The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1879-12-05
n | XI T..

She was little beauty, and old Col
onel Johns wanted her-wanted her as
he wanted a Sevres vase or picture he
fancied to adorn his home. And it is
seldom out of picture that you see
such rolling curls of dark gold, such
| sparkling brown eyes, such face of
oleander tints, such a beautifully-mold-
ed figure, though of petite proportions.
Mike Gray was the daintest piece of
flesh and blood you would come across
in many long days journey, though
''the child" the old colonel would have
told you, "came of tile most miserable
and destitute family on Long Shore.
The truth was he had grudge against
David Grey, Mixes father. When
both were poor boys they had favor
ite playmate, Mamie Lane. Colonel
Johns had entered the navy. David, a
sailors son, followed the sea. Though
the former grew rich, having Inherited
money, and the latter continued poor,
Mamie choose David and married him.
1t was the only disappointment of
Colonel Johns life, and il ranked as
long as he lived.
By-and-by David died, leaving four
sons and Mike. Deciding to overlook
his first slight the colonel now offered
himself 10 Mamie, now pale and care
worn. lie had grown purse-proud and
arrogant, and Mamie, no longer liking
him, refused him. Then the colonel's
love turned to hatred. For ten years
he persistently ill-treated the Grays
but one day he passed the cabin door on
the beach, and saw the glowing bud,
Mike. Instantly he was fired with q
desire for possession.
He had been married seven years, but
had no children. Mike he determined
to have. The girl was Is. He Offered
to adopt her. Mrs. Gray, though pres
sed by poverty, refused to part will
her child. But soon the mother died
selfish and brutal fellow, declared tina
she must go to the colonels.
"We're all going to sea. Take your
, self off," he growled.
The truth was, the colonel had bough
Mike, giving Seth good price to de
liver the beautiful child to him, an,
when his carriage came for her wha
could she do but go?
No one dreamed in what despair O
soul. Small and of child-like beauty, sh
was more than pet and toy. A stron;
and true heart beat in the girls breast
In terrible storm ship had bee
! driven inland, and going to pieces upo
the rocks, nearly all the persons o.
= board perished. One of the passenger
washed ashore had been brought to tn
!. Gray's cabin and restored to life. ii
! was young and manly and sunny
; haired.
!. In his convalescence he told Mike {
- many beautiful lands and places. ii
e filled her life with brightness il ha
r never known before; and when he wer
!, away he whispered:
n "Nixie, don't forget me-"
d Forget him! Day and night the girl
Is soul hungered for the brave eye, the el
d quisite smile, the gentle manners {
/, Percy Ingraham; and she knew that
e all probability, she would never, nev(
y see him again.
n She kept her secret well, but in whi
Ia passion of grief only she knew. FC
=, though it seemed that her very hea
ID was consuming, she could not hope tn
s. the proud young Englishman woul
lie ever come back to that remote shore.
:, Yet to leave the cabin would cut he
W loose from all possible connections wi
the past. Ii the winds of heaven BILE
- Percy lngraham that way, he mig
stop at her door, but he would loC
no 'further-for her.
Yet Colonel Johns carriage bore h
from her lowly home, never to relur
Before going to sea her brothers SO
= it, and it was razed to the ground.
Though born and bred among su,
= associations, the girl was fine and ge
tie. Her father had been honest al
independent, her mother modest al
virtuous.
Now, at Colonel Johns, her soul !
volted against the low morality of 4
rich man, the poorly concealed depra
ity OF his wife.
They were kind, lavishing npon h
dress and Jewels, taught her to dan
? and sing to the guitar; and, lonely al
, sad though she was, she forced hers'
to smile, and tried innocently TO plea
them.
One thought partially reconciled h
to this life-she had the advantages
wealth. They included improveme
IN. of mind and manner, taught her to
ut a lady; for the sake of Percy Ingraha
ne ec. this wild, graceful child SO longed to
ar a ladyl
m She came in from the magnilice
'"' garden early one morning. Her gol
- en- curls were knotted back with ri
MS bon pink as her cheeks. She had TO
pie port that madam's favorite flower, I
ts dahlia, was in blossom.
gu But the whole house was in confusic