Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1883-10-18
LOVE AND DUTY.

LONE AND DUTY.
1t was wild and rocky coast, along
which ran the path that led to tho hoIhC
Of old Martin lrcro. At ordinary times
the cottage would have possessed bit
liltlo attractions for q bold stirling
youth like Owen Glen. But o vi. it0T
had Of late frightened up its precincts
a young girl named Annis, after the
aged grandmother who dozcd by the
hearth through the long evenings, con.
tent to watch the bright flames as they
shot up from the broad fireplace, and
perhaps to see visions of tho past with
her dim owes.
Dame Frcre was a sharp-voiced,
bustling woman, long past middle ago,
and not having the name of possessing
very sweet temper, but she had Il soft
place in he! heart for grauny, and it
was TO please her that sho invited her
pretty namc-child to come to visit them
for few months.
Annis was tall, slight girl, as
straight as pine tree and as graceful
as n lawn. Her yellow hair hung in a
perfect name of shining curls all about
her shoulders, and far down below her
waist. Imagine aswcet, innocent face,
lighted with great lustrous dark eyes,
and red mouth almost always rurving
into smiles, and you have some idea Of
Anuis.
Most of the young girls in the vicin.
ity were buXom, merry lasScS, with
har and eyes to matCh-b til of an in
tense blackness--and with more on less
of the hoyGGn in them. Their laughter
was loud and hearty, and their ways
more froIicsome than refined. So il is
not strange that when this graceful,
quiet stranger came among them, with
her shy ways and blond c0loring, her
swift changes of expression and native
ease of manner, she was at once taken
into the hearts of all the young people
in the noighborhood.
II is great mistake to think that
one girl is inscnsiblc to anothcr's
beauty. Sometimes, to be sure, she
may have n feeling OF jealousy with re-
gard 10 it when she is naturally of that
disposition, but oftener she loves the
object of her admiration all the more
because sho embodics that ideal which
exists in every human soul to greater
or less degree.
Owen Glenn had fallen head over
heels in love at his first meeting with
Annis, and had not missed an oppc--
tunity Of meeting her at the varlous
rustic gatherings TO which she had
been invited; andto-night hc was going
to test his fate by telling Annis that he
loved her, and ask il he could hope for
q response to the ardent feeling with
which he had been inspired by her.
Owen was not at all certain as to the
success Of his suit, for there was anoth-
CT who admired Annis, and who was
far above him in worldly station and
wealth, and rs Owen, in his freedom
from vanity, also thought, in good
looks and in other qualities calculated
to win girls heart.
Ann's had received the pleasant little
courtosies and attentions Of both in
way calculated to wound neither;
though, as to that, it would have been
an impoSslbility for her to be other
than so sweet and gracious as not to
enkindle hope in each passionate young
heart.
Thus matters stood as Owen started
from his home to take the long and
tedious walk over the cliffs, which must
be traverscd before he could reach the
cottage which sheltered tho object OF
his love.
1t had been raining steadily all day
long, and as night came on the wind
had risen to a gale.
But, wrapped in his waterproof
cloak, and lighted on his way by y Ian.
tern, Owen cared not for the thrcatcp-
ing elements, and walked along whist
ling softly, now and then pausing to
shake himself, aftor the fashion of
some hugo water-dog.
Then he would trudgo on again,
thinking what terrible night it must
be at sea, and breathing prayer for
the wavc-tosscd mariners far from
home.
Suddenly dull booming sound
reached his car. 1t came from q sea-
ward direction; but, at first, he kept on
his way, thinking:
"Ihls is not tho harbor, and every
one who has the slightest knowledge of
the locality will be sue to avoid such
dangerous coast; so it's no business of
mine"
Again the sound came. This time
Owen stopped and listened.
A thought camesinto his mind as he did
so, but it initiated so directly against
his incliuations to give heed to il, that
with an impatient "Pshaw!" ho started
on.
But he could not rid himself of it.
1t was this:
"If ship is in peril and has lost
her way, the only thing that could pos
sibly save her would be hugo beacon
fire to cast light upon her surround
ings."
To build fire would be q work of
timo and of hard labor.
To keep one up long enough to do
any good would take hours of watch
fulness, and he would have to abandon
all hope of seeing Annis that evening.
1t was hard struggle, but inclina-
tion proved to be made of u material
which could not hold its own against
his strong sense of duty,
He gave up all thoughts of the pleas
ant greeting he had been living upon
in his heart all day long, and set HIM
self to work to gather fuel for tho bea.
con fire.
After several hurried journeys to tho
woodland, which lay little distance
away, be Sucoeedod In aooumulatIng n