The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1879-06-21
AFLOAT AND ASHORE.

AFLOAT AND ASHORE.
Nobody was in the habit of calling
Emily TraVers a beauty, and few ever
gave her a second glance in passing; yet
when you happened to linger at the gate
for any reason, and saw her standing
there on the grass plot feeding doves,
you would at once declare that prettier
sight than that you never saw in your
life. A tall, 1.-the, shapely figure, face
full of sparkle and color, fair hair blow
ing on the wind, garments futtering,
lips chirruping, and hands tossing, while
all about, flashing and tumbling, and
whirling and wheeling, hocked and fell
cloud of white doves, making lightnings
with their wings, and filling the air with
whirs and COOS and cries-it was a
charming picture; and having once seen
this pretty sight, something of its beauty
always seemed to linger about Emily
afterward; if she was not the rose her
self, she had lived with the rose. But
1t was not Emily who ever gave such a
subject a second thought; busy, bright
and happy as she was, the whole world
seemed beautiful, and that was quite
enough for her, without stopping to con-
slider whether or not she was q part of
that world. Nor did Norman Macpher-
son ever stop to think on the subject;
Emily had been a part of his world ever
since he had had any, and what the
world would be without her was some
thing that never entered his head. He
remembered the day when, a little
chubby urChln three years old, he had
been taken over the way TO welcome the
new baby there, and had asked to see her
wings; he remembered when he dragged
her up and down the garden paths in his
cart, and spilled her out, and she re-
fused to scream; he remembered when
he was fighting with Saunders, and get
ting worsted, now she arrived upon the
scene with stone between her two arms
that would have been Saunders death if
it had happened to hit him; in fact, he
remembered no time when she was not
a part of himself, when he had not sat
with his arm about her waist, when he
had not kissed her at meeting and part
ing, when he had not left every other
girl for her, and would have been amazed
if she had not welcomed him as matter
of course. After he went away 70 the
naval academy, Emily's letters were
something that he looked forward to
twice week as unfailingly as to We'd
nesdays and Saturdays themselves; and
when he made his lying visit home, it
was to Emily he went with the recital
of all his hopes and Anglers and joys.
Emily" he said once, in startled
way, 81 believe l say my prayers to
you"
Being in this state of mind about
sweet Emily Travers, you can imagine
his wrathful CONSERVATION when, on re-
turning home from his first cruise, hav-
ing been for some time without letters,
and coming in by the long window in
stead of the door, he saw a fellow lean
ing over her chair-a tall, dark, hand
some man, handsome but for a scar
across his forehead-leaning over her
chair and holding her hand, while her
backward and upward gaze was as
brightly fond as his manner was devoted.
For moment Norman stood spellbound,
and as he stood he heard Emily saying:
ooh, how can you ask me, Howard
dear? You know we never, never can
be parted"
10 think was something to which Mr..
Norman Macpherson never conde-
scerded. He rather excelled in feeling.
And just now he felt as if the only thing
in the world to do was to knock this
yarlet down; accordingly he took one
step and did it. And then, Selling
Emily's hand himself, only to throw it
from him with wild and angry outcry
at her pertdy, he was gone; and he
never fairly knew again where he was,
or what had happened, till he found
himself on blue water for a three years
cruise, with plenty of time to eat his
heart out, and profoundly convinced
that he was victim of the blacklist
treachery, and that if Emily were false,
then all the world was false. Six months
& OF that bitter diet, with the swift, mad
scene before his eyes, changing only to
show the man falling, Sophy running
forward with shrek, and Emily stand
ing frozen TO stone as she had started
from her chair, and the open hearted and
gay youth had become a taciturn and
gloomy man, without word TO spare,
ready for any dangerous service, and
never half so pleased as when some black
tempest followed them, and the thick
darkness shut them in like the curtain
of death and judgment that they were
Just about to lift.
Yet when twelve-month had passed,
his bitterness began to be something less
in degree; occasionally q ray of sense
would break upon his gloom, and the
thought would come TO him that, after
all, he had never once spoken of mar
riage to Emily Travers in so many
words; he had taken everything for
granted; he had left the way open for
any other beggar that chose to come
along. Why, he asked, had he ever
doubted Emily? She loved him to-day
like brother, as she had always done.
Loved him like a brother Not she, he
would reply TO himself, when he had
felled her lover to the ground, and had
flung her from him like a snake. She