Sharp County record., 1879-02-27

through Inc sound OF Mluu anu
waves:
"L0ok here, now. I'll be frank and
above board with YOU. l loved this girl
a long time AGO; we we're pLaymates
together; and its rough on me that she
should love you better. Come, now,
don't be greedy; let us have five min
utes to ourselves to say good-byein, and
then will never cross your path or
hers. This swear"
Oldworth turned to his wife. "DOyou
wish it?" he asked.
She murmured family: " Yes; it will
be better I suppose"
So he held her with his arms for q
minute, while he kissed her lips loving
"; then he let her 90, and walked aside,
turning his back to the sea.
The moon was hurrying through the
heavens, and all around Oldworth the
night shook and clamored. At times
he seemed to hear footsteps coming
and going, near him, and at times he
seemed to hear a sound Of singing
through the storm; but these were only
sick tancies. He waited five minutes;
he waited ten; then he turned and went
nearer to the sea, but his eyes could
not discover that for which they were
looking.
"Maryi" he ca led, at the top of his
voice. Mary, my darling, where are
you?"
But there came no answer to his call
Wind and sea laughed him to derisOn,
and overhead the moon fled faster than
ever before between the great spaces Of
black clouds OIdworth searched the
beach in all directions, then lie went to
its extremity, where two sailors were
lOunging together.
Have YOU seen man and woman
pass up this way?" he inquired.
''We saw YOU and another man go
down with a girl some minutes back, "
replied one of the sailors. "Thev GER
tainlv have not come up this way. Now,
think of it, they can't have got round
any other way, because the tide is high
up over the rocks.
What, you must be drunk, Bill, to
talk like that said the second sailor.
"Don't you know the gentleman was to
be married to her tO-day?" Then he
turned to OldwOrth: Never mind MIN.
sir, They've only gone higher up. I'll
be bound we'll find them fast enough.
What might the mans name be?"
" How, in heavens name, should that
help V0u?" returned OldwOrth, des-
peratelv. "The mans name was Mark
Shaw, and he was q sailor"
" Mark, Mark! Why, that's our
matet' cried both men together, "Wel,
We'll do all we can"
And they vent down to the sea, and
while OldwOrth' stood, feeling that the
horror which he suspected could not
really be, and wondering what he should
do next, the men returned bearing some
thing with them.
Its a wOman's hat, sir, said the
second sailor, the one who had TeprOVed
his companion for what he deemed his
inconsiderate speech. But don't you
take on, sir; more hats than one get
blown away this weather"
'Thank you. 1 know that hat, " re-
turned Oldworth with awful quiet in his
voice. Then he turned from them1
"Take my arm, won't you, sir?" said
the sailorwhO had lastspOken, observing
that Oldworth seemed hardly able to
control his steps. This sailor was
known on the Annie as ''Jim, the pigeon
hearted.n
THANK YOU, p" said Oldworth, taking
the mans hand. Il know you mean
well, and I shall not forget you. You're
q sailor. Is there any boat, do You think,
that could follow and find them2 Can
they be all the way down yeto Down at
the very bottom Of the sea? Why, l
thought lust now I heard her laugh.
Don't you think she might have run pa~
us? I shall find her again some day;
not tonight, perhaps, but some day.
He pressed his hand to his forehead
as if trying 10 collect his thoughts; then
a crv, which those who heard will new
er forget, broke from his lips and ran
through the storm. High up it went,
far over the wind. The dead must have
heard it. Then he fell senseless to the
ground The sailors, good hearted men
both, bore Oldworth back on their
shoulders to the inn. Medical aid was
procured, but all that night he raved
deliriously. Very early next morning,in
the first low light, the bodies of a man
and woman clasped in each others
arms were washed ashore. The sailors
identified the mans body as that of
their first mate, Mark Shaw, of the
schooner Annie. VIM. Grant farmer
in Kent, swOre to the woman's body as
being that of his daughter, who had been
married only the day before. The two
had decent burial, side by side. Old
worth lived, but reason never returned
to him He il a tO1hlesOme natipnt