The state journal., 1884-07-19


Z with my hands CT wandering the length
/ Of it lonely as cloud" and nevel
/ meeting brit one living creature. ThE
was the man who occupied tiny hut on
] the pier head, whose function was to light
at dusk the huge lamp which flung a red
! glare over the waters. He was an i'll
/ favored man, short and lean, with hooked
nose and crooked eyes, who reminded me
of a waxen murderer l had seen in the
| Chamber of Horrors at Madame Tus-
| sauds. In The not very robust state OF
health in which | was at that time the
sight Of this always affected me uncom-
, fortably and when | saw him coming
ran down the steps Of the landing stage
in the centre of the pier or kept my gaze
| fastened on the sea.
One afternoon, toward the end of
October when for three weeks [ had held
almost undisputed possession of the pier
was surprised, nay startled, to see ap-
preaching from the shore the figure of a
woman.
The height, shape and general lines of
the form told me that she was woman,
and presently the gait, the poise Of the
head. the carriage Of the figure told me
that she was lady, There was excuse
for my feeling Of surprise; but do not
know that ought to have been startled.
Startled, however | was-that much | re-
member distinctly-and in that state Of
mind remained while the lady, with slow,
even and graceful steps, drew near to me.
AS she approached could see that she
was followed, at distance Of two or three
PAGES, by female attendant. She came
nearer and | saw her distinctly. She
was tall and slight and of singularly ele-
CANT figure Drawn half over her face
was thin lace veil, which intensified the
pallor Of her complexion. She was
dressed in black from head to foot and
wore a rich silk mantle, very slightly
edged with sable, which, fitting to perfec-
ton, lent additional grace to her figure.
She was beautiful, with beauty that had
never seen before; pale almost to white
ness, with clustering black hair, and eyes
large, deep and lustrous, and Of the black
est black. As she came to where | was
sitting | stood up to let her pass, and she
went on without noticing me. The eX-
preston on her face struck me as singu
larly sweet and tender; but the eyes were
the striking feature, and the ray ofstrange,
half sad light that passed from them
haunted me when she had gone. The
maid fOllowed-a woman Of a rather
heavy COuntcnance and strong but OBJ
stinate shoulders, who looked straight be
fore her and seemed to have no eyes save
for her mistress only. | watched them as
they passed and went slowly down the
pier. The mistress never looked behind
at or spoke to the maid, and the maid al
ways walked at the same distance of two
or three PAGES from the mistress. waited,
hoping that they would return; but they
stayed long and | who had been fasting
since early morning, at length went home.
| was on the pier next morning and again
in the afternoon, and looked curiOusly for
the unknown visitant Of the previous day,
but she did not appear.
Meantime my thoughts were busy and
l asked myself again and again. Who
was she-andr what had brought her to
SOuthbeach? Hers was figure that would
have been noticeable anywhere q should
haYe singled her out, thought, from the
crowd that had frequented the beach a
few weeks pas), and was therefore, of
course, especially noticeable on thenarrOw
pathway of the deserted pier ltdid not
occur TO me that she was invalided like
myself; indeed, there was nothing OF the
invalid in her appearance; but why, then,
had she come to Southbeach place re-
commended solely by the salubrious vigOr
of its atmosphere, which, in all other re-
spects, seemed unworthy of her?
Three days passed and l saw her again.
This time she was before me on the pier,
and as | entered it from the shore saw
her coming in the distance. Saw her,
say, and yet it was with the eye ofthe
mind rather than with the eye ofthe body,
for she was half mile distant; but |
knew her in instant. AS she came near
| had an intense desire to hear her voice,
but knew that I should not dare to speak
to her. A happy accident, however, ia
vOred me- The little kitten belonging to
the solitary lady at the end of the pier had
followed her towards the shore. She had,
perhaps, spoken to it, or fondled it, as it
gambOlled-where | had often seen ton
the light. keepers threshold; at anyrate it
had attached itself TO heBand she was at
loss what to do with it.
AS we met and were passing one another
she stopped and said:
"You are going to the end Of the pier?
This little kitten has followed me. can
not let it leave its home. Will you
think me rude if [ ask you to take it with
your"
What could I say? l said of course that
l would take it with pleasure, AMI in my
heart of hearts blessed the kitten for hav
ing followed the lady with the lustrous
eyes. took it in my arms-it was a lit
tie friend of mine; had played with it
hundred Of times-and the lady thanked
me with her eyes, and, bOwing slightly,
passed on.
She came the next day, little later
than before, her attendant with her.
and l plucked up courage to address
her
| was about twenty-five years old at
that time, and gathered from her looks
and manner that the lady was some three
or four years my senior, so that, in every
way, felt myself her inferior.
1t was not without an effort that lifted
my hat and said, timidly, that had
carried the kitten in safety to its home.
She thanked me; her voice was low toned
and musical, and the dim, soft light OF
her eyes shone on me while she spoke.
She was so kind and gentle in her man.
ncr that in a moment or two found my
self talking freely and without effort, and
| turned and we walked on together,
We paced the length of the pier and
back again slowly, and perhaps for the
space of an hour, but to me it was the
shortest hour had ever spent. And yet
we had spoken only of things indifferent.
We had, / soon discovered, q common
interest in the sea and sky She loved
them both, she said, but only in their
quiet moods. Happily the day was one
of preternatural soitness, the waters
scarcely trembled as they lay outspread
beneath us, and the azure sky was
fleokled with cloudlets woven of gossarler.
| asked whether she intended to remain
in Southbeach, and she answered with
! Al. ,I, l,oI Jor