The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1876-12-28
CHAPTER VII
WHAT ANNIK SAW AT THE ROCKING
STONE.

Heavy footed, for the uud clung
in Jumps to her shoes, tired, yet too
overweight to be sensible of fatigue,
Annik st last reached the road be-
side which stood the Rocking-Stone,
and before long the vast, mysterious
stone loomed in the darkness.
She looked round her. The dull
sound Of tapping waves told that the
sea was not far of, and southwark
the lightness Of the horizon pointed
out its whereabouts.
The dull sadness of the sound re-
called Laos OmInous words-"Hs
must not come back to Kerion."
"Silvestik Silvestik ~ she cried,
in an agony OF terror, "where art
thou 4? 1t is Annik who calls"
From across the road came q voice
she knew well-the voice Of the good
Cure.
"WhO goes there? If you are q
Christian man or woman, in the
name Of God come and help q dying
man ~
A thrill of terror passed through
Annik.
"I come, 1 come :" she cried.
And she went in the direction Of
the voice, slipping and stumbling over
the uneven ground and soon, In the
darkness, she saw the priest bending
over some one who lay outstretehed
at his feet.
Without a word she flung herself
down beside the senseIess body, and
ehafed the cold hands, till at last she
fancied they moved within her own.
The Cure spoke, and she answered,
but it seemed to Annik that she was
some one else, aud that she heard her
own voice telling the good father to
beware of Lao and of Guerik, for
they were bent on numbering Silves-
tik.
Presently came footsteps, and .
light beamed up the road. Annik
rose to her feet, and she saw her uncle
and Lso.
She stretched out her arms and
spoke vehemently "Keep OF, COW.
ards and murderers You shall not
touch Silvestik."
But as she spoke she grew faint sud
giddy; and as Lao answered her
soothingly, she sank to the ground.
"Mathurm GueTik," the Cur3 said
sternly, Ego back at once for your
horse and cart to carry theee children
home. As to you," he said to Lao,
"begone-yOu are not wanted"
This was all Annik heard, and then
she knew no more.
Aunik opened her eyes, and WON
dered as she looked round her.
saba !" CHEEKY voice said from
the chair beside the bed. "you have
slept late, my poor Annik you must
rise now, for Monsieur lie Cure wants
q talk with you"
Jeanneton, the Cures old house
keeper, patted the girls cheek, and
handed her q cup OF coffee. But An
mix could not drink. She sat up
gazing in the CHEEKY old face with
eager, straining eyes. She feared to
ask the question that hung on her
lips. The old woman seemed to un-
derstsnd the questioning Look.
"Silvestik Is all right" she said.
tit is well to be young" she went on,
and she shook her head reproaehf1l y
Monsieur lie Cure permits mucu t.
young people, or ! would ask what
you and Silvestik KerRroes had been
about when the good father found
you and brought yUu both home half
dead last night"
"And he ?n-crie1 Annik, with .
burst of sobs.
"He !" Jeanneton shrugged her
shoulders. "He is-in the parior with
Monsieur. But he Is fright, 1 can
tell you, with his bandaged head and
troken arm-poor fellow You seem
to have come off best, MAIDEN IisellP,"
she added Grossly.
But Annik flung her arms round
the old wOman's neck, laughing and
crying and sobbing all at once, In q
most incOherent manner-conduct
which, as JeaDneton afterWard told
her master, was quite unsuited to 9
pTesbytery.
But for all that Aunik stayed at the
Cures house till the chestnut leaves
grew brown, and began to fail slowly
from their stalks, and then, one aDe
clear morning, Silvestik and Annik
were welded in the little village
church of KeriOn, and went hons 70
NiZon tO live at the mill.
Lao COatfrec never came back 20
KerioD, though MathuriD Guerik still
lived on in the old farmhouse but
Annik never crossed its threshold
after her mRrriSge.-BeigrdVid- An
RUdl