The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-10-15

sometimes not anu sometimes COlu anu
as if l could not speak.
"Do you want to see fatherg' said at
last.
''No, my lass" he said, quietly, Il
want to see you"
"Me!" l faltered, with my face burn
ing.
eyes, you, my LASS" he said; and his
handsome brown face lit up, and he
looked so manly as he laid his hand on
my arm.
'Prudence, my gall" he said, "we're
both young yet, for I'm not six and
twenty, but thought it was time l
spoke to you"
"Spoke to me?" I said, with my face
burning still.
eyes, my lass, spoke to you, for we've
been courting now matter OF four
years.
"Oh, John," I cried, bursting out
laughing and feeling more at my ease,
'why, we've hardly spoken to one an
other"
"That's nice,' he said, drawing long
breath. cover again."
cover againl WhatT' l said.
"Call me John," he replied.
"Well, then, John," ] cried hastily.
That's right, Prudence; but as was
going to say, not spoken to one another!
Well, how could we, always taking our
turns at the tiller as we were? But all
the same, my lass, I've been always a
courting of you, night and day, these
four years, and looking out and longing
for the time when the Prudence would
come in sight and I could give you hail
and get wave of the hand back"
I could feel the color coming into my
cheeks again as I heard him speak, and
knew how anxiously l had looked oul
for his barge coming up or down the
river; and then / began wondering
what it all meant, and soen knew.
prudence, my lass" he raid, GIVE
saved ten pounds, all my own, and our
owner has just gwen me the command
of new barge, with as pretty a
ca bin in it as you'd wish to see, and
so, my lass, / thought I'd ask you, SO be
as now we've been courting four years,
you wouldn't come to me and be my
wife"
"No" / said, "Nol' and shook my
head; ~ belong to father, and / could
never leave him-never.'
"But you'll have to some day, Pru-
dence," he said, looking dreadfully
downhearted and miserab G.
"No," said, 81 shall never leave him;
he wants me more and more every day;
and must stay"
"Prudence," he said sharply, "You
amt playing with me, are your
playing with your"
eyes; / mean you amt going to take
up with anyone else, and go aboard any
other barge-no, no." he cried, 81 won't
be 50 mean as to ask you that. But,
Prudence, dear, some day you may have
to leave him, and when you do, will you
4 please recollect As John Grove loves you
better than aught else in the wide world,
and is waiting for you to comeY'
eyes, john" | said simply.
"You mean it, Prudence?' he cried in
delight, as he caught my hand.
eyes, John; l don't know anybody
else, and there's no one as cares for me-"
"Hundreds on the river" he said
sharply.
"Then / don't care for them, john" |
said simply; "and if you like me, and l
ever do-leave-oh, dear! what am l
saying"
/ sat down on fender and covered
my face with my coarse, red hands, and
begin to cry; but he took my hands
down, and looked long and Lovingly in
my face with his great, honest, brown
eyes; and then he couldn't speak, but
seemed to choke. At last ne gasped out:
"Thanky, Prudence, thanky. Pm 60
ing away now to wait, for you'll come to
me some day, ! know
4 | didn't answer him.
"For the time may come, my lass, when
you'll be all alone in the world; and
when it does come, there's the cabin of
the Betsy Ann, clean painted up, and
waiting for you just as her masters
awaiting too"
He went quietly over the side and cast
i OH tne rope, anu WAS gone DeloTe KneW
it.; and / sat there in the calm afternoon
and evening, sometimes crying, some
times feeling hopeful, and with sense
of JOY at my heart such as | never felt
/ before.
And so that evening deepened into
night, with the barge quarter of a mile
astern of us, and no wind coming, only
the tide to help us on our way.
1t must have been about ten o'clock at
night when I was forward seeing to the
light hoisted up to keep anything from
running into rs, when I heard father
come stumbling up from the cabin and
make as if to come forward to me.
"Prue," he cried, "Prue!"
eyes, father, coming" / said; and then
I uttered a wild shrek, and rushed
towards where the boat hung astern by
her painter, hauled her up and climbed
in; for no sooner had answered than !
heard cry and a heavy splash, and
knew father had gone overheard
4 was in the boat in moment, and ]
had the scull over the stern, padding
away in the direction that the cry had
/ | LII r e. ..1 =