The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-07-29

them--a stout old gentleman, with red
face and shining bald head-and a very
ungracious glance he cast on Mr. Hugh
Barton as that young gentleman bowed
polite adieu to Miss Wingate at the foot
Of the piazza steps
Evidenly there was no love lost be-
tween these two gentlemen.
The sunshine of the next day lay like
morning vail of gold over the gently rip
pling surface Of the great deep, as Mr..
Barton's little boat, lightly rocking close
to the shore, creaked beneath the weight
of Uncle Percy Wingatc.
Gently, sir, if you please; keep exact
ly in the middle Of the seat, +" mischievous-
ly counseled Hugh Barton, us the old gen.
tleman looked nervously from side to side.
"The least deviation from an exact equi-
librium would probably consign us to a
watery grave"
" Perllaps-perhaps we had better turn
back, faltered the old man, looking anx-
icusly toward the fast-receding shores.
81 cannot swim, and"
"0h, by no means, sir; it's all right"
cried Hugh, pulling vigorously at the oars,
and looking cOntentedly at the blue eyes
q Pennie, who sat directly opposite to
him. "Don't allow yourself to be wor-
ried; We shall soon be there"
And then, by way of cheering up his
companions spirits, he related variety ef
anecdotes concerning deaths by drowning,
shipwrecks, etc, while Pennies concealed
smiles contras.ed oddly with Uncle percy's
look Of open-mouthed horror.
"Here we are" sir" said Barton, at
length, as the keel of the little boat grated
on the sand at the rocky point which was
tho rendezvous of the various picnickers.
"I hope you've enjoyed your sail! I"
Uncle Percy tried to smile, and said
"Oh, yes, he had, very much, indeed"
But he didn't look like it,
As soon as the impromptu lunch, ca ten
under the shadow of beetling cliff of daz.
zling white rock was over, Mr.. Barton and
Miss Wingate strollcd casually off, follow
ed close by Uncle Percy.
ave are going toward Cyndale Point"
carelessly observed Mr. Barton. 81 think,
Mr. Wingate, you would be apt to find
finer variety of water shells on the Crood.
ed Mills shore" !"
"0h, it doesn't matter" said Uncle
Percy, ~ dare say | shall find enough at
Clyndale,"
And he eyed the two young lovers with
glance which was, to say the least of IL,
malicious.
Clyndalc Point was superb mass of
rocks, belted here and there with crags
and rits-a broad stretch, or floor, over
which, at high tide the waters swept like
food, but which was now bright sur.
face Of rock or sand with tiny shells, and
trails Of dark seaweed strewn here aud
there.
Here is delicious shady spot under
these rocks" said Mr.. Barton. "Shall
we sit down and rest?"
Certainly" interposed Uncle Percy,
before Pennic could answer; certainly
TN tired to death climbing over these un-
even crags,"
So Hugh Barton spread his plaid on the
rock to form convenient seat for Uncle
Percy, while he and Pennie picked up
shells, and gathered strange, shining peb-
bles and bits of seaweed, conscious the
while that the old gentleman's gray eyes
were on them, keen aud unweary as the
gaze Of falcon.
"Don't 60 out of sight, Penelope" |"
sharply cried he, as Hugh Barton evinced
desire to pass beyond his ken, and, un-
willingly enough, both turned back.
an fix 'em |" thought Uncle Percy,
chuckling gleefully to himself.
But man is only human after all, and
Uncle Percy was very much fatigued by
his long walk, to say nothing of the feryid
heat of the August day, and by degrees
he felt himself growing drowsy, his eye
lids dropping lower and lower, aud de-
licious sense Of torpor gradually insinuat-
ing itself into every crevice of his being.
"This won't do" thought Uncle Percy,
"This will never do y and he Strengthened
himself up, and stared very 6xedly at the
two figures on a ledge Of cliff little be-
low but in minute the somnolent infu-
ence again overpowered him, and he leaned
back, fitting bis spinal column into
convenient niche Of rock, and, in spite Of
his resolution to the contrary, fell fast
asleep.
When he awoke the sun had, by some
celestial hocus-pocus or other, turned itself
directly around, and, instead Of shining on
the rocky headland back of him, was pok-
ing its burning beams directly into his half
opened eyes, rejecting itself, in dazzling
ribbon of fire, from the oc can, until earth,
sea and sky seemed alike ono glare Of
white, binding light.
"Dear mel quoth Uncle Percy, rub
bing his dazzled optic orbs, "where am l?
How came here?
Then, with the torrent of returning re-
collection, came also apprehension. Where
was his niece and where in the name Of
all the fates and furies combined, was that