Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1877-09-15


spoke homeward- bound ship, and felt
as if the strange ships crew and pas
sengers were dear friends whom they
would like to hug; sometimes q storm
crept upon them like painted Pawnee,
and shook every stout cable like rib
bon, and again they swung in latitudes
of calm. and watched strange fish dart
like sunbeams through the sea; and dur
ing these seasons Mr.. Surrey and Miss
Seldom must have grown either desper-
ately interested MANIFESTATIONS dur
ing which the fight of a sea-bird, the
plunging of some restless a-monster,
the floating fragments of some wreck, was
an episode and an excitement.
"Dear mel" yawned Mrs. Bruce !;
"even water-spout OF tornado would
be a welcome change. This is utter
stagnation, isn't it, Mr.. Surrey ?"
"Do you find it so, Miss Selden ?" he
asked, RELOCATING his reply to that young
lady. "Would you welcome the sea-
serpent, or a piratical crew swooping
down upon us from no matter where ?'
"I-I-shall be very glad when we
reach Calcutta" said Serena. "In the
mean while I am not unhappy"
"I don't believe we shall ever reach
Calcutta" groaned Mrs. Bruce. "I
think we are just like the phantom ship
which sails on and on for ever and ever"
81, for one, shouldn't object said
Surrey, lightly.
Certainly not. You are going round
the world pour pasSer Ie temps. Heav-
ems can't understood any one choos-
ing this everlasting voyage of his own
his will for pleasure. It's a perfect mar
vel to me that Serena consented to
come"
"And perfect godsend to me, inter-
polated Surrey.
"Some other people ought to think.
But L wonder you're not more impatient
to reach Calcutta, Serena; do indeed. )"
"All impatience in the world wouldn't
carry me there day earlier"
"Well, I wasn't so philosophic at your
age," as if that were feather in her cap
of peculiar luster; and taking up her
novel: "Here's a goose of a heroine
who doesn't know which of her two lov-
ers she prefers. I would like to set her
adrift with them on voyage like this"
And the consequence would be that
she would hate both, you think ?" asked
Mr.. Surrey.
The following twilight Miss Selden
and Mr.. Surrey were pacing the deck to-
gether and he was opening his heart to
her-a sanctuary always pretty securely
closed to most people-telling her of
his boyhood and his travels, his firta-
tion and his first hobbledehoy love-
making.
"And where will you go after you
have done up Japan ?" she asked; "and
after you have made the worlds tour,
will you not long for more worlds like
Alexander ?"
"After all, may not go to Japan"
he began, drawing a camp-stool beside
the deck chair she had just taken. CT
it depends-it depends a great deal
upon-yourself, Miss Serena" he said,
boldly, and leaning forward to look into
her eyes.
"Upon me, Mr.. Surrey9" repeated
Serena. Chow can I possibly have any
thing to do with it?"
cit all depends n-upon-whether
JOtt COdINA OOllcCllu w lONC I1C, hllSS
Serena, as have learned to love you ?"
Glove you, Mr.. Surrey?" rising and
Withdrawing the hand he had taken in
his own, while the light that broke in
upon the proceedings of the last few
months, showed her no fattering pic
ture of herself in the attitude of firt
Glove you? Oh, Mr.. Surrey, don't
you know? Has Mr.. Bruce never told
you? Don't you know that [ am going
out to Calcutta to be married ?"
"To be married ?" repeated Mr.. Sur
rey, in stifed voice" to be married +?
I give you my word, Miss Selden, that I
never dreamed of such thing. Perhaps
it would have been well to have men,
toned it yourself. L supposed you
were Mrs. Bruce's governess-M Bruce
did tell me as much as that. [ beg
you will pardon my confession, and
forget it. Shall [ take you to Mrs.
Bruce?"
"Yes, thank you. I ought to have
mentioned it; only [ thought you knew,
or it wouldn't signify to you," said
Serena, humbly. "You will pardon me
for taking so much for granted. Inever
meditated mischief, believe me. I was
Mrs. Bruce's governess before-before
Encouragement, or till [ decided to
take this journey. Goodnight. -
Then, hesitating, and Offering the hand
she had withdrawn: ".We are friends
still, Mr.. Surrey?" timidly.
Only friends the merest keep much
that Iresign," he quoted. "I don't feel
disposed to verify your prediction that
we should be sure to quarrel before the
voyage ended, though it might prove a
diversion. Pleasant dreams, Miss Sci
den."
In community so small, imprisoned
in space so limited, two people could
scarcely avoid each other without re.
mark, especially two who had been al
most inseparable the day before; there.
fore, by tacit consent, they fell into the
same apparent intercourse in the pres.
ence OF others. To be sure, embarrass
ments and annoyances waylaid them
but people who will fall in love, or in
spire the tender passion mai q propos
must suffer the consequences. There
were not as many tete. e.a-tete as previous
: ly; or if unavoidable circumstance
threw the two together, there followed
oppressive silence. or conversation
upon every topic but that which occu
pied their thoughts. They no Longer
killed the tagging hours with chess, o.
read from the same page. For want O
other recreation, Mr.. Surrey unearthet
his Cremona, and drew melancholy, be
seeching airs from it which made Serenl
shiver.
cit is like the song in sea-shell,
she said. "Why will you play thos
dolorous minor chords? They reminC
me of nothing but desolation.
Mr.. Surrey put his violin away.
Have you and Miss Selden beel