Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1881-09-22
Select Story.
HUGH KENRICK'S WILL,
THE STORY OF A PosY RING.
AHthoT Of "Ths LeadeH Cdsket;" "Thorni.
eroTs Model;T dc. dc.
BY NARaARBT HuST.

SAt VI lc u
us. I'll scoop little more soil out. l
think. Sit still, Miss Clavering; am GO
ing to work very gently-I won't throw
any Of it on you" He took thin bit Of
stone and scooped away the earth delving
in carefully, and leaving a thick mass of
protecting turf above.
at is not worth while to do that" said
Lucy. "As soon as the rain clears away
enough to let them see us, we must go and
show ourselves What a pity my people
have chosen such an unfortunate day for
their excursion to Dinan"
"Are you coldf" he inquired very anx-
iously.
"Oh, no; / am quite comfortable. Now,
really, Mr.. Richmond, this is beginning to
look more like an adventure"
II hope for your sake it will not be too
much of one. Are you hungryH" inquired
Mr.. Richmond.
"No, thank you-but what o'clock is
itf"
.Twenty minutes past FIVE"
"Where are you going nowl Don't
put your head out. You will get so wet"
cried Lucy.
~ must not stay here, l must 60 to the
other side and see if l can't arouse the
people on shore"
"Not in this rain2"
~ dare not wait any longer. We must
make them see us now. 1t will be dark
in an hour or two"
"Whether you 60 now or not, we are
certain to be seen long before dark
8 There are always n number of boats
about"
"Will you excuse my taking off my
coat2" asked he.
"Oh! don't 60 without your coat" cried
Lucy. "What can you be thinking off,
Just look how it is raining"
"That is the very reason why am TAX
ing it off" said he. "a coat is coat as
long as it is dry; when once it is wet it is
of no use whatever to anyone" He rolled
it up, put it in dry corner, and vent
He stood for an hour or more in the
drenching rain, waving a handkerchief
that would not wave, but, let him stretch
it out as he might, dropped in a wet, sop
py string by the side of the stick to which
it was fastened. The rain which wetted
him would have wetted the st. Male
folks, too; so none were abroad, or none
looked over towards the. Grand Bey.-
Heavy as the shower was, Hugh Rich
mond never once relaxed his efforts. He
felt that he must do all that in him lay tc
get Lucy away from that miserable place
before nightfall. And then he could not
help remembering how they had sat and
laughed and talked, believing all the
while that each moment might put an end
to their captivity, until all at once they
had begun to see it was by no means sc
easy a matter to get away as they had
supposed. Hugh Richmond's heart sunk
within him when he thought of the deli
cate girl who was his companion in mis-
fortune being kept here without food OF
shelter till low water. ave can cross by
the causeway about four or FIVE in the
morning but if we have to stay here until
then she will not be able to walk" This
was his thought, and it caused him to re.
double his efforts, and dance and fling his
arms above him, and gesticulate wildly
before the eyes of those who were moi
there to see-and still the rain fell. II
was falling more heavily now-so heavily
that it was beginning to obscure all dis.
tant objects, and presently he could nc
longer see st. Malo, nor indeed anything
but o blurred confusion of white rain.
drops.
Even then he did not desist; but sud.
denly he felt light touch on his arm-he
heard a sweet voice say, "Dear Mr. Rich.
mond, give up trying to make them sec
you! Do come away! How can you stay
in this dreadful rain?"
allow can you come out in it" he cried
almost angrily; for he was vexed to think
she had left her shelter.
~ could not stay there so long, know
ing you were getting wet,' she answered.
simply. "Come back to the cave with me
Let us make up our minds to wait until
the tide goes down."
Whatever they decided as to that, the
thing to be done now was to get Lucy
out of the rain. He came down from the
bit of wall on which he was standing; he
:urned to go back with her. He looked
at her hat, which sat so dainty on her
head that morning-it was shapeless, and
the feather reduced to pulp; her dress
was black instead of grey; her face
splashed with raindrops. Nevertheless,
he saw she was trying to be brave and
cheerful-there was even an attempt at a
smile on her lips. The closely cropped
pasture-land was saturated with rain, and
intensely slippery. She stumbled and fell.
She sprang to her feet with laugh,which
was but faint one-but in another min
ute she fell once more. He helped her to
regain her feet, but this second time he
drew her hand within his arm, and as she
still slipped, he put his arm round her,
and supported her firmly. "Do not mind
my helping you in this way" said he. ~
cannot let you fall every moment-and it
rains so hard, we must walk quickly"
Just then the violence of the rain abat-
ed little, but they were both miserably
wet.
"It begins to be something more like an
adventure said Lucy, with feeble at
tempt at gayety. She had not quite lost
her spirits.
The entrance to their cavern was slip
perry, and below it was slight precipice,
but he got her in safely. 1t was poor
little miserable place which only afforded
them room enough to sit; but the bit Of
overhanging turf protected them from the
rain, and it was great thing to have even
that. He shook her dress for her, and
then he took, his dry coat and spread II