The Portland daily press., 1881-09-05

ssHere." said Frant soothingly,- heres
some breakfast / shouldn't have made you
tell me till after your breakfast, but wanted
so to know thought of it all night. Pm
your friend. Don't cry" She had indeed
dreamed that the mysterious man had come
and demanded Norah Harvey, but that she
had bought him off
"Yes,o said the girl, pressing Frants
large. warm palm between her small hands,
81 like you Somehow depend on you. l
like to think how you dragged me up the
hill in the rain and the storm, and how you
worked over me. How tired you must have
been. You seem like dear kind mother
to me''
Frant's heart sank. ''It is BECAUSE" her
heart whispered, 81 am old. Oh, am much
older than Philly. 1t seems as though |
grew old faster,-a great deal" And
pang deeper than she could account Tor
wrung her great, gentle heart.
The girl went on, unconscious of the feel
ing she had aroused. "Yes," she said, I'll
go up to the hotel right away You'll go
with me?'
81 went up yesterday and saw the house
keeper" said Frant slowly, "and she knows
all about your being nearly drowned, and
wants to help you; they all want to heip
you"
81 can do fine ironing and all light work,
and | can do young ladies hair ana me iIe
sewing" said Norah Harney eagerly. i
hone ri get some money and be able to pay
you something"
''Oh. mop quickly; 'Tm paid to see you
do well.'' The extreme youth OF the girl
she could not have been eighteen, Frant
knew-the wav she leaned upon Frant's
siren 9Th and goodness, her honest desire
and eagerness to work, and the beauty OF her
girlsh face and form appealed more strongly
than ever to the elder woman's feelings. II
love her, she said to herself as she went
back to the kitchen. 81 believe she has
told me true. She can stay with Philly and
me-" Then the pang that had wrung her
before came again. Phils look-she could
not forget it; but she remembered how
completely he had always deserved her con-
| fideice, She would not believe that any
| one could wean him away from her. lie
would get used to Norah's beauty. She
| would be like sister to him, or like his own
child. Oh, if God had only sent them chill
drenl Frant had grieved over this many
| times; now she grieved more than ever.
| 'But PHILIPS very fond of me-" she muir
injured to herself; ssyes, he is very, very fond
| of men And she began to sing low song
as she went about her work.
The girl came in, borrowed Frant's hat,
| and started out with a steady step for the
| hotel.
| Frant went to the door and looked out at
| the sea; she stepped to the edge of the gully
| and looked into its rough, yawning mouth.
| How strange that she should have happened
| to 90 down there on the night of the storm
| How strange that she should have happened
| to see that mysterious white burden on the
| waves! How strange that any life should
| have been left in the tender young thing!
| How strange that Philly and she should have
| moved Just that day into their new house!
| An expression of quiet joy came over the
plain face of the woman, as she thought
what blessed thing it was to save hu-
man lifel
Just then quick steps came running
| around the foot of the headland and girl
| few into the gully, and began to climb wild
| ly up it's ragged face. 1t was Moran Har-
ney, and. before Frant could advance to help
| her trembling steps, the girl was by her side
| and hurrying her into the little CABIN.
| Glide mep' she said passionately; "oh,
| hide me! he is at the hotel, that bad man.
| He is coming; oh, know he saw mel l
| ran out as soon as / caught glimpse OF hlm,
and ran down the cliff and kept close under
| it. but know he saw mer' The girl began
| 70 cry bitterly. 81 told you it would have
been better for me to dep she sobbed. "Oh,
| if only dared to throw myself into the
sear'
"That's wicked" said Frant soberly but
| with large sympathy in her heart with the
| hunted Young creature 81 will go up to the
hotel," she continued kindly, "and see
| where he is"
HWhat if he should come while you are
gonep' cried the girl, her eyes wide with ter
| ror. .
II can get here before he does, 1 know"
| said Frant, smiling, s.and he would have to
| meet me. Tell me his name, and III ind
| ont sompthinp about him.
Norah Harvey told her, and Frant started
| off. How ready she felt to help this girl,
who-Frant could not deny it to herself
was coming to be burden to herl
II wonder,' thought he woman with
dim perception of the angelic quality IN her.
self, 81 wonder is it rather grand OF me,-er
haven't 1 spirit, or what? Why don't let
the man come, and the girl go, and not lift
| finger? How do | know that She has told
me the truth? But couldn't. I'd fight Tor
| the innocent little thing. / wonder does
| PhfIly know how feel ] wonder does he
understand" The vague pain at the wom-
ans heart deepened as she thought; but
soon she reached the hotel, and found the
housekeeper. The man, even then, was 60
ing away Norah Harney need not be troub-
led, He had not seen her. BE had run
down from the city for days fishing, the
housekeeper had learned, las she learned in
some nscrutable way the business OF every
body under her charge, and Frant hurried
home to tell the good news to the distracted
girl But the occurrence made Norah Har-
new very nervous, and she clung to Frant
and Phil with an almost touching timidity.
AS the fall advanced, 'the shore" settled
down into the calm which always pervades
it except during the heated term or when an
occasional storm strewed the shore Win
wrecks A hammock had been swung Tor
Norah Harney in Frant's little attic, and
she had become regular inmate OF the low
y fisherman's family.
She was a happy, bird-like thing, and
looked at Frant and talked With her as thougn
the unsophisticated woman was of supe-
rior order. With Phil she would romp and
play, racing with him through the gully,
and even into the surf. 1t did not seem to
occur to her that Frant-sober elderly Frant
could ever feel disturbed at the fondness
she undeniably felt for Phil, or at PhiPs ar
dent devotion to her; and every day the
fresh sea-breezes brought fresh color to her
cheeks, deepened the blue of her liquid eyes,
and rounded the curves of her light and ex-
ouisite figure. Frant did not wonder that
the bad man had coveted her. She did not won
der, in the heavy, weary moments when the
Jealous pain at her heart seemed about 10
break it, that Phil would rather walk or run
with Norah than sit quietly with herself on
Inc QOOf-SJOuc Ut OuI ou bnC ACnuioAu.
'How can you be SO contented here with
us?" said Frant to her kindly one day.
"Oh, love you and Philly-and Pm
afraid when get far away from you" said
Norah ingeniously.
s.But don't you want to see some of your
friends?'
mo- don't want to see the people used
to live with, for he would find me; and they
took me out of the asylum, you know; so
have no relatives. No, love you and Phil
ly better than anybody else."
'.But if you were in the city you could
have companions of your own age and go to
parties" urged Frant.
s.But Philiy is about my age-and you"
the girl added quickly.
Frant would not notice it. you'll want
TO be married by and by" she said, "and
there's nobody fine enough for you here"
"Why should want to get marriedp'
laughed Norah. 'sPve got you and Philly,
and l can make enough here to pay you
something and buy my clothes" This was
true. Norah was always ready to work,
and the ladies III Brimmertown had heard OF
her skill and often brought her sewing and
embroidery to do, while from the hotel and
the shore village she received the pay for
many an honest days work. Her money
oh