The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-07-27

hair on her bosom rose and fell wildly.
She felt rather than saw the bold gaze Of
the eyes that dwelt upon her with mag
netic power. He took her unresisting
hand, and with strange smile, placed
the ring in its followed palm, and closed
her fingers lightly over it,
| When the meal was done, Beverly called
his host and paid his reckoning with
princely generosity. His purse was burst
ing with gold, as Simon Goelet could see.
1T is blowing great guns" said the
old innkeeper, land the night is dark,
honored sir Better stay at the Gray Gull
Inn till morning?"
"Impossible, answered Beverly ;"wind
and weather are small matters to me- At
present let us drink the health of your
fair daughter"
| 1t was done. Then Goelet in his turn
proposed second bumper to King George
A smile fitted over Beverly's lips. He
| drank the toast, but as he sat down his
glass on the board, he hummed under his
breath the following stave:
'''Go, tell the King of England
| Go, tell him thus from me,
Though he reigns King DER all the land,
[ will reign King at sea-
| Then he flung his blue cloak over his
shoulders, and kissing his hand to Pearl
Goelet who stood pale and speechless in
! the background, ne walked out of the Gray
Gull Inn, and disappeared straight in the
| darkness and storm of the night
| Hours after. when the house was still.
| Susannah Goelet, who always exercised a
motherly care over her younger and fairer
cousin, stole softly to Pearls bedside to
| see that all was we'll with her before she
| herse retired to her hard-earned rest.
| Th. girl was tossing in feverish sleep,
her cheeks flushed. her disheveled curls
streaming over the pillow. Beverly's ring
pressed tightly to her heart
pearl. Pearl !" cried Susannah, lean
ing over her; "what is it, dear? Are you
| sick ? -
"Where is he ?' she cried. ''Is he come
again?" and then. as she recognized
Susannah, "go away What are you do
ing here? Who sent you to watch me in
my sleep? And she pushed her fercely
off, and tlinging herself face downward
on the pillow. fell to sobbing bitterly
The ring rolled from her hand and fell at
Susannah's feet.
She picked it up.
PEARL" she cried. in min gled rage and
anger, {" What is this? How dare you
take gifts from that man? | will 90 this
moment and call Uncle Simon"
"Wiil YOU, indeed y flashed Pearl. start
ing up again, and snatcbing the ring from
Susannah 81. too, can tell tales. | can
say to Andy Hull, 'Susannah loves you
| with all her heart She has loved YOU
1onfr Gn
fortune-'n
''Hush hush" susannah clapped her
hands to her ears Il do not envy you,
Pearl, | want you to be happy with Andy,
but you can never be that if you let the
free tongue Of every gallant you meet
turn your head Freebooters are plenty
enough along the coast, How do you
know that Captain Beverly is not one !?
Where was he going in the storm to-
night? Show the ring to Andy tomorrow,
and ask him what you shall do with it,
Pearl thrust out one hand to the door
~ on have no right TO dictate to me
you are nothing but a dependent here,'
she said scorntully. "Go.' and poor
Susannah with q downcast face. went
meekly out
She was never the same after that fatal
night-beautiiul Pearl Goeet. She had 4
trick of wandering by herself among the
wild rocks OF the shore; of being absent
from the inn for hours at Il time With
her lover she was frettul and capricious,
with Susannah morose and fOrbidding.
When Andy Hull dropped in Of an even
ing Tor a chat in the chimney y-corner,
Pearls chair was sure to be vacant. On
the second Sunday, when her name
was called with her lovers in church. she
sat with blank eyes and a face like the
dead, staring straight in vacancy,
One night Andy Hull. with Il lovers
ardor. was hurrying along the shore from
his mothers cottage to the inn of the
Gray Gull. There was heavy sea tumb-
ling, and a thick fog creeping like a cold
death, upon land and water. In the sky
hung a wild, watery moon, its disk show
ing family through the rolling banks of
vapor With his horny hands thrust into
the pockets Of his homespun jacket, Andy
plodded along the rough way. his head
and heart alike full of his betrothed. when
10 in the lee of rock, dimly defined by
the uncertain light of that shrouded moon,
he saw two human figures standing to-
gethcr.
The first was a man in long cloak
the second. woman with loose hair
streaming ont from under a hood knotted
under her chin
She was leaning on the breast Of the
man, her waist encircled by his arm, his
face bent down to hers.
Lovers surely Andy stopped short
and looked at them. Something about
the female tgure-the graceful outline.
the streaming hair-struck him with
strange-yea, awful familiarity And
the man, also verify, he bad somewhere
seen one like him He listened, but if
they were speaking, their voices were
lost in the roar Of the sea. Stung by an
irresistible terror, Andy Hull shouted
aloud: "Pearl, Pearl Are you there,
Pearl p
A billow Of fog engulted the moon, the
figures vanished as if by magic. Andy
ran to the spot. but saw nothing. He
dashed up aud down the rocks like n
madman, calling Pearl and receiving no
answer save the sullen murmur Of the sea-
Was it, indeed. his betrothed-that spec
trail shape, embraced by the arm Of the
cloaked figure? He could not tell He
was angry, bewildcred He hurried on
to the Gray Gull Inn, and there, in the
chimney found Pearl at her wheel,
spinning like some beautiful spider. He
stole behind her, and touched her hair
Its long cllrls, darkened and disordered,
lay coiled in drenched masses against her
stiff. high-backed chair
"Nhere have You been, Pearl ?" said
Andy Hull. "Your hair is wet with the
mist"
She looked ut him from the corner of
her eyes.
YES" she answered; Il was leaning
long from the window tonight, watching
for you"
He stood awhile, looking thoughttully
into the fire.
"Thank Cod" he said. at last, in a
queer, solemn voice. In three days,
Pearl, you will be my wife. 1t will be a
happy hour for me when you are mine
beyond recall
She drew sken of wool softly through
her hand