Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1884-01-20

again he told her ne nao lovou nef iouS
aud fopdly-but she only looked away
from him, far, far, across the waste Of
water rs and spoke Of the coming dark-
ness. And q third time, when she
seemed more kind than she had ever
seemed belore-for 30 he thought-and
he VAS looking down into ner soft
brown eyes. signing, he told her once
aga n how deep and pure was the love
he felt for her; and she, tossing her
bril hit o1rls backward from her face
smiled, but answered him still nothing,
And then to Ruth he told the story oi
his loye-which she had known even
longer than her brOther-imploring her
assistance, telling her he knew not how
To v in a N aid, who WAS so fair, SD love
", and so trpderly Indifferent. The sis
ter Was tie wiser of the Two, and prom
sing TO aid him, dropped slight hint
that tie girl might be untutored In the
WAYS Of love, or worse, perhaps, might
not even know what the sweet word
ne ant. So the boy sought from day to
day TO teach her lOye-choosing the
faiIsst flowers for her, the brightss,
pebbles, or the prettiest shells strewn
W on the sand beach. And he would
look into her soft eyes by the hour
talking Of nothing, while he held her
hand Is they sat upon the rocks togeth-
er. Or be would tell her that the sea-
birds were all mated, and that never
wild rose but that . fairer one bluShed
soon beside IL, famed by the same soft
hreeze-kissed by the same bright sun
beam. But each night, Is he called to
mind how tired she grew, forgetting al
her mirth and Joy when he spoke much
Of love, he felt he was drifting further
from his hopes.
About this time old granny sought the
farmer, and talked along time to him oil
the girl, and spoke of his son William
and, though no one knew what he
mean, there seemed to be- some kind
of an understanding. for soon twas said
that William and Elsie were pledged to
zach other, and some day would be
married. But Elsie would not have it 80,
pleading she did not know how 10 love
" hatever it might be.
One sunny afternoon the mai den
strsyed to tie edge of the cliff, and,
climbing down the steep aud narrow
path that ran, like erevice, sheer TO
the water, stepped out upon low, fiat
rock, highest toward the sea, and Stop
ing backward t. the cliff, under the
shadow of which il seemed to lie. The
air was heavy with the breath OF the
ocean, and the south winds kissed her
ruddy cheeks, playing hide-and seek
With the sunbeams through her soft
eurls, and she was happy. Long, long,
she sat there, gently humming over
snstches OF bird songs she had heard in
the forest, or other, harder songs to
sing that Ruth had taught her, when
glancing suddenly toward the south
west, she deserted q sail making swiftly
for the Kettle. On, on il came, nor
swerved until Its prov lay hardly fifteen
fathems of from where she SAT. And
then one spoke To her, q dark-haired
youth of manly mein and soft speech,
Who asked the maid il they might ian
there where she sat and gat let drift
wood up among the rocks; and while
they idly gathered here aud there few
fagOts for their fire the handsome
stTaI ger stopped to speak with her
H. said the sky was fair-the ocean
very b,ue-and told her that the clouds
could not bring rain because they were
30 white and thin. He told her, too,
that her face reminded him of u sweet,
lore; and when he asked her name,
and she could only tell MIN Elsie, he
looked pleased, yet serious. He stood
there longer than the two men Were
gathering crit, and then he said he
must 90 away, but promised to come
again some time and gather more DIR It.
wood. AS he stepped into the boat, aud
the men were rowing him toward the
ship, abe asked if they were fishermen,
and with smile he tod her yes.
When they were out of sight she
quickly climbed back to the hut, and
With a pleased look and breathless from
her haste, told granny all about the
Handsome stranger, who had said the
ky VAS fair, and that she reminded
him Of something that he had seen be-
fore. Granny was very angry, and for
babe her going there again unless Wh-
ism went with her; aud she told 3
iriphtiul story about y band of pirates
who steal young girls and carry them
~ far away they never return. Then
she drew a cross from ElSie's bosom,
and breaking the slender chain To take
it from her neck, told the girl she would
Keep 1t until the day she married Will
'Iapl.
And now the maid no longer strayed
On the sandy beach by the cove, but
NY, instead, in the sunlight, high ~
he cliffs, wearing wresths OF daisies
md covers, and looking into the far
-ouIhwtst for fishermen. And at last
hey came again-LheSe "tishermeu'-
with clothing soiled and worn, and
tight beneath the cliff where the water
VAS deepest, they threw out their lines
ard flsbed, as they gathered fagots.
dly. Then the young man came
founding up the narrow cleft between
The rocks, and tolu her all about the
LIQUIDS and the blue ocean once sgstn,
nd whispered that her face WAS falrer
Chsn The pictured one he had seen
rrt ugh very, very like it. Aud while
re reclined languidly near whers sht
at, for ne was tired of fishing, he toll
h,r, The men below raised shout and
allied him down To them. He whis-
yertd he would soon come back TO heI ,
Ind joining his mates, learned that
hey iad caught 8 large fish, and
,traI g, t of AL. In dressing it had dis
covered in Its stomach gold cross fast
ned 10 tiny broken chain. Return.
ing 10 the girl, the young man tossed
he Jewel in her lap, asking II 1t Was
rot q strange thing to find in such y
place; while Elsie, more astonished
han he knew how to express, told him
[ had belopgedto her, and related how
grnnpy had taken il from her neck the
very first day he came there to-to
yaiher fagOts.
Then he asked il he might keep it for
her, pIur' ising to take better care of II
than granny would, and gave her, in.
-tead, 8 ring which he hung around her
neck, using the tiny gold chain from
The cross for the purpose; and he charg-
ID her. furthermore, not to show IL TO
granny, but TO keepit always hidden IN
der bosom.
Poor William had grown very sad
and pale in these last few weeks, rs
Ellie avoided him now altogether, for