Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1874-05-07
dignant little sigh and shiver filled the

Even the violet was dying out Of the
| sky now, and cool, gray shadows crept up
| from the east, and threw somber tint
over the mans face A small, cold wind
rose out of the sea, rufiling its breast with
| long, fretful lines, like the puckered face
Of an ailing child. 1t chilled the dimples
| in Faiths cheeks and blew the soft,
brown locks OF Kyle's stern brow; and
far overhead gull few by, with a long,
shrill scream, like the wall Of q banshee.
Before 1t ceased Kyle spoke:
He's gentleman, Is hcs / thank
God, then, / am not. Had / been one !
might have been betrothcd TO some fine
lady, i'stead o. the daughter of an honest
seafaring man like myself. Faith, twice
these five minutes have you found fault
with my manners. / don't say they're
finer nor rough sailors have need to be,
but you never laid blame on them before.
Has this gentleman been teaching you to
do so in my absence this timer"
Women are constitutionally towards.
Faith Morgan was 0very woman. Fer
all reply at first she took refuge behind
that ever.ready shield Of femininity, a
burst OF tears. Ii was not until they had
lasted long enough TO make Kyle apos-
trophize himself as a brute that she
sobbed out:
"How c.c.cruel you are! You kn.n-now
that love you as you are better than
and yet--ohl" Another burst, and the
pretty head dropping very near Kyle's
knee. Involuntarily he laid his hand
caressingly upon it. Involnntarily his
voice took softened. soothing tone.
Gam / crue., Faithie, and TO your
Nay, then, don't cry. Mayhaps ! was
over.sharp, but was met on landing by
iii talk about young DeDbigh an you.
They said he had been taking my place,
an though wouldn't believe it, nor even
harken to the foul.tongued gossips, 1t
sort o. cut me when you spoke up for
him. Faith, lassie, love you more than
many husband. If you were To play
me false with any one, think ia feel
| like killing him an you too"
He looked like 1t at the moment, and
she believed him, and trembled at the
mingling Of passionate tenderness and
wrath in his tone. Instinctively she
! turned and clasped his strong hand In
! both hers, her face turned up coaxingly.
Don't think o. such things, Kyle, love ;
you know / never could. What's MIR.
Denbigh TO me but fathers partnerY"
He was holding the soft hands and
| looking down into the sweet eyes. The
moon, Just rising, glittered on something
which, unnotced by her, had escaped
| from the folds Of her neckerchief-a
golden circle with the portrait OF man
within.
Faith" said Kyle Griffiths, in tone
which strove for steadiness, you're
! wearin' a grand new trinket since l saw
you last. Who gave you thatY"
T.. 80 o,t1I N
frightened gesture she snatched away
her hand, as If to hide the bauble. With
face deeply, terribly red, the red OF
cowardly consciousness, she stammered
out:
"I-I-it's nothing -father's--I mean
bought it,"
Without word Kyle loosed her wrist
and rose up. Without a word he turned
from her; only when he had gone ten
steps he came back, and said, very hoarse
and low:
Faith Morgan, you have told me lie,
an you know it, can't say II il was for
the first time, but can say 1t shall he the
last. / wondered and his voice sank
| deeper still" that you should shrink
when took you in my arms, while ago.
! ! wonder now you dare let me do 1t, wi
| that mans face lying between my heart
an, yaurs,- &c To him now, m you VIII ;
want no wife on whom can't depend
| In word an deed"
He was gone the next moment; and
Faith, sobbing bitterly with grief and
anger, went home TO find Philip Denbigh
at the garden gate waiting for her.
| He had been counting her for the last
two months, and she-had coquetted
with him. Flirting is not an amusement
confined TO the upper ten. have heard
Of young Patagonian squaw who was as
finished an adept at II as any Belgravian
beauty; and Faith, an only child and the
prettiest girl in Amlwch, had been won.
derfullv fond of trying her destinations
on the weaker" sex till the arrival of a
new first mate for her fathers favorite
vessel, the vessel he had commanded
himself until he was admitted to part
nership In the firm OF Dcnbigh ~ Co, his
employers. Kyle GrifIlths, big as giant,
true as the light of day, and masterful as
he said himself, had "cut OUT all the
rest In no time, and won Faith for his
own undivided property She never
even cared to look at any one else when
he was by; and, l believe, loved him as
entirely as was In her nature, with most
worshipful affection; but when Kyle was
away at sea, and young Mr.. Denbigh
came TO Amlwch-Mr. Denbigh, who was
what she called gentleman; some one
who wore fine clothes and had white
hands and curly mustache-and when
this hero testified an immed late and vi0-
lent admiration for herself, how could
she help being plcasedS how could she
help going back to the old habitsr
She did not help, either. Mr.. Denbigh
made love; and she smiled and flirted, all
unconscious in her fattered vanity of
what the neighbors were saying, until,
just three days before Kyle's return, the
sutton brought matters to crisis by a
declaration. They had tiff about a
photo of Faith which Dcnbigh had
stolen and put In his locket; and he had
brought her fine gold locket with one
of himself in 1t, aud begged her to accept
IL and take the donor into the bargain.
Followed Weakening for silly little
Faith, and the confession, But l am
engagedw
Followed anger from the gentleman
and tears from the LADY,
Followed fresh solicitations, more ar
| dent from the rebuff, and fresh "noes,"
more feeble from remorse and shame.
Followed tremendous scenes of mascu-