The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1877-05-03

III the mean time, found the pies very
good as they We're.
LET us go down after the boat" said
Darlington. You have oniy that Old
tub over at the inlet. Pedro and YOU
really need another boat" (Canington
always liked to imagine that he was a
constant and profound help to the world
at arge). Suppose anything should
happen to the one you have Pedro had
not thought Of that: he slowly put down
his knife and folk to consider the subject
'We will go this afternoon, said Keith
issuing his orders, land YOU shall 90 with
MS. sonora"
And Pedro, too to help you,' said
Melvyna. 1--WE always wanted that boat
back, she was such a pretty little thing
one sail, YOU know, and deckcd over in
| front you sat on the bottom. I'd like
right we'll to go along myself but sup
! pose TT better stay at home and cook d
nice supper for You.
Pedro thought so, decidedly.
When the February sun had stopped
| blazing down directly overhead, and Il
few white afternoon clouds had tl0atcd
over from tht t,tat IL shade his shining,
50 that man could bear it, the four started
4 inland toward the backbone ridge. on
whose summit there ran an old trail
southWari, made by the fierce Creeks
three centuries before Right up into
the dazzling light scared the great eagles
straight up. up to the sun: their I'M
shrinking eyes tearlessl} fixed full on his
fiery ball.
''ltWoultt be grander ii We did not know
| they had just stolen their dinners from the
/ fic IL. ~,
inlet" said Darlington.
Sister st. Lake had learned to walk
quite rapidly now. HerlittIr black gown
trailed lightly along the sand behind her,
and she did her best to ''Step ont boldly"
as Keith directed; but it was not firmly,
| for she only succeeded in making Il series
of quick, uncertain little PAGES over the
sand-lihe bird tracks. Once Keith had
| taken her back aud made her look at her
own uncNen footsteps. Look no two
| the same distance apart" he said. The
little Sister looked and was very mach
mortified. "lndeed. | rW try with might
| to do BETTER she said. And She did try
| with might they saw her counting noise
lessl\ to herself As she walked. cone, two;
one, two But She had improved 50 much
! that Keith now devoted his energies tu
| teaching her to throw back her head and
look about her. ''Do You not see those
soft banks o' clouds piled up in the west ?"
he said, constantly directing her attention
| to objects above her. Bul this WAS a
harder task, for the timi ewes had been
trained from childhood to look down, and
the head was habitualN bent, like Il pen
dant flower on its stem. Mclvyua had
deliberately laid hands upon the heavy
veil and white band that formerly encir-
| clcd the small face. ''Iou cannot breathe
in them" She said. But the Sister still
wore Il light veil over the short dark
| hair, which would curl in little rings up
on her temples in spite Of her efforts To
prevent it; the cord and heavy beads und
cross rncircled her Slight waist, while the
wide sleeves of her nuns garb fell over
her hands to the finger tips.
elbow do You suppose She would look
dressed like otherWomen I" said CARING
ton one day. The two men were drifting
in their small yacht, lying at ease on the
cushions, and smoking.
| 'Well. answered Keith SLOWLY. ''if she
was we'll dressed very we'll mean, say
| in the French style and if She had amy
spirit OF her own, any Nivarity, You might,
| with that dark face Of hers and those eyes
you miyht call her piquant,"
"Spirit She has not the spirit of a
| fly, said Darlington. knocking the ashes
out of his pipe and tumbling in an en-
hrolered velvet pou oh, one oi many OF
terngs at his shrine, for fresh supply oi'
the strong aromatic tobacco he affected.
Keith meanwhile smoking nothing but the
most delicate cigarettes. 1.-The other day
! ! Il Il
stairs | found her half tainting on the
| YOU think it was She had been sitting
| there, lost in dream mystic, suppose,
| like st. Agnes
Deep ON the convent root the SHOWS
Are sparkling to the moon:
My breath to heaven like val,nl goes.
May my Soul follow soon
and that sort of thing"
No. said Keith, ''thtrr is nothing
mystical about the Luke maiden; She
has never even dreamed Of the ideal ec-
stacies OF lecpminds, She SAYS her little
prayers simply, almost mechanically, SO
many every day, and Cwells as ii were
content in the loWly valleys of rcligion.'
'Well, whatever she was doing, con-
| tinued Darlington, "a great sea crab had
|
her little shoe. Grand tableau- crab and
Luke maiden! And the crab had decid-
edly the better of it,
'.She is absuldly timid. admitted Keith.
And absul,lv tinid She was now. when.
having crossed the stretch of sand and
wound i'll and out among the low hlIuckS,
they came to the hollow where grew the
dark green thicl>et through which they
must pass toreach the Appalachian range,
| the backbone OF the island, where the trail
gave them an easier way than over the
sands. Darlington went first and hacked
out Il path With his knife Keith followed,
and held back the branchcs the whole
| distance was not more than twelve feet;
but its receSSes looked dark and shadoWN
to the little Sister, and She hesitated
Come said Darlington; 1--WE shall
never reach the salt marsh at this rate
''There is nothing dangerous here, Sc
nora" said Keith "look, You can see
| for Yourself. And there are three OF us IL
help YOU"
~ es,' said Pedro three of us" And
he swung his broad bulk into the gap.
Still she hcsitated
''Ot what are vou afraid y called out
Carlington impatently.
II know not indeed" she answered, al
most in tears over her own behavior, yet
unable to stir. Keith came back, and saw
that she Was trembling moi violently,
but i'll Il subdued, helpless sort Of a way
which was pathetic in its Very causeless-
| hess.
''Take her up, Pedro he ordered and
before she could object. the good -naturcd
giant had borne her in three strides
through the dreaded region, and set her
down safely upon the ridge. She follow
ed them humbly now, along the safe path,
trying to step firmly, and walk with her
head up, as Keith had directed. CARING
ton had already forgotten her again, and
even Keith was eagerly looking ahead for
the first glimpse Of green.
"There is something singularly fasci
mating in the stretch of a salt marsll,' he
| said .ttts 1aNpl has euch t.lr SWnan