The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-10-11

length OF time.
She turned to glance for the first
time at him, and blushed deeper than
ever at meeting so unSympathetic u
face. The half-sidelong, keen, critical
inspection to which she felt herself sub
jected seemed to jar upon every nerve
in her body like rude hand paving
rather than touching the strings of some
delicate instrument. She gave half
gasp, as if she would have sat right
down on the sand to cry, and probably
would have done so but for innate fem
mime perversity. When she would have
cried of course she laughed. This
without word.
He lifted his hat
"My friend is new kind of knight
Grant" he said; she rescues the maid
en- out of the hands of her bad brother"
CAL boys are hard to manage" she
said, simply. johnny isn't bad"
go, no." replied Ellington, smooth
ing with bland tact all sarcasm out of
his assent, but in so doing emphasized
it in such way that the satire was
broad as daylight.
mot in any sense bad" she added,
as if her sentence had been interrupted
son the contrary, he is very good"
Then, sensible that by her hot de-
Tense she would only confirm the gem
tleman in his poor opinion of Johnny,
she explained:
II have no government. He minds
mamma perfectly"
This was such a transparent bit of
unsellishness that Ellington relaxed his
grim scrutiny of her and smiled He
turned his gaze lakeward that she
might notfeel herself studied so closely
Some distance out from shore Johnny
was plunging his oar about in most
unskillful and energetic fashion, while
Cragmore was trying to adapt his
calmer stroke to the various emer-
gencies of his neighbours irregularity.
They could hear his voice giving occa-
sional quiet instructions. Presently
Johnny's hat blew off
80, shoot the hat"' he cried.
The two on shore could hear every
word distinctly. The young girl turned
a quick look at Ellington, as if that
spontaneous slang must surely convict
Johnny, but she laughed softly to her
self as she watched her hopeful strug-
giles to regain the lost article, combined
with CragmOre's to keep the boat right
side up.
In thus watching the boat, he
her face-a silence fell between them.
Something nearer like interest than
anything he had before felt reused Ed
ington. The girl within such close
range had singuIarly mobile and .ex-
prcssive countenance. He could not
take his eyes from it. 1t was the mir
Tor of every fleeing emotion to such a
degree that the temptation became
great to stir it with surprises, or even
to shock it with alarm. SO he said,
drawing his brow down with a frown
of anxiety:
"They make quite a frolic of this
nOrther
No reply-she evidently had not
heard-but quite an Outburst of merri-
ment, as Johnny flung his oar in air.
deluging Cragmore with all the water
he brought out with it. She appeared
to have great faith in Cragmore, for
she was not even uneasy.
''Cragmore ism much Of seaman"
A faint pallor answered this.
''But-l have seen worse blow, of
course. Rough as it is, a genuine
sailor would probably only call this
water little lumpy.'"
''DO you-is there danger in a small
boat?'
80, no. [ presume Cragmore can
swim"
''But. Johnny! O dear All. YOU
are trying to tease me-" Her eyes and
dimples running the entire gamut of
fear, rally, and distrust, ending in Il
fine resentment. twas a small drama,
all over in a minute. Then and there.
convinced she had been played upon,
she dismissed Ellington entirely from
her notice. She put her hands to her
lips and called out clear, long
''Hello!'
mo wonder Johnny don't mind, :"
thought Ellington, ''she's as much OF a
boy as he.
"Hello" answered Johnny, drop
ping his oar to make q trumpet of his
hands.
"Ship ahoy"' she called.
AYE, aye, sir" answered Johnny.
This exhausted their nautical vocab-
ulary, or Cragmore admonished him,
for he took his oar again.
Ellington began to tire of this. He
was not only practically excluded, but
she kept the broad brim of that ugly
beach hat resolutely toward him. He
could see nothing but the sweet line of
her chin. He could watch the figure.
though, and that made him think of
rush, it was so tall, and supple, and
slim. "She might have grown in this
water he thought, land caught her
motion from these waves. She ought to
dress in green"
He walked about Ticking the stones
with his cane This came of having
an eccentric friend. There was never
any knowing what Cragmore would do
next. His life consisted of going from
absurdity to absurdity. Tied to his ca
price was almost as bad as to have a
wife and be entangled in the legendary
apron strings. Meantime, Cragmore
had probably noticed the restless pacing
OF his friend, for he skillfully began
nearing shore, and before the small bov
could protest the nose of their boat
grated on the huge pebbles.
''O-see here, exclaimed johnny,
when he found his voyage at an end,
"don't let's land. "
go, yes" said Cragmore, "this will