, 1884-03-12
LYTToN's LANDING.
fannie Robertson NO1on-l

-Iytton's Landingl Rather euphonious
title this, to say the least" volunteered that
lazy CORY Rithwick, who sat croaslegged
all the way down from Barnegat and threw
half-consumed paper cheroots atthe ripping
swells which had come such a long way from
the other world TO knock against their little
blue bottomed boat, the ISLAND Maid" in
which a summer party had embarked, search
ing up and down the Jersey coast for some
spot noted for every virtue under the sun as
a pleasure resort .
Miss Learock had first said with painful
empressement that 1t mattered not a particle
TO her when they stopped or whether they
were like the Brook" or the @Flying Dutch
man" and went on forever. But the mo-
ment any one else named a place on the map
or in their recollection that moment she
declared again with equal empressement that
she. ~detested the very name of such selec-
tons; in fact, she felt certain they were
horrid, full Of gnats and hard beds,
country boorishness and chills and
lever" 1t was no good pulling against
Rowena Learock at this time Of her
life. An heiress as lovely as a
bisque stntuette, with half n million and a
crazy old millionaire uncle to back her up in
any folly. At "a she at times positively pinned
to be contradicted. 1t was terribly dull nav
ing ones own way forever, and never meet
20 oaJ u III ViL tho
moral courage to tell her she was a spoiled,
frivolous, beautiful, but utterly selfish
woman She had that sort of contempt
which comes to the autocrat for all the serfs
and subjects under him. She had gotten into
the disagreeable habit of making expounders
and p~ropoundsrs repeat their remarks until
only her idolatrous admirers cared to engage
her in n discussion. Women hated her cor
daily, but called her "Dear Miss Learock,"
while most men longed for an opportunity
to clip her white wings and play Petruchio
to her Katherine. CORY Rithwick courted
her on principle, not that he had much
chance Of cutting out Harvey Dalton or
Sheets or any of the AGREEABLE fellows who
sighed at her feet or lay down for her to
tread upon. But he should have thought
himself the greatest fool on earth not to hive
SHE'D his hat into the ring with the grand
entree-theres no telling what a frivolous
woman may do in this world. 1t was barely
possible that when Miss Learock did marry
1t would be to pique all the other men, and
she might fall on Cory Rithwick because he
was 1~deucedlyi good looking and hirted in
three languages. He would be even better
than a guide-book when doing the continent
30 he placidly followed in the lady's train,
not ridiculously anxious for her favor, but
willing to stand at her chair back, or carry
around a frightful load OF shawls and knit
ting work., her sketch-book, or to run back
ever so many times when on the different
beaches in the boiling hot sun, a mile to the
cottage or hotel. He was, to tell the truth.
great spoons" according to the other fell
lows, who are lazier than Cory, or prouder.
Whenever he displayed unmistakable signs
of getting tagged" the ingenious girls smiled
deliciously on him once or twice and he
straightway took heart of grace again.
What was the good OF falling out with an
heiress and losing all ones mighty efforts for
months pasti
ITO me it sounds as If it might be a sort OF
hsherman's cove or point where one could ex.
change mackerel and CLAIMS for tallow candles
or taupaulin, /" said BERTHE Sheets from his
lolling position under tho jib.
allow ridiculousn shrieked all the pir,s
with a little giggle, propitiatory to Mis- Lea
rock.
II dare say you are perfectly right, Mr..
Sheets, from the tortured Rowena, who
longed for a moment to herself, away from
such a gang of sycophants. al hope it may
be all your fancy describes 1t; il so, l shall
meet some deliciously salty old sea cap.
tain. and hear hong, ~profane yarns at Lyt-
toms Landing, Perhaps it is a pirates har-
Dor. I've | card Uncle Jonathan say that
this whole coast was infested at one time.
1t would be worth while being a diver to 20
down under these jagged rocks and knock
about under the sen for buried treasures"
Yes, jewel boxes and ropes OF jewels and
India shawls," said Annabel Sheets, Berries
little curly-haired cousin.
-Asif any one over found ropes OF pearls
or cashmere shawls under the ocean, psnapped
Miss Hogarth, contemptuously.
But, Miss Hogarth being only a Door
/ cnftefp m tha adnrahIa Da,,.uu
extraordinaire and general purveyor, no one
minded her little shots in the least. Her
very ~fancicrs picked, so sour was her dispo.
sition, but when poor cousins at 50 have ia
depend on rich cousins of "a for bed and
board, and new boots and sashes and summer
resorts, 1t is apt to sour one, although Miss
Hogarth softened wonderfully when Harvey
Dalton sat in ear-shot- He thought it a great
lark taking the old girl "in, " as he called IT
when he said: ayes, ma'am," impressively
and fingered q little in the rear OF the Others
to walk with the stately Caroline. As for
Miss Hogarth. one would really not
have thought her such a goose on one ques-
ton. She was sensible, refined, a good mu-
stefan and famous cake baker, but on the
subject OF the tender passion she was com.
pletely at sea How many times she had set
up her sensitive heart on II pole to be raked
ut by passing swordsmen 1t was folly to guess
at Even she herself admitted many bitter
disappointments In life. IL Miss Hogarth had
a point more tender than her age it was that
growing wart on the left side of her nose. Il
grew like a Canada thistle, and she studiously
kept her right side TO Mr.. Dalton, who un-
derstood her tactics perfectly. But they
amused him on afternoons when Rowena
slept or flirted with some OF the others.
1t was not only cruel, but mean Of Miss
Learock to 'c~onstantiy repeat som episode OF
childhood. winding up with this: sYou re.
member, Caroline, you were almost a young
lady then. You pinched ne awfully."
~Well. I only hope we shall soon have done
with the frightfull rocking OF this boat and
that people at Lytton's Landing dine at reason
able hours" interjected Miss Sefton, who had
been trailing her little hand in the water FOR
an hour, wondering what BERTHE Sheets could
find SO interesting in his cousin Anna5el.
Here you are" howled the captain of the
little 4lsland Maid" from the upturned collar
of his peaSjacket, in a voice habitually hoarse,
-yonder's the landing, just behind thai tall
bit OF cliff and that clumb Of c~hestnuts."
Rowena stood up like Columbus, sighting
the promised land through Corry's field glass,
her yellow curls blowing back in his face,
and her neat blue fannel Tapping around
her tiny feet
Al see "A man and a cart; perhaps it's our
man waiting for us. captain
Very likely, miss. Anyhow it's a man
and a cart"
"Good gracious, are we to be met with a
common cartf' sneered Miss Hogarth; "a
nasty, grimy cabbage wagon,
1Don't be ridiculous, Caroline said Miss
Lcarpek, handing the glass to its owner.
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