The Republican journal., 1877-05-10

slst in shooting over the water like
rocket; | sitting on the tilted edge,
watching the waves, the winds, and the
clouds, and hearing the water sing as we
rush along"
Keith took counsel with no one else,
not even with Melvyna, but presently he
wrote his letter and carried it himself
over to the village to mail. He did good
deeds like that once in a while, ''to help
humanity he said; they were tangible
always, like the primary rocks.
At length one evening the fog rolled
out to sea tor good and all, at least as far
as the shore was concerned. In the morn
ing there stood the light house and the
island, and the reef, Just the same as
ever. Someway they had almost expect
Ell to see them altered on melted little.
LET us go over to the reef, all OF us,
and spend the day" said Keith 1T will
do rs good to breathe the clear air and
feel the brilliant, dry hot sunshine again"
Hear the man" said Mclvyna laugh
lng. =" Alter trying to persuade us Ill
those days that he liked tillt sticky foe
too :"
mime. GonsulyeI, we like Il lily; but
IS that any reason why we may not also
like a rose Y
Neither OF EN- grows on this beach us
I'm aware Gi," answered Melvyna dryly.
Then Darlington put in his voice, and
carried the day. Women never resisted
Darlington long, but yielded almost un-
consciously to the influence of his height,
and his strength, and his strong, hearty
will, \ suhtler influence over them, how
ever. would have walked resistance, and
Darlington himself would have been con-
quered far sooner (anu was conquered
later) by one who remained unsWayed by
those mere outer Influences, to which the
crowd Of fair ones, however, paid invol-
untaly ODelSance.
Pedro had gone to the village for his
supplies and his two days of mild Minor
can dissipation, and Melvyna, beguiled
ana caioed by the chatting of the two
young men, at last consented, and not
only packed the lunch basket with care
Iui hand, but even donncu for the occa-
sion her best bonnet" Il structure
trimmed in Vermont seven Years before
by the experienced hand Of Miss Althy
Spears. the village Iniliner, who had
adorned it with durable green ribbon
and a vigorous wreath of artificial flow
erS Thus helmetcd. Nine. Gonsalvez
presided 1T the stern Of the boat with
great dignity For they We're in the safe
appointed little Yacht belonging to
the two gentlemen, the daring paropuet
having been left ut home tied to the last
of Il low heap Of rocks that .juttcd out in
to the water i'll front Of the light house.
the only remains of the old stone dock
built by the SpaniarCls years before Sis
ter st. Luke was With them Of course,
gentle and frightened as usual. Her
breath came quickly as they ncared the
reef, and Darlington with a sure hand
guided the little craft outside into the
surf, and rounding point, landed them
safely in a miniature harbOr he had noted
there Keith had counted the DAYS, aud
felt sure that the answer from the con
Vent would come soon. His Ot1pr-for he
had made it his alone without CARING
tons ald-had been munticent; there
could be but one reply. The little Sister
would soon 90 back to the lime tree, the
white roscbush. the doves, the old organ
that was 80 large all the quiet routine
OF the lie She loved 50 We'll and they
would see her small oval face and timd
dark eyes no more for ever. So he took her
for a last walk down tho reef, while Mel
yNna made coffee. and Calrington having
noticed Il dark line floating on the wa
ter, Immediately went out in the boat, of
course, to see what it was.
The reef had its high backbone. like
the island. Some day it would be the is
land With another reef outside, and the
light house beach would belong to the
mainland. Down the stretch Of sand to
ward the sea the pclicans stood in rows.
toeing 4 mark, solemn and heavy, by the
hundreds-a countless number-tor the
reef was their gathering place.
"They are holding a concaNe." said
Keith 'rhat old fellow has the floor.
See him WAC his head"
In and out among the pelicans, and
paying no attention to them and their
conclave, sped the sicllle-b bill curlrws. ac-
lively probing everywhere with their
long, grotesque sickle shaped bills and
woe be to the burroWng things that came
i'll thtir way The red-beaked oyster bird
flew by, and close down to the sea
skinned the razor bill shear water, with
his head bent forward and his feet tilted
up, just grazing the water with his open
bill Us he flew, and leitNinga Il shining mark
mouth and was running Il line. The lazy
gulls, who had no work to do, and would
not have done it If they had, rode at ease
on the little WaNelets close in shore. The
Sister being asked, confessed that she
liked the lazy gulls best. Being pressed
to say why, she thought it was because
they were more like the white doves that
sat Oh the old stone well-curb in the con-
vent garden.
Keith had always maintained that he
liked TO talk to women. He said that the
talk OF amy woman was more piuuant than
the conversation Of the most brilliant men.
There WAS one obstacle: the absolute in
ability Of The sen to be sincere, or to tell
the truth, for ten consecutive minutes
To-day, however, as he wandered to and
fro whittier he would on the reef he also
wondered to and fro whittier he would i'll
the lnlnd, and the absolutely truthful
mind too, of 4 woman. Yet he found it
dull, lie sighed to himself, but WAS
obliged to acknowledge that ii tras dull
The lime tree, the organ, the Sisters, the
Sisters, the lime tree, the organ it grew
munotonouS after Il while. Yet he held
his post, tor the sake OF the old theory,
until the high voice of Melvyna called
them back to the little fire on the beach
and the white cloth spread with her best
danties. They saw Darlington sailing
in with an excited air, and presently
he brought the boat into the cove and
dragged ashore his prize, towed behind
nothing less than large shark, wound
ed, dead, after a struggle with some other
marine monster, Il sword fish probably.
\ man-eater," announced the captor
"Lool at him, will you! Look at him,
Miss Luke"
But Miss Luke went far away, and
would not look. In truth he was an ugly
creature; even Melvyna kept at a safe
distance. But the two men noted all his
points; they measured him carefully; they
turned him over, and discussed him gen
orally in that closely confined and eXhaus-
tive way which marks the masculine mind
Set two women to discussing a shark, or
even the most lovely little brook trout, if
you please and see how far off they will