The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1882-02-25

A STORY IN TWO CHAPTERS.
CHAPTER /.

ChAPIER i.
Tregannion. in Cornwall, is not to be found
upon any map; but Tregannion, some eighty
years ago. was place OF no small importance to
a certain section OF the community. When the
profession of smuggler was one of some dignity,
and was surrounded by halo of romance, Tre-
gannion was as fourishing little collection of
cottages as there was on the south coast. The
whole place consisted of but some score of cottages
clustered round a toy church, and wedged in
between two rugged masses of cliff A single
street, solitary publc-house, and one little quay
suficed for the wants of the population, which,
all told might perhaps, in the prosperous days
of yore, amount TO half hundred souls.
News and information travelled but slowly to
the remoter corners OF our island at the begin
ming of the present century, so that TreganniOn
was suffered to flourish in its own way for some
time before the Commissioners Of Excise felt it
absolutely necessary to send an active officer
there for the protection Of their interests Ire
gannion resented this interference, and the luck
less oficer-one Lieutenant Porter of His Majes
ty's Navy-was murdered. So, when Lieutenant
Charlwo0d his successor arrived, with the fullest
powers TO stamp out smuggling and to bring the
murderers to justice, he found his post no sine
cure. Tregannion, as it knew but little of the
outside world cared but little about it. So Tonga
Tregannion luggers made good runs and so long
as Tregannion purses could jingle ill-gotten
pieces, revolutions earthquakes pestilences, or
famineS might occur in every other shire in the
land without awakening particle of alarm
sympathy in the bosoms of the inhabitants of
Tregannion. So Lieutenant Charlwood, with a
score of picked men, occupied range of white
huts on one OF the cliffs overlooking the innocent
little village and harbor
Had it not been for the arduous and exciting
nature of the service upon which he was en-
ployed Charlwood would have found existence
at Tregannion monOtonous enough. There were
but four persons with whom he could associate
These were the parson, the Reverend Mr.. Carey
the local medical man. Dr. Windle; and an old
Dutchman one Cornelius Van der Meulen, who
lived with his daughter in a great solitary white
house situated upon the same cliff as the prevent
i've station.
Mr.. Carey and DR.. Windle were all very well.
They had been gentlemen once no doubt, but
long association with the rough spirits of Ire
gannion, and long absence from the civilized
world, had rendered them little superior in man.
amongst whom the one occasionally preached
and the other dispensed medicines.
But with the old Dutchman the lieutenant
struck up fast friendship, and with Dolly Van
der Meulen he almost became intimate. No one
knew whence old Van der Meulen had come.
He had lived at the Cliff House for the past
quarter of century, but rarely went even into
the village. He seemed to have means for the
house-at least that part of it which was occu-
pied-was well, and even luxuriously furnished,
and he had no visible occupation Charlwood's
intimacy with Dolly arose in the first instance
from compassion for pretty, lively
girl condemned 10 spend lonely existence in
dismal old house with an eccentric old man.
From compassion to love is but a short step, and
Charlwood had not been six weeks at the station
before he found himself head over ears in love
with Dolly Van der Meulen. She was Just the
sort of girl, he said, he had always dreamed of
for wife. Thoroughly simple and homely in
her tastes she had the ease and grace of manner
which, as a rule, sit naturally only upon women
of the world. But what intensified his passion
was to see that his love was returned. Dolly
had never associated with men, and the appear
ance of handsome young officer upon the linn
tied stage of her life was to her sort of vision
Perhaps she, in her turn, compassionated him
upon being cast away in such desolate uncouth
corner of the world. At any rate they met often,
and walked together often.
But there was a rival.
Amongst the loungers at The Brig in Tregan-
Mon, was long slOuching fellow named Dan
Pearce To look at he was a lubber, to talk to
he seemed half-witted, but CharlwoOd soon found
out that, behind the low retreating forehead and
the heavy square chin of Dan Pearce, there was
as crafty and keen an intelligence as any in the
place. Dan Pearce was constantly at the Cliff
House, and when at the Cliff House was invaria-
bly, in close proximity TO Dolly, ogling her with
his great ish-like eyes, stammering out uncouth