The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-12-24
Too Late.
BY X, V, HASTINGS.

~ anIty OF VanltleS-alI IS vanity F."
"l ou'd better 90 for her, Rob-" said
George Doncastor, looking with pride at
his handsome, stalwart. younger brother
handsome except for that expression Of
vanity which malTed the otherwise per
feet whole
Rob Doncastor lowered tie car window
and glanced from the image of himself ia
the opposite glass to the wild, rocky land
scape, and the occasional glimpses OF the
sea, near which they We're passing
How do you know | could get her?7 lie
asked, twirling his moustache and ganc-
ing down at the pale. sickly tace before
him
George smiled Doesn't she show it
plainly in every word and notion C0uld
she ever conceal anything2 She'd take
you as soon as YOU asked her-and YOU
know it, you vain rascal' as he detected
his brothers handsome ewes WANDERING
back to the mirror ''I tell YOU what. Rob,
its shame to treat that girl 50 If you
want to marry her why don't YOU tell her
50 > and if YOU don't why don't YOU leave
her alone 9n
Rob slightly elevated his handsome nose.
II don't know myself what want; 10
how can ! tell her Because girl takes
| Il fancy to me it does not follow that
must marry her"
shes splendid gml, Rob you can't
do better
i know she's a splendid girl. know
several splendid girls, but don't want to
marry them all
Rob :" exclaimed his brother. Il Be-
heye you mean to marry Frank, and are
keeping her in suspense only out OF vani-
ty -
Rob colored slightly, but laughed No
such thing, old fellow ! tell you | don't
know whether care for her enough She
isn't at all the sort Of woman I've ALWAYS
thought Id fancy. She isn't masculine
exactly, but, at any rate, she has great
many masculine tastes. See how she rows
and skates and swims and rides And |
don't believe added Rob. striking his fist
on his knee, THAT she's afraid of anything
i'll Heaven above, nor in the earth beneath,
nor ia the waters under the earth r.
Il think said George, that courage
is glorious quality in any one and cer-
tainly it does her no harm She is not
| bold-only very sweet and womanIv, with
out any sense Of tear. She's open as TIE
day; utterly incapable OF deception or
/ any Of those small sins with which women
are usually credited She's a Grand W0-
man and had she been capable OF keep
! ing hel feelings for you - herself YOU
would have worked hard to win her, Rob.
and thought yourself lucky to get her.
! Rob looked more as though he thought
! She would be fortunate to get him but
he did not say so-only patted his brother
! soOthingly on the shoulder "Neyer mind.
| Jinlls.' said he, calling George by the
name with which the baby Rob had chris
tened him "don't let's fight about ii I'LL
60 back now If You say so
"Of course not, replied George, rather
Indignantly you promised we'd spend
Sunday at their place, and Of course we
must do ii But do think a little what
you're about If you don't mean 10 mar
ry her don't give her any more dogs or
flowers don't write to her, and don't visit
her again
Il couldn't help giving her Spot; Id
promised him to her long ago
Poor Frank how She pets Spot It
proves the Old saying about Love me
love my dog
Rob made no reply but again looked
out OF the window and watched the count
less daisies beside the road, and the but
terhios that sailed 80 laAily from one to /
the other, needless OF the great rushing I
train 70 near ~ hand, he sun was be- |
ginning to decline little in the west. but
was still almost as hot as at midday: and
the distant sparkle Of the ocean pleasantly !
reminded them Of the cool, breezy house |
beside the sea, where they We're expected
50 soon, and where their Sunday was to
be spent.
While George sat silently wondering al
the frivolous vanity which 50 marred his
brother otherwise manly character, Rob's
thoughts dNelt on The glorious swim he
would have the next morning, and ON the
row he would enjoy that very evening
when the moon was risen aud the nI1W
from the sun not vet quite gone He knew
who would sit opposite him and ply the
other pair Of oars; whose glorious voice
would mlngle its sweet singing with the
plash of the waves He knew whose
splendid eyes would tell in one flash what
most WOmen's whole lives can never ade-
quately eXpress-h0W much she loved.
1t was five O'Clock when they reached
the station and began their walk over the
cliffs, ard they lounged slowly along.
baskng in the warmth Of the sun. tasting
the salt sea-breeze6, and enjoying the per
tect day Now ana then they paused to
| watch the gulls swooping into the crests
of the waves below, OF tumbling-school
OF porposes, or some little boat skinming
out OF sight in the turns of the shore.
Frank generally meets me about here. .
said Rob, as they mounted the highest
point Of the cliffs and looked down on the !
sunny little beach beyond
Nv hats the matter with those people ?"
asked George. land what's that in the
water?r
Rob shaded his eyes half blinded with
the dazzle OF the ocean, and after one
glance dashed down TO the little group
below
whats the matter ?" he shouted TO
the only man among them, an old palsied |
seaman, who stood With two crying wo-
men and half a dozen frightened children |
"A lady drowned" =" they all cried in con
fused chorus and while Rob began tear
ing off his outer garments he heard |
word or two Of explanation
"She went In after her dog. sobbed the /
women; 'he was being dragged away by /
the undertoW
Il sent my boy after boat sir quay |
cred the old man You see bent Of no
use"
My Cod groaned George, 1T may
be"
Hold your tongue, roared Rob, half
mad with apprehension and remorse, and |
fixing his eyes on the purple dress that
rose and tell with the cool wash of the
| waves, he dived from the nearest rock and
struck out for the poor, drowned girl
To him the seconds seemed hours, and
the waves mountains as he struggled
through them yearning, striving, fighting
to reach that CLEAN Of purple rising and
falling with the heaving OF the sea, As
he drew nearer one white arm became
visible then the loosened chestnut locks,
with the sea-foam creeping and curling
through them. and finally Spots pathetic
eyes looked up, motionless and dead, from
where she held him. still pressed against
her bosom
Rob dared not look in her face lest he
should never bring her back to shore but
he turned, grasping her dress with his lett
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