The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1873-10-16
BY THE SAD SEA WAVES.

Yes, Alf., the waves have always
to me a sad, uncertain sound"
" Don't be soft, Tom"
"But l tell you it is true. Just
listen, now, to the murmur of the surf.
1t rushes and recedes like the coming
and going of memories which one
would" s......
"Bosh I"
There's no bosh about it. 1 am in
earnest. The restless sea always
breathes in my ears a tale in which
bitter disappointment is mingled with
longing regret for something swallowed
mp in the irrevocable past !'
"Oh, come now, Tom, you sicken
me. You'd better turn poet, and pour
out the surgings of your soul on paper
[ am sure you would be success, at
least in the eyes of love-sick girls"
Ono, no Alf., you are sarcastic
you misunderstood me. l could tell
you sad tale that would cause you to
listen indulgently to such rhapsodiz-
ings as you now profess to be disgusted
with"
"Indeed !"
eyes and if you should hear it, you
would then understand why it Is that
Il melancholy effect on me-"
"Oh, tell it, by all means p
Will you listen attentively ?"
eyes.
"And not interrupt me with any of
your discordant, unfeeling comments %
"No."
"All right I'll tell it then"
And thereupon Tom Blanchard re-
lated to my curious ears the following
account of hitherto unreYealed episode
in his life.
SIT was two years ago. I was So
lourning by the seaside, and occupied
comfortable quarters in the SPRAY
House. The season was gay. Beauti-
ful girls, resplendent in all the decora-
tions of the fashion artists watchful,
wary, gorgeous mothers eager rest
less young bucks, like myself, with a
sprinkling of fathers, who oscillated
between the attractions of the place and
the stern demands of business, these
We're the principal elements of the
throng that made glad the landlord of
the Spray House.
"You can readily imagine that was
not backward in participating in the
plersures Of the place. l had plenty
of money, and went in on my nerve,
as the boys say. Oh, it was a grand
carnival of flirting Hearts were toyed
with, smiles were flung about, and
9lances shot at willing targets with
luxurious looseness. The mad frolics
of those in whom nonsense held prime
sway made lively work for the anxious
matrons, whose grip on the reins was
only too infantile in its weakness.
"Onc day there was a new arrival.
A woman with eyes like the reflection
of the midnight moon in still water,
hair spun from gathered darkness, a
round, soft, perfectly shaped face, COM
plexion of alabaster whiteness, with
cheeks of warmest crimson-an indie
scribable air which was irresistibly
fascinating. Ah, words can convey but
faint. tame, insufficient picture of
Irene Vance
"She at once created a sensation, and
there was a regular stampede of young
fellows seeking introductions to her.
She received the homage that was
showered upon her very quietly and
cody, treating all with an easy grace
that, to those who wished to approach
her beyonda certain point of polite cor
diality, was fairly maddening. She
was an orphan, SO it came to be under
stood, and rumor said she was possessor
of a snug fortune in her own right.
She was accompanied by an aunt,
an elderly, respectable, matronly-
looking woman, who said but little, but
who, more than once noticed, had a
very sharp, observant eye. This, how
ever, was as itshould be, I thought, for
Irene was besieged with attentions, and
it was we'll for her to be under the
guardianship of one yersed in the ways
of the world.
81 fell in love with her, as was to be
expected, and did not endeavor to con-
ceal my admiration. But she treated
in a provoking cool and unconscious
manner the bestowal of any marked at
tention, which conduct of course only
stimulated my desires"
"She had her carriage, horses, and
coachman, and it was not long before l
discovered the particular drive she
took each morning. Thenceforward l
made it my business to walk daily to
point On the beach which l knew she
would pass, and soon 1t became a part
of each forenoon's programme for me
to station myself on certain rocky.
perch, and look up from my book to