The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1874-02-05
A REVELATION FROM THE SEA

"I may write to you, Alice, mayn't I p
Alice shook her head. " Better not, ,
she said "much better not" Still
the denial was faint.
"But I shall write" said the young
man warmly " it is all the comfort
have. I don't ask you to write me, but
1 viii write to you, and --"
"He would be angry" said Alice.
shaking her head; "no, you really
mustn't"
HAlI right" said the sailor, with a
warm sunny smile: ''to your sister
then-all right, know you'll go and
ask her for letter sometimes. Good
by. darling-one kiss"
The kiss was given hurriedly and sur
reptitiously, and the sailor sprang from
the landing stage into boat that was
waiting alongside, and presently the
oars were flashing in the sunshine as
she made rapidly for bark lying in
he stream. Alice stood and watched
the reoeding boat, watched it till it
reached the ship and was hauled up on
the davits. Presently the cherry song
of the sailors was heard over the water,
the clink of the windlass, as they hauled
the anchor home. Then she shook out
her sails and departed. A shore-boat,
however, had put off from the ship at
the very last moment, and came slowly
against tho tide towards the land. 1t
reached the landing-stage, and a wiz
ened elderly man landed and came up
the stairs.
"Well, Alice" he said, "well,
you've waited long time for Dicky-
good girl, good Now, my birdie, well
90 home to our little cage"
Alice sighed and put her hand in his
arm, and they went of, he with a
springy shambling gait, meant to be
sprightly and juvenile she with n slow
lifeless 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 Gra-
ham, who was only nineteen. But then
loft was the richest man in the port of
Melford Regis, and everybody said she
had done we'll for herself. There had
been some silly love-passages 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 a
home for her, TO say nothing of the
misery of marrying a sailor, and being
n widow, as it were, for four years out
nature that Dicky TOit should live for
ever; and then, if she played her cards
web, what p happy woman she might
be She would have to play her cards,
mind you, for she was poor girl when
she married, aud Dicky had kept all his
money ut his own disposal ; but then
what fool like an old fool and pretty
girl, like Alice, ought to be Rbleto wind
him round her little finger,
Certainly MIR. Toft was wonderfully
proud of his wife, and with good cause,
for she was one of the prettiest girls IN
Melford. To be sure, after her mar
riage she seemed to fade little, whilst
Dicky seemed to grow youpg and green
again, and responded to all the railery
of which ne was the subject as archly
and wickedly as any grizzled old mon
key on q perch.
Nothing was too good for Alice in Mr.
lofts opinion. He bought her shawls
from the Indies, beautiful muslins and
silks that would stand on end he gave
her Jewels too, and decked her out with
chains and trinkets and earrings, till
she grew ashamed of her splendor.
BY and by, Willie Black came home
from a long voyage, and one of the first
to welcome him and invite him to his
house was Mr.. loft, the ship-owner.
He had heard all ab-Gt this little love
affair, but he had such confidence in his
wife-she was such a jewel, so devoted
TO him-he was anxious that his rival
should see how completely she had for
gotten.
"You brought him YOURSELF" said
Alice in her own heart, looking rather
hardly at her husband, as he toiled mp
A.. H. hot 1nd ~
painting and shaking, but refusing 10
acknowledge that he was tired.
had schooled myself TO be content, and
with your own hand you shattered all
my good resolves.
LET us stay here for q moment, -
said Mr.. loft, I" and admire this pleas
ant view. Oh, I'm not tired-nO, no
not at ali but see the ship standing
out to sea. She's a capital sailor, eh
alb, yes. :"
Her sails were spread out far in the
distance, rosy with the beams of the
setting sun, but chilly mist was creep
ing up, an presently the glow vanished
and the white sails were blOtted out,
disappearing in the great vague world
of ylist and sea and shadow.
"Why, what's the matter, Alice 2
said Mr.. Toft, turning sharply round.
. Tears All, we'll, yes, We knows
little hysterical, Ell? DON'T excite
yourself, dearest My dear poppets, We
viii walk home very quietly, and the1
we will have tea IN our little nest.
She followed her lord and maste
slowly up the hill to their home O
Lookout hill it was a pleasant little
villa with o tine garden,