The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1876-06-10

Marian Wardlaw, with all my eighteen
years of what considered experience, pos
sessed.
But the last week everything had sc
changed. Ida Greenville had come among
US, with her fair cat-like beauty, her limo
cent eyes and exquisite grace, and stolen
my lover and my peace away from me.
looked at my own sun burnt face, tangled
brown curls, and, all. too often and un.
luckily, tumbled and torn costume; and,
contrasting the whole picture with Ida's
neat and always lady-like appearance and
regular beauty, l was sure that Ernest
loved her.
The knowledge made me abrupt and bit,
ter, aud often positively rude to him; while
with the intuitive pride of woman who
believes herself to love unsolicited, l en-
couraged rashly the advances of Paul Nal
travers, who seemed to find pleasure
could not understand in my stupid society.
The night before seemed to me to have
been sort of crisis in my history. 1t
.
went on sailing party far out on that
glorious ocean of my dreams. l sat apart,
at one time, from every one, leaning my
head upon my clasped hands, and thinking
sadly of the last sail, two weeks before,
when Ernest had been ever beside me, his
dark eyes glowing in the moonlight, and
seeming to drag mine to them with pas
sionate intensity. Now, all was so differ
ent. He was leaning over Ida, who turn
ed her sweet face up to him as fowor
turns to the sun. hated her as | gazed,
remembering how she had come into my
room that morning and told me Of Mr..
Fleming's attentions to her; and, as if
that was not enough, had said, laughingly,
81 He says you and Mr.. Maltravers will
surely make match" All. how cruel it
all was!
AS was looking at them, Ernest sud
denly raised his head, encountered my
gaze, started forward, then as quickly
wards me, making some trivial remark
about the beauty of the night. | was al
most too irritated to reply, as l thought he
only came to me because l seemed forlorn
and forsakeu, so merely said:
Yes, it is charming evening"
There was long pause; and then he
quickly bent towards me and said, in a
low, intense voice:
"Miss Wardlaw, why have you been so
cold to me these past few days?''
My heart beat so quickly that | was
nearly suff'ocated, but remembering Ida S
words, | said, languidly:
% Really, did not know in this hot
weather that anything was capable of be-
ing cold. You ought to regard me as your
greatest benefactor for giving you the very
suggestion Of GOODNESS; but fear you have
mistaken my manner
Then turning to Panl, who had just ap-
preached, said:
sob, Mr.. Matravers, thought you
were never coming back; have been quite
bored to death with my own wicked
thoughts
Ernest bit his lip under that long, grace
full moustache | admired 50 greatly, and,
without another word, went back to Ida
and never left her side the whole evening
Oh, what heavenly moonlight what beau
tiful sea; what merry words; yet what a
breaking heart was mine, that lovely night,
as we sailed on that ocean of silver beauty,
apparently all SO ha ppy and joyous.
The next morning the scene with which
this story opens took place. | was always
very reckless in the water, and had never
gone in bathing without Mr.. Fleming, who
was strong swimmer, and always watch
ed over me with untiring care. This was
the only time he had ever seemed unwill-
ing to 60 with me, and | did not believe
his excuse that he believed the beach I'M
safe on account of the strong currents and
undertow, However, l was bitterly deter
mined to oppose him in every way l could,
so l got ready, and gaily started off to the
shore.
Just as | was leaving my bathing house,
clad in those exquisitely becoming robes of
elegance in which we present ourselves at
the court of Neptune, l had the gratica-
ton of seeing Ida Grenville in the freshest,
sweetest of white muslns, with fluttering
blue ribbons, start off with Mr.. Fleming
for a long walk on the sands. l laughed
gaily, and said to Ida, Goodbye, little
coward and then to Mr.. Fleming, with a
derisive smile, Good bye, big coward, :"
and then ran with one plunge into the
breakers.
With the wicked desire to brave Mr.
Fleming, l went far beyond the depth he
always took me to, and soon | was joined
by Paul. No one ever enjoyed bathing as
much as did, yet to-day, when l saw that
Ernest was out of sight, l lost all pleasure
in my daily rapture. We stayed in much
longer than Ernest ever allowed me to re-
main, but at last turned to go III when it
were around. The breakers were gloriously
strong and high, but we had kept up pretty
well-much better than the majority of the
unucky, gasping wretches around US. All
of sudden we saw huge wall of a
breaker rolling in toward US through a
comparatively quiet sea.
"Great heavens" cried Paul, "Look
out"' and reader, he let go las hold Of me.
In one instant l seemed to be miles and
miles away from him, the shore, and from
everything but the great, cruel, green
swels of water. ! was rolled and tossed
hither and thither by the remorseless break
ers, and it seemed years before l saw the
golden sunlight once more. When | came
at last TO the surface, | shrieked in terror,
for the land was far away and receding
rapidly, while a strong current, setting
right out to sea, was carrying me swiftly
with it. 1t was in vain to struggle, and
remembering Ernest's instructions on a
former day, ] tried to keep myself on my
back, floating. l could just see, dimly,
the people running to and fro upon the
shore. Suddenly | seemed to meet con-
trary current and nv onward courSe was