Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1884-09-24

II have no designs upon you, re-
memberv'
"Why couldn't you be honest with
me this morning?' asked Captain
LangtOn.
"Hone5t with you? l don't under
stand explain yourself"
why did not You tell me young
Collins had proposed ?'
"WhO said he had p''
''He did"
He is at liberty to do rs he likes"
| sand she carelessly. 81 may be wrong /;
but thought honest women kept little
triumps of that sort to themselves"
But what aboat our compact?"
''Our compact did not bind me to
dupe lads of twentyl" she cried, her
voice breaking into passion. ''YOu
need not remind me, George | know |
am acting lie [ know and feel to
the uttermost the mean and despicable
part | am playing Yes; and / know
too il is of my own free will that [ am
in this position"
At that moment more pronounced
lurch on the part of the vessel threaten
ed ITelen's equilibrium.
''Halloal Steady" cried the Cap
tain. Il knew you could not manage
alone" he said, drawing her hand
through his arm.
1t was only a brotherly attention
therswas no need for her heart to throb
so wildly; nor fer the matter of that
WAS there any occasion for him to make
| such efforts to catch a glimpse of her
face in the glimmering light"
Then there is no chance for him? !?
He asked me TO use my influence.
He was bending towards her, speak
ing eagerly. and seemed anxious for her
answer. AS she made none, he con-
| tinued-
''As for caring for him, it seems to
me married people get on very fairly
without much of that sort of thing.
/ Perhaps you like some one else 2" he
| persisted.
Il like myself" she answered i'm
| patiently at last, ''too well to marry
beggarl That is it, George, " she went
on, slipping her hand from his arm. and
| laughing recklessly. Il have dIscov-
cred the nature of Mr.. Collins's pros
pects.' and find 1 should not be much
better off if 1 married him than as /
am"
"Oh ~ calculated the Captain, ut
/ terly discounted by the sudden change
in her. "Is that how the wind blows?"
"What did you say ?"
"You intend flying at higher gameP"
''If attempt to fly at all-certainlyl"
Have you any chance of success 2"
"Very little; but he who aims at
the sky means higher than he who
shoots at tree you know"
"What an odd girl you are l can
not make you out ~
''That is scarcely to be wondered at,
seeing that l cannot make myself out.
Good night -
He watched her till her fluttering
black draperieS vanished from her sight.
then turned to that never-failing COM
fortei and friend, his pipe, and cogitated
on the peculiarities of human nature
generally and of feminine nature par
ticularly.
From that time forth the discerning
observed a marked change In the be-
havior of the widow. 1t was clear TO
the most apathetic that the hopes of the
enamored Collins had received death
blow
As was to be expected, some applaud
ed and some censured. There were
those who considered that her conduct
was Just what it should be, seeing that
the ardOr of the youth was overstepping
tha convenient limits of friendship ;
and there were those who condemned
her behavior as cruel and heartless TO a
degree. The number of tn, last in
creased when Doctor Duff seemed to
be stepping into the place left vacant.
Captain LangtOn, when the position
of affairs thrust itself upon his notice,
murmured in his heart, ''Humphl So
that is her game, is it 2" and fell into a
fit of musing, out of which condition
he reused himself suddenly, exclaiming
soto Uoce, "Well, what does it matter
to me ?n Notwithstanding which phil
osophical interrogatory, he was, Curl
ously enough, uncomfortably conscious
of an inward conviction that he did not
like it all, either"
''Confouud him - muttered the Cap
tain, his eyes travelling down the ray of
moonlight to where 1t caught Helen's
white hand resting upon the doctors
coat-sleeve.
1t would have afforded much relief
to the minds of these good people could
they have heard the purport and drift
of the apparently engrossing converse
ton.
''She is the dearest girl in the worlds
remarked Doctor Duff emphaticaily.
s'She must indeed be charming u
Helen replied enthusiastically. "And
you will be married next year, Doctor
Duff ?"
''I hope so. How good it is of you to
listen to me, Mrs. Stanley You never
speak of yourself, notice."
Don't have nothing interest
ing to tell, L suppose"
Il cannot believe that, " SAID the Doc
tor earnestly; and Helen blushed, and
the miserable Collins, regarding them
jealously, gnashed his teeth and con-
templated desperate things.
So the days glided by :; and this frac'
tion of the great world glided with
them, the vices and virtues of its pro,
totype well exemplified within its mar
row area.
Wind and weather had been kind tC
them, giving them but few of the ter
rors of the sea. On this night all pri
yate animosities seemed forgotten in re.
ioicings, for, if luck still favored them
they hoped before another sun had SCI
to sight the harbor-lights of Port St
Philip.
Helen Stanley was perhaps the only
! one for whom the prospect had no plea
sure. While the mIrth and merrimeni
in the saloon were at their highest She
retired with a dull sense of pain anc
dissatisfaction to her cabin. Sinking
into the solitary seat her diminutivt
chamber boasted, she passed In menta
review the events of the last few
months. She rose and threw herself
dressed as she was, into her berth. Sht
{ thought she was too utterly wretcheC
to sleep; but in this she was mistaken
, for it was out of deep and dreamleS'
sIumber that she was suddenly awOkt
, by a rude shock. With wildly-beatins