Connecticut western news., 1881-03-16
"You have no right to ask such ques

DuI, haLe, you Suall anSWer Ho l! And if you have been foolish in listen ing to his soft talk, give him no more chance of coming between us," said Ned, in voice hoarse with emotion.
 "You are more rude than ever, and l don't choose to listen to you," and Kate stopped to pick up her book, but Ned was too sharp for her. In mo- ment he had caught up the dainty lit tie volume, and, without intending to do more than look at the title, his eye took in at one glance the first words, written in a neat, careful hand : "Kate Thellys, from Frank Leggett. .''
 In 8 moment the hot, angry blood surged up into his face, and, with a nasty imprecation, he flung the book far out into the bay.
 "How dare you! hate you-I hate you p cried Kate, her eyes dilated with passion.
 Ned turned away; he cared not whither he went, as madly and reckless ly he plunged on, away from Trepont, away from home.
 Half an hour later Kate entered the inn, and, to Franks great surprise, was barely civil to him.
 He had intended to read "The Prin- cess " to her, but he saw clearly enough that she was in no mood for reading or listening. So he took his hat and said he should watch the sunset from the caves.
 They were grand, picturesque caves, those of Trepont, lying some half mile from the village. At low water one could wander through the various pass ages leading from the outer cave to the inner ones, and there discover rare specimens of the marine flora.
 At high water the caves were nearly entirely submerged, hence those who visited them were careful to leave be- fore the tide came in, especially as there was no way of scaling the great wall of rock till one reached "The Devils Ladder" a rough, uneven stair way, fashioned by Mother Nature. Be- tween the caves and this ladder were SIX hundred yards of shingly beach, on
 the one side the sea, on the other the cliffs.
 Frank lit cigar ard strolled leisure
 ly down to the beach, wondering what
 fit of perversity possessed his "fail
 young friend," as he was wont to style
 her in his mind. When he reached the
 caves he sat down on boulder and
 gave himself up to enjoy the beautiful
 scene before him. The sun was grad
 ually sinking down beneath the horizon
 its last rays lighting up the surface ot
 the sea in one broad glorious sheet. o
 light, like fair pathway reaching from
 his feet to some far off celestial land O
 golden day. Then he thought of the
 many beautiful legends of the caves be
 hind him-the home of the Lymph anc
 Mermaid. And all this time the in
 coming tide was creeping up to his fee like some insidious foe, but he knew , not. Presently Q wave, stronger o more venturesome than any that ha
 preceded it, rolled into the cave, an reused Frank from his reverie. Seizin [ his hat, which had fallen from his head l he hurried out of the cave. To his dis , may, he found the ground sloped down
 ward as he came on to the beach, unt it was quite foot below the water . Vexed at having to wade through it, h yet had no thought of danger from tn fast-rising tide. He ran few yards { , first, but in so doing he struck his foe against 8 large stone concealed beneat : the water. Then more cautiously an anxiously he hurried on. Not singl human being was in sight, but far ou l in the offing he could see the Trep on boats, with lights just lit. :. g If he could only scale the cliff 6 would save most uncomfor table wall 0 but the attempt proved utterly futile o it only resulted in loss of precio1 k time. Now the water was up to h l. hips, for the beach shelved down mo- t and more as he advanced. Now at la J. he recognized his danger, he cou e scarcely keep his feet, and yet he mu ,, traverse about four hundred yards b l. fore he should be safe. His iniure " foot had swollen and caused him CO
 siderable pain. If he could only nal d himself heard he might yet be save . Then great cry for help went up fro e the drowning man, and again anothe ,, but no answer came.
 '' Deeper and deeper he sank into u e water, and still the tide came rolling u piteously. With great effort 5 reached huge boulder and mount "A it here he would be safe for fe " minutes, but sooner or later the ti -0 would have its victim unless help car in the meantime. "Help, help!" b ~ 1. no one needed, while all too quickly t ~ water rose higher and higher till he h ~. to cling to the face of the cliff to sa ta a himself from being washed off t - boulder. He would give one last cry 'N help, and then if it came not he wou , resign himself to the bitter end. ' :" it was hard to die at twenty-five wi '' all it's shams and unrealities, its tyra o- nies and lies, he chung to life as fond LII as the best and worst of us. One l. h. effort. "Help, help l" but no answe LII yet stay. What is that faint halo !, H. "Surely there is help at hal y Louder and nearer it sounds. .n "Where away ?"
 le Frank put all his strength into UT answer:
 H. Drowning under the cliff! p It A minute later and Ned King be h. over the cliff and saw the white, ter ad stricken face of the man who had co1 It. between his love and himself WI