Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1876-01-06
A WOMAN, AFTER ALL.

Take off that hideous bonnet, Dor.
othy. | want to see your sweet little
face without it,
Thou shouIdst not speak so, Charles.
1t is very wrong
why, little Dorothy: Tell me
why
Thou knOwest favor is deceitful and
beauty vain. We ought to bear testi-
mOny against the vanity OF personal
looks
Ought we? Then tell me why it
pleased Providence TO make you so
beautiful, my small eousiu.'
Hush, Charles, l will not permit
thee to speak to me in this manner
And little Dorothy Hicks, the Quaker
ess, put on the graVest air, and strug-
| gled valiantly to turn the corners of
her mouth down when they wanted to
| turn up.
Don't look so serious, little girl.
/ You positively alarm me- And
Charles Maynard burst into Il hearty
laugh that echoed through the poplar
! tree in the old garden. Now tell me,
/ DorOthy-I insist upon knowing, and
as member of your family, l conSid-
er that l have the right to be informed
are you going to marry BrUadbrim?'
Friend Ephraim- is an estimable
man, Charlie; thou must not speak of
/ him thus
Look, DLrothy. There he is. will
| quote no proverbs, but the rim of his
| hat just turned the corner as | speke.
Now don't look as if you intended to
go back 10 the house, for you are not
going. III tell you a secret. When /
"a III.
found a boat with tempting pair of
OATS lying in it, and l made up my
mind that Dorothy Hicks and her
wicked, worldly cousin from the popu-
lous city of New York were going for
IA row in that very boat this evening"
1t is neighbor Hancock's boat
He will let Us have it,
Yes. But, Charles, fear that it is
my duty
No, it isn't. You know you don't
want to speud this lovely evening in
the house entertaining BrOadbrim, and
you want to 60 aud watch the sunset
on the river with me-
Dorothy looks dOubtfully toward the
house and wistfully toward the river.
'Feme Qui hesite est perdue, Dorothy,
which means that if we don't hurry,
Graycoat will came out and catch us.
Charles takes Dorothy's hand in his,
aud in a moment they are on their way
TO the shore.
But, Charles, see that cloud in the !
South. If there were to be storm?'
But theee will not; come, jump in
The oars are lifted into the row.
locks, Dorothy takes the management
of the rudder in her hands, and soon
they go gliding over the smooth sur
face Uf the water, leaving track of
silvery bubbles behind them. 1t is
lovely evening. The misty shadows
of twilight are gathering i'll the east
and the west; the clouds, blOod-red and
purple, are casting a rosy light all over
the broad river; a fresh breeze is blow
ing round their faces, and waves splash
against the sides of their boat like low
mOnOtOnOus music. Charles is talking
about his home, telling Dorothy
about the aunt anil cousins she has
not set tor a long time, and amusing
her with stories of his college days, and
his efforts TO make his way in his pro-
fesSiOn, which at first were so unsuc-
cesSlul. Neither of them notices that
the breeze grows sresher and that the
dark cloud in the south has spread over
the horizon, and is covering it with
darkness.
Presently low, muttering growl of
thunder starties them from the dream
into " hich they had fallen.
Turn back, Charles, turn backp
screams Dorothy, the storm is upon
us" They have been rowing with the
tide. The river is very wide, and the
increasing force of the waves and the
wind together is 50 strong that when
they attempt to turn about, the water
rushes into the tiny boat. Both faces 4
grow pale in the murky light as they ,
see the danger.
1T is impossible; yon can't do it.'
Tell me, Dorothy, what is that dark
object just ahead"
1T is ledge of rocks, but when the
tide comes IN from the sea it will be
covered,' and with low moan Doro-
thy sank down from her seat and COW
cred her face with her hands. Il
we will try and land there. The
tide will not turn for an hour.
The effort was successful. The ledge
is reached, and Charles carries Dorothy
to the highest rock and lays her gently
down.
My love, my little love- he cried,
kissing her helpless hands, have 1
killed you?'
Stop she exclaimed. 'Listeni-
there is boat! 1t is coming this way
Dorothy is upon her knees, and wild
cry of thanksgiving comes from her
lips.
Ephraim Ford had followed them.
The heavy boat with its single occu-
pant is strong enough to resist the
waves, and as he nears them, they go
down to meet him.
'Backn he cries, L will not take but
one of you; it is not SAFE
The grim Quaker, with his stern,
face, wrencheS away the
slender hands that cling to Charles, ,and
clasping Dorothy tightly in his arms, !
and lays her at his own feet in the bot /
tom of the boat. Not a word is spo- |
ken until they reach rhe opposite I
shore. Then be takes her up again {
and carries her to the nearest fishers
hut up the beach.
AS they stand within the shelter of
the little cabin, Dorothy looks at him
with wild eyes, and cry of torture is
sues from her white lips.
GO back, go back! You will go back
for him?'
Go back for your elegant city lover,
whose ignorant carelessness would l
have cost you your life, but for me" I
Dorothy falls on her knees and I
grasps his cold hand in agony of en- d
treaty.
Go back, go backp
Promise me first that you will not
marry him. Swear it as the worlds =.
people do
He takes her hand and holds it up to
Heaven, and waits for the oath.
Dorothy's lips move, but no sound
came from them. Dorothy had tainted.
The fisherman's wife takes the un-
girl and laid her on her own
bed, aud Ephraim Ford goes on his er-
rnnd of nnerrv with Innrlpr in his