New-York tribune., 1884-03-02
NEwYoRK DAILY TRIBUNE. SUNDAY

sound since you saw whore IL camo from: but there
were moments when I'd find kind of puzzemcnt
stealing over me when | glanced from tho vacant
leagues Of blue on my right to the on the port
beam and quarter, and saw tho boats there DI,aS-
ter can never bo so long IN coming but that, when
it arrives at last, it bcwIders n man. The change
from tho StrathmOrc, with hor white length Of
decks, her cabus her shelter the life of her, you
found il when looking along at the people who
swarmed forward and on her forecastlc. TO small
open boat was violent enough to mako one slow in
getting used to ii.
SO lnnguid was the breeze that our rate OF sailing
was little more than two and half miles an hour.
ana many II yoarulng glance would cast over the
swell that sparkled IN tho wake Of the sun. for it
would be grand thing if the breeze came on to
blow with weight IN il out of tho north and drive
swiftly over this calm soa, and chow ST PanPs
Island fair over the bows at daybreak next morn
ing. said as much to Florence who asked me If
knew what sort of place that island was.
"NO," replied, was never ashore upon IT."
" Is IL inhabited y asked Aunt Damaris.
" | can't tell yOn' SAID |; " fancy whalers call
their casks with rain-water which collects III hol-
lows on top of the rocks. It's an extinct volcano,
bolieve."
aOil, gracious !" cried tho old lady; " what place
to seek refuge on"
3" Any Of you mon know St. Paups Islond'" 1
asked.
They shook thor heads; they had heard Of it, but
couldn't recOllcct ever having sighted II:
" TO be wrecked on desert island. sad to
Florence is something to boast Oi. ltll make
heroine Of yOu when you get ashore
"Oh. Jark, shall we ever reach the shore ?" She
exclaimed looking past me into the dim blue dts
tancc.
"Of cOnrsO we shall" / replied. San we have to
do ia 70 reach the little island and amuSc ourselves
with studying its structure until sAip arrive, to
carry Us back to Clifton"
To Clifton !" crird Aunt Dainaris. you mean to
Australia"
What does II matter" said l. {" 50 long as its
place where are railways and stcanlboatsV
" lOn never thought of this part. Jack, sald FLOR
cncc, heartenRg up bit and stealing hcr hand INTO
nline, "whcn You made up your mind to follow
me-
"My dazzling. great deal worse than this would
not have stopped me"
prariS; 81, for one, am sur" | should not have
known uhai to do without you"
lou are very kind 10 say that Miss Hawke. so
far have been of little enough use But | Will do
my best. You remember what | said 10 You on
board tho Strat morc If your lives arr only to be
preserved at the sXpGnsgi; OF mine yGni @ ma me, n"
aic next; aud am grateful to you for making me
feel th"t | would undergo more than | SHOULD care
to say for your sake, from respect and liking for
you for there rus Il time, Miss Hawke when be-
lloyed you would never regard mo a1 friend, but,
on the contrary. rs Vulgar-nlindcd young sailor
chap who had broken rudcly In upon your brother )
family.' She gIaSpcd my hand. forcing me TO
tautcn th0 yOkc-,inc till tho boat SwCryei to II.
" Mr.. Seymour" she mumblcl in nv ear, " If you
have tho least pity for me, say nO moro Un tdf sub
ect. | opDnsel you because did not know YOU !;
you have tIlckrd Inc for nearly three months and act
that satisfy yon; know you now. aud consider
my niece fortunate in having such Il lover
This brought blush INTO my dar.Ings face. The
men, talking among Themselves did not heed us.
nor could they have heard Ms IA any case.
squeezed the old ladys hand in the lulnrss Of my
heart and then let go of it 10 attend To tine boat
aid, not quite to change tho subject but 10 carry
away blt fro it's personal tone, spoke of Nhf-
Ton, wondered what my relatives and the Hawkes.
were dong ut that time, reminded Florence OI the
anthem IN Bristol Cathedral. and, one thing leading
on to another. gradually slipped into something like
a full relation Ia Aunt Damaris of my COurtshp at
Clifton telling her of tho first OCCASION Ot my meet
ing with Florence OF the Girlish kindly par; y aged
in the business by my cousins, of what my aunt
MIR. laWke had imagined. how | had not neu.trd
Mr.. Hawke bur had merely objected to h ordering
me to leave Bristol. and so on. t. old lady
listened with close attention. She IN ii To forget
our situation while she nodded and broke in upon
nv story with such ryClamatlOuS rs, Perfectly
natural u; Most illad .Sed my hrnthcrs part ;
" Your aunt ah0wed proper nclghDOrly lcrllng :;
and the like whipping ont, when ! cNp.aInrd the
lodgings that ho ha, given hur "A very different yer
son of the story-hut he was too.ishly pGeJudIced,
as she had been, indeed. IN favor ot that "rtced
Alr. MoreCombc" iher own words. Florence fol
lowed INV narrative with close interest. zoo, press
ing my hand. which she retai. si, whenever came
to any part that particularly concerned her or my
love for her We IN a queer s.tuattOn Tor such
talk as that but the men were spinning yarns to
ono another as they sat, with folded arms. smoking
their pipOS We were bound to converse too and 10
Floi enco and I. at all events no subject could be
fuller of interest than the one bad lighted upon
And the wish Tor Iie the desire ior years
i'm the future, stronger upon mo than whio takea,
finding tho most gracious encOnTagenent you could
ina CINE in the lean yellow face of the old lady. and
looking from her to my love. nestled at my side,
with the faint blue of the heavens reflected III the
tender luminous, LOVING eyos sho Kept hXed upul
me- and her hair glittorlnQ under her hat against
the hugo and lonely background of 0c~an that
softly came in sWe5 ont OF tie wonderful liquid
distance.