Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1879-07-16
OLD ROGER BOSCAWAN.

white, hungry waves came numbering
over the sand-hills, and breaking in
cataracts of foam upon the desolate
rocky shore. In room of little cot
tage, built SO close to the sea that some
of the breakers. more aggressive than
the rest, seemed almost to threaten to
overwhelm it, old Roger Boscawan sat
smoking his pipe beside the fire, that
roared up the wide, old-fashioned CHM
ney as if In defiance of the tempest of
wind and rain outside.
"Bless me! Leah, do you hear the
storm ~
sYes, father"
1t was strangely beautiful face that
looked up into the water-beaten one of
the old man from the shadow of the
projecting angel CT the fireplace, and
strangely out of place it seemed among
the rough surroundings of the fisher
mans cabin. Large and lustrous were
the eyes of oriental midnight darkness,
white-iidded and iong-lashed. The
forehead low but broad, around which
the luxuriant hair was braided in heavy
classic coils; the cheek of dusky
carmine, and the mouth sweet and ex-
pressive, and the dimples that's showed
when it parted In smile. Many people
had often wondered how old Roger
came to have daughter equally unlike
himself and her brother.
Il pity any craft that is out tonight"
the old man went on. 81 have lived
on this coast for more than fifty years,
man and boy, and [ never saw Il wilder
night than this"
Leah did not answer. She had risen
from her seat, and crossing the room,
was looking out of the window seward.
She could see nothing through the pane
except the driving storm, and the red,
lurid lamp of the lighthouse, but in
the other direction could be discerned
q few twinkling lights of the fishing
village, and further toward the town,
among its dark clump of evergreens,
the windows of Hallam Lodge ablaze
with lights. Hallam Lodge was the
oldest and grandest house for miles
around, and was owned by the man
whose name it bore, the direct descend
ant of Ralph Hallam, Colonel in the
Parliamentary armies, who had crossed
the ocean for his principles, and laid
the first stone Of this new dwelling place
more than 200 years ago.
Suddenly the tramp of approaching
feet was heard through the storm out
side, and the next minute the door
opened to admit Stephen, old Rogers
son, and three other men, who carried
the insensible body of man between
them. Ee was fine, handsome fell
low, this son of the old fisherman, but
utterly unlike his sister, both in features
and In complexion, having a clear,
ruddy skin, though somewhat Drowned
with exposure to the weather; honest
blue eyes, and curling, chestnut hair.
He might have sat to an artist for a
picture of some old Morse vikings son,
but tender look came into his face,
and MS voice assumed softer tone as
he spoke to the girl.
at is the young gentleman that they
say Is soon going to marry Miss Edith
Hallam," he said, as they laid the I'M
conscious man upon the warm hearth
stone before. the fire.
"His yacht struck on the rocks be-
low the lighthouse. and all hands were
lost but him. He has a breath of life
IN him yet, though, and we may pull
him through. Give me some Of that
rum out of the closet, little sister.
She did so in silence, and then, in obe-
dience to her brothers command, she
knelt down and began to chafe the wet,
white hands Of the unconscious man,
while Stephen poured some of the warm
spirits down his throat.
She could not help admiring the
handsome face, so still and paid. sup
ported on her brothers knee. The fea-
lures were regular and high bred, with
dark, black curls falling over the high,
white forehead. She was thinking, too,
what handsome hands they were, into
which she was trying to rub returning
life almost AS small as her own
when sharp knock came to the door,
and young lady, tall but stately, swept
into the cabin and knelt beside him.
81 am his cousin, and it is my right"
she said sweetly, yet decisively, as she
took the hands, to which the warmth of
life was slowly beginning to return, be-
tween her own.
Leah relinquished them at once, and
shrank back to her position in the sha-
dow of the fireplace, with feeling in
her breast she had never known before.
This tall, statel Y young lady was Miss
Edith Hallam, the heiress of the lodge,
and she was only Leah Boscawan, a
fsherman's daughter. She could not
analyze the cause that made her mind
dwell so bitterly upon the fact, yet it did
in spite of herself, and the knowledge
of the great social gulf fixed between
them filled her with great, vague re-
greet.
In less than half an hour the young
man was sufficiently revived to thank
his preservers and accompany his cou-
sin IN her carriage, which waited out
side, 10 the lodge. He thanked them
all most cordially. To the three men
who had assisted him he gave money,
and to Stephen his card, which showed
his name to be Frank Vernon, and
promised to call the next day and thank
them again. Both the old man and his
son were taken with his manner, and
spoke in praise of him and bis supposed
betrothed; but Leah sitting silent in the
shadow, said nothing, brooding IN ST.