River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1874-02-13
A REVELATION FROM Tue SEA.

Alice shook her head. Better not,
she said much better not.n Still
the denial was faint
I" But / shall write. . said the young
man warmly; it is all the comfort /
have. don't ask you to write to me,
but will write TO You, and"
He would be angry" said Alice,
shaking her head "no, You really
mustn't"
"All right" said the sailor with
warm sunny smile; "to your sister,
then-all right. know you'll go and
ask her for letter sometimes. Good.
bye, darling-one kiss"
The kiss was given hurriedly and sur
reptitiously, and the sailor sprang from
the landing-stage into a boat that was
waiting alongside, and presently / 10
oars were flashing in the sunlightsas
she made rapidly for a bark living in
the stream. Alice stood and watched
the receding boat, watched it till it
reached the ship, and was hauled upon
the dayits. Presently the CHEEKY song
OF the sailors was heard over the water.
the clink of the windlass, as they
hauled the anchor home Then 81,
shook ont her sails and departed. A
shore.boat, however, had put off from
the ship at the very last moment, and
came slowly against the tide towards
the lard. 1t reached the landing stage
and a wizened, elderly man landed and
came up the stairs.
Well, Alice" he said, well.
you've waited "a long time for Dicky-
good girl, good girl Now, my birdie.
We'll go home TO our little cage.
Alice sighed aud put her hand in his
arm, and they went off, he with a
sprlngy, stumbling gait, meant to be
sprightly and juvenile she with a slow.
liteless step, that yet kept pace with
him.
Richard loft, the ship. owner who
had just landed, was seventy years old
or more, and he had married Alice
Graham, who was only nineteen. But
then loft was the richest man in the
port of Medford Regis, and everybody
said she had done well for herself.
There had been some silly love pas
sages between her and William Black,
the son of Widow Black, of Woodbine
Cottage, but he was only a mate in one
OF Richards ships, and could never
have made home for her, to say moth
ing OF the misery of marrying a sail
or, and being a widow, as it were. four
years out of five. Now it wasn't In the
] course Of nature that Dieky Toft
should live forever and then, il she
played her cards well, what a happy
woman she might be She would have
to play her cards, mind you. for she
was a poor girl when she married, and
Dicky had Kept all his money at his
own disposal; but then what fool like
an old fool aud a pretty girl, like
Alice, ought to be able to wind him
round her little finger.
Certainly Mr. Tot was wonderfully
proud of his wife, and with good
cause, for she was one of the prettiest
girls in Nelford. To be sure, after
their marriage she seemed to fade a
lihiic, whilst Dicky seemed to grow
young and green again, and responded
to all ihe raillery of which he was the
subject as arcbly and wickedly as any
grizzled old monkey on perch.
Nothing was too good for Alice in
Mr.. lofts opinion. He bought her
shaWls from the Indies, beautiful mus
Inns aud silks that would stand on end;
he gave her jewels, too, and decked her
out with chains and trinkets and ear
rings till she grew ashamed of her
splendor.
by and by Willie Black came home
from long voyage, and one of the
first 10 welcome lin and invite him to
his house was Mr.. loft, the ship
owner lie had heard all about this
little love affair, but he had such conf
dence in his wife she was such Jew
ell, SO devoted 10 hlm-he was anxious
that his rival should see how complete
ly she had forgotten.
You brought him yourself, said
Alice IN her own heart, looking rather
hardly at her husband, as she toiled up
the steep bill that led to their house,
painting and shaking, but refusing to
acknowledge that she was tired. II had
sohooled myself to be content, but with
your own hand you shattered all my
, good resolves
Let me stay here for a moment, .
said Mr.. loft, land admire tins pleas
ant view. on. I'm not tircd--no, no
, not at all but see the ship standing
out to sea. She's a capital saller, ELI
all, yes.
Her sails were spread out far in the
distance, rosy with the beams of the
, setting sun, but chilly mist was creep
1 ng up, aud presently the glow van
/ ishcd md the white sails were blotted
4 out, disappearing in the great vague
\ world of mist and sea and shadow.
Why, what's the matter, Alice y
= sind Mr. lott, turning sharply around.
, " reus All, we'll, yes, yes, we know
+ i little hystcrical. eh Don't excite
/ yourself, dearest My dear Poppets.
q we viii walk home very quietly, and
then we will have tea M our cosy little
nest.
She followed her lord aud master
. slowly M the hill to their home ON
" Lookout Hin il was a pleasant little
4 villa with q fine garden.
q Things went on quietly enough Mt
Il Lookout villa for another couple OF
d wears. Mrs lott had not been blessed
u by children, as Richard had hoped,
!. aud the old mau was good deal
S cttstiallcu thCreat still he lived in
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