Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1875-11-30

struck q man just recovering from
blow.
al won't dispute you." said Stuart
again, with his calm snecr, "becanse
know your disappointment. But il yo
doubt such evidences as your senses hav
just given you, what do you say to this +?
and he extended his hand, on who's
fourth finger the ting with its three dia
mopds was glittering. Ralph tossed III
the hand extended before him. and turnet
and plunged out OF the garden, though
called after him rs loudly as could bu
my sick and trembling voice hardly lei
my lips; and | was taken back 10 bed
and to new access OF fever, in which
lived among shadows for week.
When gathered strength enough to
remember that afternoon | noticed that
Anstice sat in the window in deep black.
and looking ont to sea, and by-aud-by
they told ME what hal followed.
Ruff had the next nj ,rning been called
to test his torpedo; aul h had gone to
do 1t. strangely, Anstice thought, with.
out coming to see her. or inquiring for
her swoon. And when there was some
hindrance to the explosion do wn below,
Rail- had said il was his invention. aud
bis place to 90 down and see what the
matter might be. And he had gone
down, and on the instant there had come
a mpilled shock. and the sea was tossing
in huge fountain, white with the foam
OF mighty waves. anl the distant gun.
boats rocked with the swell. and Rtlt
never came up again that they saw.
! waited little while; but it seeme ed
best TO DO, and 50 / told Anstico of what
| had seen and heard. Aud Ans,ice
swept down the stairs, in her black
dress. and met Stuart coming in; Tor he
had been o5Sequiously kind in coming
to help and symp athize.
"Iou are murderer IA mul dererl"
she cried. "Give me- back that ring you
stole. You meant - make me kill him
myself when you called me 10 shoot, and
then you drove him 10 his death. Give
me back my ring.you murderer" And
white as ashes, AMI trembling before her
angry majesty and fire, he gave her
back the ring he kept concealed and
went away. H. was very i'll after that.
aid then the d)ctoc had him sent TO the
West Indies. and We heard no m )re of
him.
And SO our gay homo became dark
and sad one. Oacc in a while we had a
dreary hope that Riff had been picked
up by an outbound craft. and would be
back, and persuaded by reflection that
Austice was utterly incap.b.e OF loving
any but himself; but as tlme passed the
hope died, and we did the best we could.
And part of the time AusLice locked her.
self in her room. and part of the time
she roamed off into the woods, or sat on
the bluff gazing across the sea; and
then. rs if the sight OF its splendor. as
all its shining scales sptrkled and crept
shoreward. grew too terrible, starting up
and wringing her hands, and coming
home and lying on the sofa with her
face hidden. And she grew like the
spirit OF hersell-so thin, so fair, so
shining haired, DARK eyed, and beautiful.
we began 10 fear that Anstice was going
too Add 50 the summer passed. and it
was near the winter weather, with snow
and sleet and storms.
1t was the 24.h of November. and it
had been steady storm all day. rising
OF dark into u terrific gale. aud we woke
at midnight with such tempest beating
about US as We had never tet. The
wind came in billows, You might say,
rolling against the side of the house. aud
the snow and hail swept in furious ed.
dies. while the sea rose upon the rocks
and flooded the garden. and roared with
an awful unceasing thunder. We were
qlaking in the unnamed fear that
nigh. storm brings. with all the hor rors
iron all the unknown elements OF dark
ness and preternalural force. and when
we heard the first minute. gun, and did
not believe we heard it, we sprang out
OF bed and ran to look for the light OF
the lighthouse; On. the light was out,
and we found out by-and-by that its
iron pillars had been snapped of like
flower. stems. We dressed, and sum.
moned the servants, and those that
could keep their breath labored ont with
lanterns to the bluff. now and then
throwing themselves down in order not
TO be blowed with the drifting snow
Heaven knew where; and they tried TO
kindle q bonfire, but it was useless-the
storm extinguished faster than they
could rebuild it, So they came back,
and we lighted up oil the sea side
windows of the house, and we waited
together, the minute.gun still booming,
till at last we thought We heard it long
after there was no sound but the terrible
sounds OF the storm. But after q while
the gale began to abate, and we dropped
asleep, on the sofa, on The hearth rug.
any where, and mamma sent us back to
bed; and when we woke there was
gray sky, and the wind had gone down,