The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1880-08-07

ter the young lady, hardly knowing WHY he
did so, but feeling irresistibly drawn by
some unaccountable presentiment that all
was. not well with her. In few moments
he came up with her aud followed at little
distance, watching her movements with the
keenest interest. But Maud as so intent
upon some purpose which lay deep linden
in her heart that she did notice him. The
street now began to be deserted but still
the resolute girl walked rapidly on. At
length small foot-bridge across the canal
was reached. The girl paused; was her pur-
pose desperate one? George Adolphus
asked himself this question and many more
beside as he fingered in the shadows close
behind her.
Murmuring something to the effect that
the heaving, white-crested pillows which
rolled at her feet would soon embrace her
and free her from her wretchedness. Maud
began to take down her hair.
"GoiDg to swim?' asked a voice behind
her.
She turned and beheld a stranger standing
close at hand. At first she could not utter
word. Presently, however, she said, in
tones that betrayed her intense excitement:
ooh, sir, do not thwart my purpose. /
desire to put an end to my trouble-I wish
TO sleep beneath the wave''
"There isn't any wave there" said George
Adolphus. ''The canal dry You'll break
your neck If you jump off this bridge''
But | want to find grave in the rest
less deep. l want the blue pillows to fold
me in everlasting slumber, where the sea-
weeds grow in sunless gloom''
'But tell you, my dear lady, there isn't
any restless deep anywhere around here.
You'd better put it off till the canal open.
Here you are talking about sleeping beneath
the pillows, when the water will not be let
on in month yet. And, besides, if you
want to be folded in everlasting slumber, it
would be wise for you to jump into a well.
You'd have sure thing them"
''That would be horribler' exclaimed
Maud, with shudder.
eyes," replied George Adolphus. ST
would spoil the we'll.
Maud felt that George Adolphus was
right. True, he did not seem to enter very
much into the tragic spirit of the situation.
He ought to have dropped upon his knees
and implored her to forget her trouble and
sip little longer the nectar of life He
ought to have pictured to her Imagination
fair-haired girl lying with pallid face and
marble form IN the silent bosom of the ca
nal, where the dolphins sport unseen and
the mermaids comb their locks in shadowy
solitude. But he did nothing of the sort.
He told her TO go home and practice in the
cistern.
Maud thought the matter over for a mo-
ment, then bursting into tears she wrunp
the hand of our hero and ran swiftly home
George Ado.phus stood upon the bridge
and watched Maud until she was out of
sight. AS he stood there, wondering what
it was that weighed SO heavily upon the
mind Of this fair young girl, he saw some
thing glittering at his feet. He stopped and
eagerly picked it up 1t was golden hair
pin of peculiar pattern. 1t occurred to him
at once that it must have been lost by the
girl when she took down her hair He put
it in his trousers pocket, thinking that it
would be a handy thing to pawn for his
breakfast. The more he tried to forget
about this fair girl, AID the previous cir
cumstances under which he had met her.
the more persistently they rose before him.