The Osceola times., 1879-02-01

color rising in hi, face, though he strove
to control his voice. "You csme from a
journey, the night is stormy, and this is
your excuse for having drank too freely
but II you can not behave yourself it will
be my duty to have you removed"
"Look here" returned the other, fix.
ing now for the first time his eyes on Old
worth's face. "My names Mark Shaw.
| am first mate OF the ship Annie, brought
to Dover last night. ] am no more drunk
than you are, and when you say | am
you know that you are telling lie.
You call yourself fine gentleman well
in the matter of words you beat me.
But you wouldn't like it. You wouldn't
care to 90 sprawling at her ieet; the
floors here are dusty. Keep a civil
tongue in your head, and have no wish
TO interfere with you" His large, strong
hands were clinched, but they hung
down heavily. "The sooner you go, you
know" he went on, "the better it will be
Tor all three"
"Yes, do 20, DEAR" exclaimed Mary,
with an assumption of gravity in her
voice. Whatever you do, don't quar-
rel. Mark is rough and violent, know ;
but he may have news which | ought to
hear. OF course, | shall tell you every
thing"
81 will leave you, then, for ten min.
utes," said Oldworth, addressing himself
TO Marx. "Not, you understand, on
account of your threats, but because a
gentleman will allow no brOil to take
place before a lady, and l see nothing
less than this would satisfy you. At the
end of ten minutes shall return"
Oldworth glanced at his watch and left
the room. The door CLOSED after him,
aud the two were together. Mark folded
his arms and fixed his eyes on the girls
face. Under that keen and pitiless scru-
tiny she writhed and WINGED as in some
great physical pain. The wind shrieked
round, the inn, the wood fire on the
hearth crack led and sputtered, the red
flames leaping up fittully; cart lum-
bered near on the dark road and drew
up ponderously at the inn door.
At length Mary broke the silence.
"For Gods sake, speak," she said.
I" Do you wish TO kill me by just looking
at me?"
81 wish l could" he rejointd
should like to see you dying inch by inch
under my eyes, without touching you
You're the right sort Of girl, aren't
you, for a man to have loyed--betore
indeed, he was man-nothing but s
small boy, who went miles after the least
thing you wished for, and only lett you
when he WAS man to get money enough
to build home for you. You're The
right sort of girl to have trusted ant
believed int have prayed for nigh
and day. Why, in some of our grea
storms have done what never did iii
then. ] have prayed, God save me, fo
ii | go down and don't come back any
more, how will that girl know of far OF
in Kent bear i'll II she knew that Msrl
would never come again to take her il
his arms and kiss her any more; why, i
would lUst break her heart or send hel
mad And all this time you were max
ing love to this fine g,ntleman-thi
creature that looks more like sick CIR
than man Why, if | were to slaE
the thing friendly.like on the shoulder
it would go down under my hand like ,
ninepin, and howl for pain Did yol
hear any rumor of the ship being lost ?
No." she said. ''l
"You hadn't that excuse then? ID,
You love him 2"
iancied | did,"
"Have you any excuse?"
NO; father and mother were failing
and he said he would do verything fo
them, and make me lady, aud take mt
to places wanted to see 50 much. Anc
every one said it would be such fin,
thing for me, and they made me proud
and that was how it happened
"Are you ashamed OF yourselff" ht
questioned.
"Yes."
"Do you despiss YOURSELF"
"Yes."
"Do you hate yourself as you deserve
TO be hated ?'
4" Yes; God knows ] do"
SWELL" he replied, "the strange
thing is that /, who ought to hate you
ought to scorn and spurn you, love you
Just as madly as ever. Polly Polly
can't bear it For Gods sake, come tc
me, my dsrling!"
For a moment she stood irresolute
then, with low cry, she flung her arms
around his neck and dropped ainst hi,
heart. He strained her close to him
kissing her with long, passionate kisses
calling her by a hundred endearing
uames, seeming to forgive everything
ave the tact that she was in his arm,
e..in after their cruel separation. Al
length, with sudden revulsion OF feel
ing, me thrust her from him almost
roughly, saying, in voice Jared with
suppressed passion
Have you forgotten your oath, the
oath you swore to me that last night
under the moonlight, when We stood
together in your fathers garden?"
She covered against the wall, shrink
ing from his eyes as a child from the
hand that has stricken it. 81 forsei
nothing she moaned
Say that oath over, then." he ex,
claimed, holding her hands ia his, as in
q wise.
"Spare me this !" she cried.
"What have you done that should
spare you 2" he Ietorted, almost brutally
"Come, l have a fancy TO hear that
oath, and hear it | will. can prompt
you with it,"
And then, as one speaking in trance,
she spoke:
"Ifever during your absence let any
man touch my lips, or willingly listen to
say swt rds of love, or become, in the
l,ss. word, thought or deed, unfaithiul,
may be slain, soul and body, 30 help
me God !" ...
" That's the oath you made and broke
then " he exclaimed, still holding her