The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-05-08
KYLE GRIFFITHS.
A TALE OF THE WELSH COAST,

TALE OF THE WELSH COAST.
From the Cornhin Magazine.
A sea like a duck-pond, calm as glas.
and red as fire a long strip of snow
white sand, backed by precipitous rocks
gray by day, red too now from the in
carnadine arch of sunset sky above; tc
the westward a strip of land running
out into the harbor, and showing BLACK
as ink against the lower line of living
gold, where, far beyond, the sun had
iu3t dipped his flaming orb to rest be.
hind the waves. Over the point the
tOpsail rigging of O three-masted vessel.
Nearer, in the foreground, a girl seated
on heap of dry seaweed, her pretty,
brown, dimpled arms clGsped about her
knees, her head uncovered save by q
mass of black, silky curls, thrown back
and resting against an old boat, moss.
grown and broken, and long disused.
which had found its last haven in this
quiet nook. It was all very quiet at
first, but by and by a step came tramp
ling over the hard, smooth sands. The
young girls cheek glowed with a deeper
red, and her breast began to heave and
her hands to tremble, as though she
were a bird on the eve of flying to its
mate. Not being bird, but woman,
| however, she cOquetted-sat still star
ing at the sunset she did not see, and
| started and almost screamed when a big
man, brown and bearded and muscular,
came suddenly round the stern of the
! ruined boat, and, with short exclama-
tion, half choked as in great gladncss,
! took her straight into his arms, and
| hUgCRd her till she screamed in right
earnest:
"Kyle, put me down put me down !!
| How dare yOu be so rude, sir? Let me
go, please do"
"Not till you've given me q kiss,
Faithie," said the other. keeping his
! hold, good-humoredly, yet with some
! thing of TeprOach in his grave blue
eyes. "What! not one, after three
months waiting? Why, lassie, l thought
| TOu cared for me a bit better nor that.
An hungering for this minute every
! dav and hour since left you."
The tone of the remainder-perhaps
even the slackening of his arms touched
| her. Faith Morgan had a warm little
| heart, albeit five years younger and
smaller than the one against which it
was beating now. Inconsistent as
| true woman, the moment he let go she
began to cling, and put up her lips.
I" do care for you, Kyle" she said,
only-only you startled me So" and
forthwith she began TO sob like n baby.
He made no answer ut first, only kissing
her with close, tender kisses on lips and
ewes, till the tears were driven back, and
the lips pouted.
Now, Kyle, do let me go. You're
50 rough, and-and some one might be
passing"
And what if some one was ?'' asked
the sailor, lOosening his hold, however,
and letting her resume her former seat,
while he took up position on the boats
keel beside her. "Who has a better
right to kiss you than =? I can tell YOU,
Sam Jones' lassie didn't wait for him
to begin, for we walked up from the
pier together, and she had the house
door open, and her arms round his neck,
while he was still peering mp at the win
dow on the chance of her looking out"
"Nancy Evans is a bold girl" =" quoth
Faith, tartly. elf those are the man.
ners you like, Kyle, 1 wonder YOU
didn't try to cut Jones ont when you
first came here"
81 come between another man and
his lass - cried the sailor, staring; ''but
there, you're joking, sweetheart; and
besides yOu know there's never a girl in
Wales, or England either, that could
meet my fancy save your little self
alone"
You don't mention America said
Faith saucily.
America y repeated her lover
"why, in the name of all that's comely,
YOU wouldn't have me compare You to a
Yankee girl, would you?"
The honest Indignation in his tone,
however ludicrous in itself, bad soft
eninQ influence on Faith. Her big,
brown eyes grew suddenly wet, and her
voice sank to a half-shame-faced whis-
per
"Only told you wouldn't wonder
if You took to a foreign girl, Kyle.
Some say they're prettier than we are"
"YOu would ha' wondered, though"
retorted Kyle, promptly. "Prettier
than youl I'd like to see the woman.
Faith, give me your hand, and turn
your face this way. Do you think I'll
be content with the back of your head,
tonight ?"
He took her hand as he spoke, and
she let him keep it but her face was
still turned away, and there was faint
culver about the ruddy lips. Perhaps
her next words explained it.
Father s5ys you're going away
again almost at once, Kyle"
Ay when he came aboard to meet
us he gave me the offer. 1t did seem
hard, a'most too harI, when I'd hoped
to have little rest aside of YOU afore
1 went away again. But, after all, it
will shorten the time O. waiting one way,
lassie."
"HOw, Kyle?"
Didn't your father say was to wait
for you till was captain? I'm going
as captain, this time, and only for a six
weeks trip; leastways, that's what they
calculate it at. Some business with the
New York agents, think but sup
pose you've heard about it ?"
THAT the Olinda was to be fitted out
for sale, aud that you were to take her
over, an charter another vessel to bring
yer back? Yes; but won't it take you
longer?"
q doubt not. They're to have the
boat and cargo ready. Mr. Denbigh's
arranged all that. Did you know his
son-the new junior partner-is to ship
with us ?''
Yes, she said. Good heavens !
how rosy her face was now; aiid vet the
crimson sky was fading into blues and
violets. he was locking at her. and
the brows suddenly darkened over his
eyes, giving them an odd, fierce express
sion. His voice, however, was ouieter
than before.
81 can't say care abont smiling with
the owners son I'd liefer take any
other passenger. They're apt to fancy
that because they're boss ashore they
need be boss aboard, an I'm a master
full man myself, an don't hold with no
| Co.'S in salt water. Hows'ever ]
/ shoul mt mind so much if I liked the
man.
"And don't you % asked Faith timid-