The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-07-05
IN THE SPRING-TIME.
CHAPTER |

CHAPTER !.
 Across the strip Of silver sea from Ly- minston lies the demure little red-brick town of Yarmouth. In summertime the water is brisk with lively freight, but in gray March weather the daily steamer ,ron, the mainland Is often the only speck 10 Dc seeu or the clean expanse of sea. Nov and again. to be sure, a stately ship, incoming or outward bound, passes along :he Solent, but leaves the gap empty as before.
 lnshore, too, in the small, clean. tidy streets, there Is a compac, and orderly look, like the decks ofa smar;ly officered ship. There IS new paint on the low ieo-uied cottages, spick-and-spa air abou, the natsy little iron; gardens, with their trim wooden palings and rows of geranium pots, and the air of Dutch picture in the iltile snug inner courts, where you may find an old sal: doing bit of carpentering or mending d ashing ne. while an old Cat blnks benlgafy from ! cottage door. There Is an old-world ai' o: peace abou; the little place, a res.- f,l, almos; eaakerish air. which seems to belong 10 another age.
 aaAa 6ltn knGtI noise and brsile. are not; the signing of wind and waves. with the mono,onous e9alng of the rocks from the ehurchyard aims, are alr'os; the only sounds that break the stiffness. Neither summer nor winter alters much the surface lite of this quain, li,:,e town. Only the short, dark days bring wind, and sometimes snow, from the downs across the marshes, while the spring brings the warm, genial sun even before the birds build or the trees show their tender buds. June and De- eeTnber indeed find Yarmouth un- changed; the tide of cockney visitors go elsewhere, or at most pass down the pier and take coach Tn the numbering old con- vcyance which plies between Freshwa:er Cate and the more northern-lying town.
 The arrival or departure ofthls cumber- some vehicle, as in other small places, is the lie and soul of the day. The coach- man brings parcels and gossip, as well as passengers, from the other end of the island. 50 tha, they of Yarmouth gather Iouad the dr,ver with the zest for small news known only 10 the dwellers Of out lying hamlets. There IS also a sharp rivalry on the part of the owners af the .wo hackney-carriages in which Yar- mouth, n the time of need, luxuriates, and which may be seen any day abou, the hour of the arrival of the packet in the little square or place before the church gate
 It was one clustering bu, s4nny day. in tbc early sPrlng, tha, those worthies respectfully salI,ed young girl who had been down the pier 10 see the arrival of .hc steamer. Some dozen people, in- c.ud;ag couple of men who looked like commercial travellers, and a somewhat disheye.eG and sea-s.ck honeymoon pair, shese 'he only passengers on the boat. This young girl who was the frs, 10 pass .ne ,urnstIle, was dressed in a simple. dark dress. and wore an air of recen, sorrow. Her hair. loosened by the wind, showed itself to be tha, dark brown colo. which is sometimes tinged with auburn, As If the sun had warmed the straying ends. Her brown eyes-eyes that denote heart tull of human sympathies-hada a preoccupied look. as if they had focused their sight to some inner picture, to the exclusion of all other. There was. be- sides, set, determined expression abou, rne mouth, and tinge of ili-healih in the cheeks which were evidently by nature pale. Her gait, however, was vigorous and nrm, her foot clenching the ground at each step with that wholesome grip of earth which denotes the elastic body and lover of open air.
 Be gwine ' tn cottage, miss: lfso be, shall be glad to take 'ee," called out the driver of the coach, as he and the hackney-cArriage men pressed forward 10 gain the ear of the scanty passengers as they appeared one by one along the pier from the boat.
 No, thank yor, Tom; you may take my shawl and leave i, at the cottage as you go past. 1 shall walk returned the girl as she put 1t into the mans hand.
 Its longisA way, miss; you'd best get inside, fur it's like to rain afore night, 7 said the old man, looking to winSward.
 Oh, no, there will be no rain tonight, Tom. Iwant to yak home. said the girl
 Leasswzys, take this ere shasi we'll hesch you up at the R'yal Garge, and there, p'raps you'll jump in,r reiterated the good-natured old fellow as he wrap- ped the plaid around her. l.ai
 in another instant the girl had thanked him with q bright flicker of a smile and Asd set;out cu her long wall.
 a When the lienle town is once leif he- hind the. road, level and white, lies
 iSs ss;a..;a, 2. land .nlea .;ai he hxiqE odQE oJ seaweed from the black md grovth, and the cy of the seagulls, add on1y to the desolsie sceue. N is . An4 scAeuaeo red, uaprosecsed fSum astt .z 7sisistsss1 sissss= .ssv. ssssagsis