News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-02-16

nificently built man of thirty, perhaps.
His blue sailors blouse was open at
the throat; heavy mustache and a
short, pointed beard covered mouth
and chin; his skin was dark and sun
burnt; the lashes of his closed eyes
were thick and black, the brows straight
and heavy; the broad, white forehead
looking whittier by contrast with the
brown cheeks, was half covered by the
saamp, dark curls which clung close
about it.
In an hours time our shipwrecked
stranger was able to talk. He gave his
name as Murdock; captain of the ship
which had gone to pieces that night, he
said.
Miss Rexford was not in the room
when he recovered consciousness.
They did not meet until the following
morning, and then Captain Murdoch
started, smiled, looked at her half wist-
fully. But my lady treated him with
supreme Indifference, as if he were what
the others supposed him to be, a
stranger.
For three days the storm continued
and Captain Murdoch was kept a pris-
oner with us. For three days Kate
Rexford acted like one possessed. She
lifted Austin Wilder into the seventh
heaven of happiness, she firted with
Bert Sheffield and Ed Landers, she
played hide and-seek with little Flossie
Porter, and told stories to Angie and
the Dayton girls, and captivated Mrs.
Brownells heart by washing dishes with
her dainty white fingers.
But to Captain Murdoch she was
cold, and naughty, and overbeari1g.
1t did seem as though Kate Rexford,
SO rich in worldly favors, might have
vouchsafed one little kindly word or
look to this courteous and handsome
sailor, whose stay with us was so short;
but she did not, and the man submit
ted to her treatment with grave dig
nifty and only an occasional flash in his
dark hazel eyes, as they rested for an
instant now and then upon her lovely
face
On the third day the storm ceased,
the gray clouds went drifting away to
the southern horizon, and the sun gave
US beaming goodnight smile as he
sank to rest in clear western sky.
was in the sittiDg-room. alone. Most of
the others had gone trooping down to
the shore.
Miss Rexford, wrapped in a feecy
white shawl, was promenading the ver-
anda, where she was presently joined
by Captain Murdoch.
"You need not turn from me, Miss
Rexford," he said, in low, intense
voice. ST fully appreciate the differ
ence in our social positions. Yet, re-
membering that saved your life five
years ago, will claim the privilege of
bidding you farewell. L am going away
tomorrow. / hope to Heaven 1 may
never look upon your lovely, crsel face |
again. 1t has been the curse of my life |
ever since I swan ashore from the deck
of Judge Kent's yacht with you in my
arms. He does not remember his skip
per of so long ago-why should he
My love and my pain have made me
old. Go your dainty way, my lady, and
remember that, madly as Noel Murdoch
loved you, he was yet too proud to throw
his heart under your slender feet to be
trampled oD."
There was an instant's pause, and
then came low, pitiful, tender cry
from beautiful Kate Rexford.
"Noel I"
Kate had turned toward him with
outstretched hands, her face suffused
with bushes, and tears in her lovely
eyes.
The next moment Murdock had folded
her close to his heart, and she was Sob
bing out an incoherent story in his
arms.
"Oh, Noel-you were so blind. How
could speak? 1 have loved you 80
long, but you were so proud-prouder,
my sailor, than I ever dreamed of be-
ing. I hated myself for loving you so,
when 1 had no power to win a word |
from you. Oh, Noel, whenever there |
10 q oOOLLA Ou Ou0 SCH IL dil COIu6S UBCh |
to me-that horrid yet blessed night,
when our little boat went drifting on |
the rocks, and I was borne ashore in |
your dear, strong arms"
Well there, they went on in that FASH
ion for some time, and my spectacles,
were wet with tears just because of
looking at them.