Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1879-06-11

"Nc; I shouldn't wish n goddess to
marry me from compassion a thou
sand times no."
But this did not mend matters. Now
that there was euerythiag to gain or
lose-now that the affair was assuun
ing a critical aspect, since the respon.
sibility of the crisis and the event were
hls-the native timidity OF his char
acter stepped in to hinder him. Not
that he abandoned his position at once;
it had become too much q matter OF
habit for him to meet her at home and
abroad on terms of intimacy, and the
habit was too precious to be easily
broken. Only inch by inch, and almost
without his own consent, he ~retreated
from the ground which he had honestly
won. He invited her for no more lonely
pleasurings down the river; ii they went
together, il was with a crowd of friends.
On one such excursion they became de-
tached from the others by some acct
dent, and were left, like shells forgot.
ten upon the sands; for walking around
the bend OF the beach where a bluff hid
them from sight, with the wind blowing
the other way, they neither heard nor
saw their companions embark for home,
too busy with their own affairs to re.
mark the absence of John and Elinor,
who only under stood the situation
when they turned back to where the
boat had been moored and found the
tents struck and the beach lonely and
deserted, except for some barelooted
children gathering driftwood, and a
flock Of sand-birds daring the waves,
The afternoon was just melting into the
tender atmosphere Of early twilight,
when all things YEA an unreal aspect,
and haif-guessed stars sift themselves
through the gloom, and the radiance
from the neither half Of the sphere
from the morning world-seemed run
ming over into this along the horizons
brim. Far away a sail pricked Itself
out against the heavens a moment, and
was gone; a fishing craft was dropping
down over the bar: and q pleasure-boat,
bubbling over with song and laughter,
pushed its way toward home. John
shouted to them and waved his hat,
but the wind blew his voice down his
throat, and the gay jewellers fled on
wings Of mirth.
"What shall we do :" asked Elinor'
"How shall we reach homer
"The gods help those who help them
selves" said he. ave will ask these
gypsy children if there isn't a boat to
be found. There isn't so much as a
shed for shelter on this lonely beach"
But neither the children nor their
seniors-a party of half-gypsy folks who
had encamped on the sands to carry of
the beach-plums, and as a sori of eco
nomical method of spending the sum-
mer at the sea-shure, with plenty OF
firewood at first cost and birds tame as
chickens-had anything but a leaky
skiff to offer, but who, with the ready
hospitality Of the dweliers in tentc, in
vited them TO share the shelter Of their
canvas roof; but as the oars of the skill
we're broken, and Elinor's slipper was
not ut hand, it seemed OF little use.
Thus at their wits ends they paced the
sands, upon which the W. epcroach-
ed more and more, making green hol-
lows in the moonlight when they broke,
and fringing the lone line Of coast with
spray like tangles of pearls. John
heaped q cushion of beach grass, and
they sat in the pale light of a moon
that was slowly dipping behind the
dunes, and watched the great untamed
monster shake its name at their very
feet, and listened to its endless do capos
and wondered if the silver bridge which
the moonbeams threw across the water
would bear them home, and repeated
love lines from the poets; or he sang
to her:
"Oh listen to the rowling sea,
That beats on the remorseless shore!
Oh, listen for that sound shall be
When our wild hearts shall beat no morei
Oh. listen well ana listen long.
For, sitting folded close to me,
You could not hear n sweetor song
Than that hoarse murmnr OF the seal"
The moon fell lower while he sang, and
left the world to starlight; the wind
blew freshly Off the sea; EInor shivered
in the blast. "Shall we accept the
Gypsies invitation he asked, cor shall
We walk to town."
Glow far is it, Johng" She called
him "John." 1t seemed a new name
Us spoken by her. She gave it a new
meaning.
at is eight miles, Elinor. over marshy
places and rough ways"
"Let Us try it," But before they had
gone half a mile on the beach her
strength gave out. 81 am 50 tired''
she said. "If one could only fly" At
that moment he felt au almo lrresisti-
BILE impulse to seize the hand resting
on his arm and cover it with kisses; 10
fold her in his arms then and there,
and whisper. "If you are tired, dar-
ling, rest here, for love is rest and bles-
sedness supreme; and l love you" But