The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1877-01-10
WHOLE NO. 1881.

his departure.
She sat half an hour in the dark
. ness thinking of Silvestik, and puz
: zling over his strange behavior. From
. below came the sound Of mems voic
: es. broken by the tapping Of the chest
| nut leaves against heA window. She
began TO feel tired of waiting. Lac
e was still talking to her uncle. She
: had no candle, and through the wide
! ehiGks in the rongh flooring Of her
room the red freight peeped ia lines
4 here and there.
B Il am Tired" Annik thought,
: shall not go down again tonight, "
; and she began to prepare for bed.
) The large silver-headed pin which
fastened her bodice slipped from her
, fingers and fell on the hJOr, and she
, stopped hurriedly, lest ii should roll
through one of the erevices. She felt
for 1t in the darkness, and as she
found il flush Of joy glowed on her
checks. Shvestik had given il her at
a'iair'ng last year when she bad dane.
ed with him al the Pardon OF Puut-
Aven- But the glow faded quicSiy
into a trembling chill Of fear, and in-
stead of rising from her kuees, AHnik
lay down On the boards, placing her
ear On one of the larger creyices mark
ed by the liue of red light that glow
ed up from the room beneath She
had heard her name spoken by Lao,
coupled with the word, wife
Trust me-" Guerik said. in answer;
"Annk shall be your wife in a week. y
"Why not sooner. | can i'll spare
week; my mates will be getting unruly
and should have liked day or 50
with the little one in Brest before go
oil again Why cannot wedlAnnik
on Monday"
Guerik laughed. "YOu are a fue
fellow to lecture me about dealing
gently by the girl, and then want 10
marry her out of hand without any
approaches"
Leave lie alone, my friend; !
know the SEX" Laos laugh made the
gIri shlveF as she lay listening II
told y GU that three days ago. Mean
time Annik aud have not kept apart;
and"-the speaker paused, as it ne
| looked Round 10 secure himself against
d listener; be went on in a lower
/ voice. have learned something else
Mark you, this is between ourselves
thar young fool Kergroes, with all his
sheepishness, is mad with love for
Aunlk. He mas sold his soul to ny
grandmother for spell to charm the
girls love-
And are you fool enough to believe
such old wOmea's tales, LIol should
have thought even SIlvesdk had more
sense What may this spell bez'
Trembling in every limb, Anaik
lay straihing her ear 10 catch the al
swer
"She has sent him tonight TO the
Rocking Stone she tells me the
spell Will fail, but that is power will
drive SiIvestik distracted, and that
probably be will rush on. to the sea,
and be carried off by the waves, a.
that poor fool Pierre was some wears
ago, tor Ursule has fixed the time for
trying the spell at the turn of the tide.
This must not come to Annik's ears
A woman, however pretty, is such a
fool, that if man runs any risk for
love OF her, she loves him at once,
and, VINO can say, perhaps gives her
self up to his memory. SllvestIk will
not be missed for a week or so; folks (
will think be is at Mon. Ii is
good plan-aha, my grandmother Is d
clever woman"
Annik lay as if spell bound: her
senses seemed 10 be going; but just .
then bough struck the window. aud 4
she reused
There is yet another question"
Annik's heart throbbed so painfully /
that she could scarcely bear to listen
aud yet she must hear all-sbe feared
TO lose syllable of her uncle's an-
swer. Suppose Silvesrik comes back
safe and sound?" There was a sneer
in Guerik's voice
Lao swore a frightful oath, and the
girl heard him rise violently from his
seat and stamp on the clay floor
He will not; be is too great q fool
Ursnle swore TO him that il the spell
failed he had no chance with Annik
and weak lads such as he is have no
courage to persevere. He will never
cone back to Kerion."
DO not you be too sure of that,
Lao Coatfrec; while there is life there
is hope. For an hour or so the lad,
may give way to despair, but after
that be will say to himself that be
cannot make matters worse by speak
ing to Annik, and be may make them
heGter; and, to tell you the truth, /
have iancied the girl liked bin. Yes,
yes, if the tide does not carry bin of,
my frirnd, be will come back aud try
hIs chance"
Thea spoke coolly, bat in
. determined vcice-"he must not
come back 10 KeriOn."
There was silence after this. Pres
entity Guerik spoke and Lao answer
ed, but in such low voices, that An
nix could not distuingish words. IL
seemed to her, from the dull continu-
ed murmur, that the two men were
CARRYING ON the talk 10 whispers
Annik rose up softly from the floor.
She felt strangely calm and alert.
One thought ruled ber-to leave the
house as quicsly and silently as she
could, and to warn Silvestik of e0m-
ing danger.
She dared not 60 down stairs; she
could not open the heavy house door,
which she had beard her uncle close,
without risk Of Doise; she dared not
even undraw the bolt Of her room.
But she saw her only way clearly,
aud at once set to WORK to reach it.
Her room was bat half the size OF
that below, half being boarded of and
used as a receptacle for fodder, There
was a square opening ia tnis boarded
partition, with bit Of canvas nailed
across to keep OF the draught which
came through window-OPening ID
the hsyloft.
Annik aaat,onclv dressed herself .