The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1884-06-14

- e'hAonCu III an Instant. one nau
become calm again, and spoke as one
VINO weighed her words and told no
more than she was aware of. begged,
lmplored her, that she would speak
10 me and make me her confdant as
surlng her of my fidelity and my earn
est desire to serve her. but she was
silent, and when she spoke again it was
With a shadow of GOODNESS in her man
ner, and she thanked me, but said that
she had spoken more than she intended.
ana made an excuse, and begged that
l would forget. The maid, who, as |
peheyed, had noticed her recent excite
ment, came ~, and saying that it was
late and the air was growing chilly,
suggested that her mistress should re-
tufn. She rose at once and gave me
her hand, saying that she would not
trouble me to accompany them to the
shore, and seeing that it was her wish
TO be alone, | bowed and she withdrew,
followed by the maid.
From that night I thought of her
more than ever. Nay, her sweet,
mournful face haunted my waking and
my sleeping dreams, and the sad music
OF her voice echoed in my ear.
70 the interest of her beauty and her
bearing was now added that of the
mystery she had darkly limited at
kaNstery which remained mystery, for
She never again reverted to it, and |
torehore to trouble her with question
ings.
But the feeling that had been grow
ing in me sMce our friendship opened,
sank deeper and acquired ever fresh
strength. Interest had long since
passed into fascination; fascination now
passed into love.
AT this there was nothing to wonder.
Her dark and melancholy beauty, the
ineXplicably subtle charm of her man
ner, the frequency Of our meetings and
the curiously fitting character of time
and place these Were circumstances
had neither power nor will to resist.
And | grew to love her with the heat
and passion of youth, though conscious
always of something lowering about
her which made it difficult for me to
approach her in the character of
lover.
But one evening as we sat together
on the steps leading down to the water
[ dared to speak to her as | had never
spoken before. She heard me, but
with agitation in her looks; and when
| paused and drew little closer to her
she shrank back, and in tone almost
of horror she answered that what Ihad
asked her was wholly impossible for
her to grant Then her manner
softened, and with tears in her eyes she
babe me leave her and forget her.
To me then it seemed that this was
not less impossible, and | said so earn
estly and pleadingly; urging that if it
might not be now it might be in the
future, and imploring for leave only to
hope.
But she, gently and kindly inexora-
BILE, denied me again; then giving way
utterly to tears and with gesture of
despair she begged of me to 60 and see
her no more.
Scarcely knowing what I did |
reached out my arms toward her, and
she. thinking apparently that | meant
to clasp her-though L myself know not
eveA now whether that were really my
ntention-moved from me, and would
have fallen backward into the water
had not caught and held her by the
wrist.
In the same instant we both observed
a sudden and startling change that had
come over the sky. 1t had been a sui
try afternoon, but the oppressive calm
of the past two hours mad ceased, and
the wind, with an ominous sound of
storm, was rising in the west. The sun
had set red, and angry, and an artillery
of heavy clouds loaded the western sky
and spread rapidly until the whole
heavens were obscured, save where one
broad streak of q duh yellow marked
where the sun had lately sunk. The
sea was of one metallic hue-its sur
face was broken by the wind, and little
sullen waves with glittering crests beat
against the sides of the pier.
The preparations for the storm
alarmed my companion thoroughly.
She rose quickly and turning to me and
reckoning to her maid, who came on
the instant, said nervously, 'Let us 90
at once; | am afraid of the Storm
We were three-quarters of a mile
from the shore, and the wind continued
to rise, and the clouds changed from a
leaden to an inky color Certain winds
brought with them a very full and
heavy tide, and the waters, which were
then nearly at the flood, rose as we
went until they were almost flush with
the edge of the pier A single flash
of lightning parted the clouds and
danced for an instant right over
our heads, followed by a prolonged
muttering of thunder, which burst then
into a crashing peal. The arm that
rested in mine trembled, and saw that
my companion was completely over
come by nervous excitement. Her eyes
wandered with troubled look over the
now tossing and swelling waves, and
her whole frame was violently wrought
upon. The maid on one side and upon
the other, held each an arm and strove
to set her at ease, but her fear increased
with every step she took. Suddenly,
when we were distant not hundred
yards from the shore, glittering mass
of spray was dashed up through the
open beams of the pier, few feet in
front of us. She screamed, pointing at
it with quivering finger, and could
hardly be persuaded to 90 on. The
foam sheet vanished in the instant OF
its appearing, but all her courage had
gone from her; and turning to me she
said piteously: "Do not delay; let us
make haste; can Won not hear the