one but him
self but as time passed the hope died, an
we did the best we could. And part of III
time Anstice locked herself in her room
and part of the time she roamcd off int
the woods, or sat on the bluf gazing acros
the sea; and then, as if the sight of il
splendor, as all its shining scales sparkle
and crept shOreward, grew too terrible
starting up and wringing her hands, an
coming home and lying on the sofa wit
, her face hidden. And she grew like th
, spirit of hersell-so thin, so fair, so shin
, ing-haired, dark eyed and beautiful W
bgan to fear that Anstice was going too
And so the summer passed, and 1t was nea
the winter ather. with snow and slet
and storms.
1t was the 9th of November, and ii ha
2 been a steady storm all day, rising at dai
into a terrific gale, and we awokc at mic
f night with such tempest beating about l
+ as we bad never felt. The wind came
I bilows you might say, rolling against Il
=, | side of the house, and the snow and ha
0 swept in furious ed1es, while the sea re-
= upon the rocks, and flooded the garde
t and roarcd with unceasing thunder. W
: were quaking in the unnamed fear that
y night storm brings, with all the horro
, from the unknown elements of dark ne
. and preternatural force, and when we hea
g the first minute-gun, and did not belize