The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1878-04-12

lipl And Ito call myself Christian
woman ~
Victoria Estcott went home in no enyia.
BILE mood that night.
1t was scarcely week afterward that
MISS Estcott was crossing the Brooklyn
Ferry, toward twelve o'clock at night.
Miss Estcott on Brooklyn ferry boat
was rather an unusual sight, but she had
been spending the evening there, and in
consequence of some misunderstanding be-
tween her own maid and the coachman,
her carriage had not been sent, as ordered
and st. George Fawcett, the brother of the
young friend she had visited, had yolun-
tered to escort her safe home.
Victoria didn't at all dislike this idea of
his companionship. The night, early in
April, was soft and balmy, and altogether.
Miss Estcott regarded it in the light of n
! gipsey-like adventure.
ISM IL lovely Z" said she, looking
| brightly around-"the lights reflected in
the river, and the salt air rushing against
ones cheek One meyer sees this cooped up
IN carriage and-Good heavens who is
that?"
1t was a face the face of tall, slight
young girl, wrapped in some dark, pail like
garment, who leaned upon the guards of
the boat, and looking intently down into
the narrowy flight of the waves, Victoria
never would have seen her pale cheek, the
troubled, dark eyes, had it not been for the
illumination cast on it by the lantern of
deck hand.
The deck hand himself stopped, and
looked irresolutely back.
beg pardon, Miss" said he, "but you're
in an unsafe place there The boards is
slippery, and there amt much to hold by,
and ifyou should get ,jostle-"
The girl drew back into herself with a
petulant jerk, az if the words irritated her.
and at that moment Victoria Estcott recog.
nized Coral Wynde's pale face and large,
glittering eyes.
She rose nervously to her feet. Just
then, the boat crashed against the floating
piles OF the pier, and the light, slender fig
ure made rush toward the dark and lurid
waves that surged below.
How she did it, Victoria Estcott could
never afterwards tell, but she sprang for
ward and caught Coral Wyndc in her arms,
although the unprecedented spring near
ly precipitated her, too, into the boiling
depths Of the black tides.
Don't" she cried. "For Gods sake
don't throw away your life "
Coral struggled frantically with her
rescuer for second or two.
Let me CO." she cried ooh, let me 90
am alone; am starving! Why do you
not let me go?"
And then she fell fainting into Victoria
Estcott's arms.
All this happened when the April show
ers were dimping the waves, and the soft
April green was smiling up In all the
parks; and when Victoria Estcott was mar
ried, in June-marred to ST. George Faw-
cett, of course-a tall, pale girl was help
ing her with her wedding trunks and "mar-
riage garments
Sand mind you're in the house to wei
come us, dear, when we come back from
Niagara" says Victoria. because you
are my sister now, and home won't seem
home without you ~
And Coral Wynde smiled back, with shy,
sweet eyes, wondering to herself how it can
possibly be that she is so radiantly happy
she who was alone in the world but
few weeks since.
sit must be because God is good ~ she
ponders, to herself
But when Victoria looks at the sweet,
dove calm face, and thinks what might
haze been, all through her careless words,
she shoulders and grows pale.