Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1873-04-01

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"Yet sailors have moro prophecies
than any other people"
"I hope they arc false ones" she an.
swered; "ior. of all things, | want a
storm. Perhaps shall never be at sea
again in a sailing vessel, and to think OF
missing Storm"
MIR. Taliaferro looked at her moment.
"You are such happy thing" he said,
"that your happiness runs over and gives
Al rosy bloom to horror itself You for.
get that storm in those attitudes where
We are going means death and drowning
and despair and all the other double d's "
flush, hush she said. II am getting
rs superstitious rs sailor. You must
not mention those dreadful things, or
they will think you are calling them, and
will come | don't mean, of course, any
such vicious storm with murdcrous in.
tent as all that; only q great clustering
gale that we shall ride out, and then the
wind will fall, and the sea go down into
long swells, and the sun will come out,
and we shall find ourselves swinging
under the lee OF great shining cliff. with
palm.tree bending over the brink oil 1t.
Oh, just to think of the moment when we
first see q palm tree towering against the
sky-it is enough to live for Aud to
have it without planning for it, too How
glad am | ran away from schoolm
$50 am |, " said Mr.. Taliaferro.
And then The young girl was suddenly
silent. and neither did he say any more !;
but they leaned there together over the
ships side and watched the slow sliding
colors OF the depths below, rs they had
been watching them any time these three
weeks past, and as they were to watch
them Tor these three weeks 10 come. And
of course the rest followed quickly. as it
was likely to follow where the only young
people on the ship, hcmmed in by sky
and sea, were hourly in each others
companionship; ms likely TO follow, in.
deed, as two drops Of water in a cup are
likely 10 roll together and make one drop.
Perhaps The young mans heart had
warmed 10 the young girl before but
this exuberant happiness OF hers gave a
great briliancy that called the deepest
passions into play, and her sunny sweet
ness and gayety We're like chains to hold
him bound. Presently. il she were alb
sent he missed her, aud went TO seek her
and then one does not need beauty or
brilSncy when one has propinquity, for
propinquity is u wonderful power among
tho great elemental forces. For her own
side, excepting her father and now and
then guest. and the people Of her briei
Washington sojourn. Lillian had perhaps
never spoken To man belore-certainly
never 10 young man. She was alone
and among aliens. among dangers too,
and in strange situations. When the
wind piped at night in the rigging and
made her masts sigh with an unknown
sorrow, or when heavy sea broke round
the bows and made her shiver with IN
unnamed lear. this protecting manner OF
his gave her an assurance that no harm
could touch her and when the sun shone,
and the itiul breeze jus, tapped the sail,
and they drilled along like weed on the
tide, this interest of his gave delight 10
the delay. Half realizing that lately she
was an oppressed slave, and now ruling
like queen, she experienced novel and
exquisite sensations. When he sought
her her heart sprang up and went out to
meet him; and lately hidden thrill had
trembled through all her veins as she
looked at him. and had made her turn her
eyes away, Tor he had dark and power.
ful beauty of his own, and his eyes were
saying things to hers that there was nc
mistaking, and yet. perhaps, she hardly
knew what it was they said; she dared
not think herself SO blessed rs to have
the right 10 believe them.
They were sitting together one night
on deck. The old gentleman who al
ways said he he was going South for his
lungs, rs If they were something he had
mislaid, had gone below for the same
things now; his elderly sister had follow
ed with his air cushions and wraps; the
owner-yUung Taliaierro's father-and
the supereargo had turned in long ago
and the captains good wife played pro-
priety with her mouth so audibly wide
open that you knew her eyes were shut
there was only the watch on deck; there
was only one solitary passenger sitting
almost d.ships in tho shadow of the
main stay. sail; there was only one man
at the wheel anywhere near them. and
who ever thought of the man al the
wheel being anything more than a part
of the fixtures of the binnacle! The
deep purple of the heavens was all alive
with starlight as with aninforming spirit,
the golden shell Of a uew moon was just
dropping in the west; and Taliaierro and
Lillian leaned side by side and studied the
phosphorescent water depths in the way
that had become habitual TO them. And
they talked low voiced and in hesitating
sentences, and then there weIe long.
sweet sileDces. in which neither dared
meet ;he others eye, though conscious ol
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