The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1880-05-21
Select Story.
WAS lie TRUE?

She stood on the topmDst point of high
rock, her disordered yellow tresses blow ing
in blutfy ringlets about her pretty flushed
cheeks, her biz, dark eyes all aglow with an
tcpated fun. She held her straw hat in her
hand, swinging it listlessly by its scarlet
strings; but upon the naer approach of
gentleman, she flung it deliberately into the
sea.
Get my hat, Give she commanded, as
he came up to her, painting from his brisk
| walk
tall, giant.lke young fellow he was
surely, towering far above the fairy like per.
sonage before him. He stood irresolute
moment, evidently in no mood for duck
| ing at high tide, from such perilous point
| AS this
DO you hear, sir?' cried Miss Beatrice
Cheltou, impatently stamping her small
foot. Fe what gallant knight you
are!'
The young man cutched frautically at the
hat, as il was washed ashore by the incom-
ing tide. But it was carried beyond his
grasp, and it took some exertion for him to
keep his balance upon the slippery sand.
After two or three fruitless endeavors, du
ring which his fair tormentor looked on
with rnrthtul, mocking eyes, he succeeded
in rescuing it, and once more stood beside
her, his handsome face flushing slightly as
he profieredit, his clothes all dappled iii sea
foam, and his boots thoroughly soaked.
4 am afraid you got wet she said.
Looks rather like it, he good naturedl y
replied. But now, Beauty, want my re-
ward
what rewardY she asked demurely
1T is but a small thing to ask, he said.
Only decisive answer TO the question |
nave so often asked you in vaIn,'
She looked coquettishly down a. him.
Suppose do not give it?'
He gnawed his blonde moustache. Sup
pose she did not? He could not force her,
and he loved her too well to be able to stand
on his dignity.
What pleasure can it afford you to keep
me in suspense? he moodly asked; and then
he was on the rock close beside her, looking
lmploringly into her rosy, tantPlizing face
Il know that have my way to MAKE in the
world, Beauty, and that you are the petted
heiress of good old man, but, were our po-
sitions changed, | would not cause you one
heart paDg, though you were heartless, or
love you one iota less, though you were
poor
You are not friendless,' declared the girl
Indignantly, 'and you will not always bt
poor. But, oh dear you are so awfuly trag-
ic, Give. | do declare, you have given me
the blues
'Retribution, replied Give, looking hal
playfully, half earnestly at the pretty, SO
bere face. you will give me my answe
now, Beauty"
In just five minutes, said she, settini
herself down cody to mediate on the mo
mentous question of her whole future life.
Those five minutes were like so mau.
hours to Give Winthrop, fraught as the.
we're with an agony of hope and fear. |
any one had told him then that he would b.
untrue to this girl he would have laughe
the idea to scorn. The happiness of hi
life depended on one little word from he
lips. At last she looked up at the pale
anxious face.
'Wel?'
What a white heat of excitement ther
was in the word.
She dropped her eyes under his cage
gaze. and fu,he scarlet as she dopped he
5 yellow head. Then she stood on tip-toe an
whispered her answer in his ear so low tina
even the winds could no. -,oeat it. Bu
when Civ - &c s,a Nor,s Ts9ler .,o.s expires
sion in his face, wouiu I'D her
his heart, she had fled.
He watched her slight, graceful figure, a
she hurried lightly along in the distance, an
IS he heaved regretful sigh when it was 10
20 to view. He would have followed her bl
"a for the sudden consciousness of wet fee
= and a keen sense of the disagreeabe side
a fresh sea breeze, when only guarded again
d by damp clothes But though for long da
q after Re wandered longingly among II
q rocks, the1tte figure never came. For son
Is inexplicabe reason, she had ceased to vi,
the seaside spot where she had spent
many romantic hours, and at last, anxio
and discouraged, young Winthrop ceas
his lonely vigil
He determined to brave the lon-Mi
:, Chelton's uncle-in his den, large, ol
y, fashioned country house Notwithstanding t
et knowledge that the old man regarded hi
with no very favorable eyes, aud as lit
RS. less or more than fortune hunter.
y 1T certainly looks like it., he thought
'gs; trihe bitterly, as he conjured his pride o
SO day, and wended his way toward the hou
ed Il wish to see Miss Chelton,' he said
gy the servant who came to the door.
he He was shown into the drawing room al
ny seeing a little figure sitting at the furtl
end, rushed unceremoniouslv toward it. /
'rs be started back in ismay uttering an un
'telligible apology. Surely this was