The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1882-01-05

"rll coup to the hotel right away You'll
| go with me9"
81 went up yesterday and saw the
housekeeper," said Frant slowly, "and
she knows all about your being nearly
drowned, and wants to help you.'
II can do fine ironing and all light
work, and | can do young ladies' hair
and fine sewing" said Norah Harvey
eagerly. ~ hope I'll get some money and
be able to pay you something"
"Oh, no." quickly; "l'm paid to see
you do we'll" The extreme youth of the
| girl-she could not have been eighteen,
Frant knew-the way she leaned upon
Frants strength and goodness, her honest
desire and eagerness to work, and the
beauty of her girlish face and form ap-
peaied more strongly than ever to the
elderly womans 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 Phlly and me-
Then the pang tnat had wrung her before
came again. Phil's look-she could not
forget it i; but she remembered how COM
| pletely he had always deserved her con-
! tidence. She would not believe that any
one could wean him away from her. He
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 children, Frant had grieved over
this many times; now she grieved more
than ever. "But PHILIPS very fond Of
me-" she murmured to herself; yes, he is
very, very fond Of me- And she began
to sing low song as she went about her
work
TIn IL
| 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 go down there on the
night of the sterm 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 10y came
over the plain face of the woman, as she
thought " hat d blessed thing it was to
save human life
Just then quick steps came running
around the foot of the headland and a
girl flew into the gully, and began to
climb wildly up its ragged face. 1t was
Norah Harney, and, before Frant could
advance to help her trembling steps, the
girl was by her side and hurrying her in
to the little cabin Glide me" she said
passionately ooh, hide me he is at the
hotel that bad man. He is coming
oh, | know he saw me | ran out as soon
as | caught glimpse OF him, and ran
down the cliff and kept close under it,
but know he saw me?" The girl began
to cry bitterly. 81 told you it would have
been better for me to die!' she sobbed,
ooh, if only dared to throw myself into
the sea-
"That's wicked" said Frant soberly
but with large sympathy in her heart
with the haunted young creature. 81
will 90 up to the hotel" she continued
kindly, land see where he is
"What if he should come while you are
gone Y cried the girl, her eyes wide with
terror.
II can get here before be does, know"
said Frant, smilingly "and he would
have to meet me. Tell me his name, and
III find out something about him."
Norah Harvey told her and Frant
started OFT. How ready she felt to help
this girl, who--Frant could not deny it
to herself-Was coming to be burden TO
her.
'I WONDER thought the woman with
a dim perception of the angelic quality in
herself II wonder is it rather grand of
me,-or haven't | spirit, or what Why
don't | let the man come, and the girl 90,
and not lift a finger? How do know
that she has told me the truth? But |
couldn't. I'd fight for the innocent little
thing. | wonder does Philly know how
feel. wonder does he understand"
The vague pain at the woman's heart
deepened at the thought; but soon she
reached the hotel, and found the house
keeper. The man, even then, was going
away. Norah Harney need not be troub-
led He had not seen her. He had run
down from the city for days fishing,
the housekeeper had learned, as she
learned in some inscrutable way the busi-
ness of everybody under her charge, and
Frant hurried home to tell the good news
to the distracted girl. But the occurrence
made Norah Harney very nervous, and
she clung to Frant and Phil with an al
most touching timidity.
AS the fall advanced, "the shore" set
tied down into the calm which always
pervades it except during the heated
term or when an occasional storm strew-
ed the shore with wrecks. A hammock
had been swung for Norah Harvey in
Frant's little attic, and she had become
regular inmate of the lowly fisherman's
family.
She was happy, bird like thing, and
looked at Frant and talked with her as
though the unsophisticated woman was
OF a superior 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 Phil's ardent devotion to her;
and every day the fresh sea-breezes
brought fresh color to her cheeks, deepen
ed the blue OF her liquid eyes, and round
ed the curves Of her light and exquisite
figure. Frant did not wonder that the
bad man had coveted her. She did not
! wonder. in the heavy, weary moments
when the jealous pain at her heart seem
ed about to break it, that Phil would
rather walk or run with Norah than sit
quietly with herself on the door, stone or
out on the headland.
"How can you be so contented here
with u.s. said Frant to her kindly one
day.
"Oh, love you and Philly-and Pm
afraid when l get far away from you,"
said Norah ingeniously.
"But don't you want so see some of
your friends?"
"No; 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 Philly 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.
But Phily is about my age-and you,"
the girl added quickly.
Frant would not notice it, "You'll
want to be married 10y and by" she said,
land there's nobody fine enough for you