The Red Cloud chief., 1879-09-11
VI
a story of Cornwall and Michigan.

Margaret Neale, a girl OF 90 or there
, abouts, sal on "A low, broad stone at the
edge of the cliff that overhung the sea.
Her features were irregular, but she had
Il certain dark, ~gypsy-like beauty of her
own. Her brown stuff gown chung
closely about her; her hat had fallen
back and hung carelessly by The strings;
red wooden shawl was wrapped around
her shoulders, one end trailing over the
scant, gray heritage. Her hands were
ciasped about her knees; there was a
hard. set look about the unsmiling
mouth; and the eyes, that were ome
times most tender, had a dangerous
Eight in them a. they gaZed steadfastly
of ove the darkening sea to a distant
horizon, still red with the reflected glow
IF the sunset.
At a little distance, but with his back
toward her, and his steel-blue eyes just
rs steadily bent in the opposite direc-
ton, stood Matthew Erickson, a hand
some young fellow enough, in the rough
dress of a Riner, tall, strong and ruddy,
with a full, curling, chestnut beard,
and hair of the same rich color. blue
= ribbon dangled from his left hand.
There had evidently been a quarrel,
and a love quarrel in . struggling min.
ing hamlet on the northwest coast of
England does not differ greatly from
one ia a scattered fishing hamlet Oh the
eastern cost of Maine. Forms of speech
msy differ, but love and anger are mach
the same the wide world over. As for
the queer, quaint dialect in which this
especial pair of lovers poured forth their
mutual grievances, no attempt will be
made 10 reproduce il here. You may
be sure they said, in Cornish fashion,
"yor for "you," and pwd" for
"told," and "ta" for "thou," and
sscanna" for "cau not" But all that
shall be taken for granted, if not for
your ease and comfort, at least for
mine
Tired of the silence at length, the
young miner sauntered away with an
air OF assumed indifference, and picking
up a handful of pebbles, slowly tossed
them, one by one, into the waves below.
Margaret'S eyes did not WAIVER, but none
the less did she follow every motion of
4 his hand. Having watched the fall of
his last pebble, he came back and stood
behind her, winding the ribbon round
his finger TO its evident dotriment.
$50 you will not wear it, Meg?" he
said at last.
mo, | will not" she answered, with
ont turning her heard. "Why do you
rex me? There's no more to be said
bout it."
"But why, MegP" and he laid his
hand on her shoulder as with an attempt
at reconciliation. "Tell me why.
Airelv you can do no less"
observation-disclosures l can't abide blue,
Matt Erickson. It's hateful to me-"
"Bat l like it, Meg! and if you cared
for me you would be glad to wear a blue
ribbon to the fair when [ ask it."
"Why did you buy it?" she asked
shortly, turning towards him by q hairs
breadth. "Not to please me, that's
surei"
"Yes; to please you and to please
myself. Cousin Jenny wears ribbons as
blue as her own eyes, and am sure you
al not say they are not pretty. You
sc just stubborn, Meg"
she sat for a moment as if turned to
stone. Then she blazed out:
~"'Jenny!' JENNY l am tired OF
JENNY She has turned your head
with her flirting ways like a butterfly,
and her yellow hair and her finery.
Give your blue ribbon TO her, and take
her TO the fair-for I'll not wear it,"
"And you'll not 60 to the fair,
either?" said Matt, in tones of suppress
ed passion. sis that what you mean"
"Pn not 60 with you," she answer
>ed, growing cool herself as she grew
angry. "Yet it's likely enough that I
may go. There are plenty of lads who
would be glad to take me with no rib
bops at all"
With a strong effort the young man
put the curb upon his tongue, but his
face darkened. you'll 60 with me or
no one, Meg" he said. "This is all
nonsense-and we to be married next
Michaelmas! But come" and he put
out his hand to raise her from the stone
eit grows dark"
Meg, still angry but willing to be
pscifed if she must, allowed him to as
sist her, and stood beside her stalwart
lover with burning cheeks and down
cast eyes. She rather liked, on the
whole, his tacit refusal to defend him.
self and his maste1fol way of telling
= her it was :" all nonsense" But Just al
this moment, as iil-luck would have it, a
small brown-paper parcel dropped