Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-01-07
A SKETCH IN coLoR
CHAPTER II.

the tones tnat now tell so smoothly had that
day been full of agony. He thought of the
last words she had spoken in her sorrow
and indignation: 81 viii forget you; do mo-
think | shall let you spoil my lifer' 1t
was beyond his belief that she had difficulty
in placing him, but she had certainly
not allowed care for him to affect her deep.
ly. No man in his senses could believe her
calm courtesy anything short Of indiffer,
ence.
As these thoughts danced through his
brain he was answering Willett many ques.
tons, He had been in Augustine a month,
but was off by the morning train to meet
friends at TOGO with whom ne was bound
for the Ocklawha. 1t was q great mistake
he hadn't known the others were in town
these two days, but surely they might ar
range q meeting later OF. People were al
ways meeting again in Florida, they knew.
Fortunately he was unengaged till train
time; would Mrs. Willett allow him to in
fict himself on her party? ali no, he did not
wish to spoil their ride, might he not come
too?
"Just 9 o'clock" by the morning
train" With Allerton's voice came back
words before unheeded; an hour and a half
he might stay with them and catch that
train; what an eternity Of endurance it
seemed.
1t did not take long to get another horse
and find Allerton's leggings, and they were
of, Miss Alyng leading with the cry that
she would reach San Marco first.
The horses proved better than had been
81 Il IL. Iss1, o,y,i,a1n f.. -,
after a short, brisk cauter on the high
ground by the old draw bridge. Grace had
been as good as her word about getting
there first, and was a tri1e breathless as she
halted with her face toward the broad
water.
Her gaze swept over the broad river, the
low island with its dense ~chapparall and its
funereal lighthouse, to where the white
breakers roll up and river and sea struggle
TO each other over the treacherOus sgnd-bar
For q moment her spirits lghtened. she
drank in the exhiIaratiug air eagerly. Va,
grant breezes toyed with the loose :ings Of
hair that escaped from her close riding-hat,
one falling over her eyes was pushed care
lesSly back as she threw al upward, longing
glance TO the barbette.
zone can see so much better up there;
oh, for Pegasus to mount with me-" she ey-
claimed in pretty extravaganza. Her
horse rave a sleepy, sidewise look, as if in
answer. "a most particularly stupid Olym-
pus you would carry one to" She
laughed.
I'm surprised that you and Molly don't
ride straight over this magnificent draw
-. = .N4,-,DN -, Gronn o,pnN1a
Allerton, than these two infants would not
know, until they fell through, that the holes
we're not so sustaining as solid wood. Their
hearts and heads, as well, are lost to this
old fort; they are deaf if one happens to
cali il Fert Marion, instead of its old Span
ish name San Marco. l shall do well if /
get them away alive, and" with a martyr
ike air, II firmly expect to get the fever
myself in my struggle to keep them out Of
the musty old angles that are full Of it
Ny wife SAYS / have lost my romance.
Well"
Jack, dear" broke in q demure voice,
don't you think you can keep up appear
ances for the little while Mr.. ADerton IS to
be with US? / assure you, Mr.. Allerton, he
has the worst form Of the fever now. Poor
fellow, be does not know that he 3 rsyiug!
He is not dangerous st present, bEs l fear
for him if we do not set him away from San
Marco; he seems to oWsthe dear old place
positive grudge." .,
On they rode; out past the old Spanish
cemetery, past the stray residences along
the way: back past the OLD city gates, some
times with the sweet salt wind blowing IN
their faces. sometimes caught in q cloud OF
their own dust dashing out OF that to walk
sheir horses past groves where green leaves,
yellow fruit, and white blossoms hung to
oether; lingering to drink in the Pertumed
air or admire rose gardens; Fastening past
hotels. where now the long piazzas were COW
e-ed by bright figures in summer apparel;
drawing rein hastily as they went around a
sharp corner lest some startled pedestrian
be run down. On again, through the mar
row streets with their gay little shops, and
the idle, happy looking people passing from
one 10 another; past the long unused slave
market: along the road to where the whitlsh
line of sea-wan ends; past the United States
barracks to the soldiers cemetery beyond,
where at last they stopped under friendly
overhanging trees.
AN the way they had ehatted and laughed
"a best they could with their riding; but IN
der the CAV surface was 9 darker current tor
ons of the gay group at least-for the giri
hose speech had brought the quickest
IanOh to the others whose own laugh had
Seemed Hghtness itsels While she q
;ssted so merrily she had lived over IN
Tamory two months of 9 summer now dead;
- %ortbs during which she and this man
who reapoeared so suddenly to-day
~ said over loves sweet
Issson together until, BY her at
tssst Il had never been forgotten. How 1t
All came back to herl the long, dreamy
summer DAYS, and The silver nights the Joy
oFthe love, the misery of the ending the
trouble brought in by others. AM tns
~r-etebedness in the thought hat hers had
hssn the jealousy; his the cold demand taat
- es;tb must need no explanations to up
Lol5 n She had thought the suffering
-. Rad believed the humiliation gone o
LING better than she had been loved; nsd
1891 the time come when she eonld hope
o. Sorgetfuluess; and now, now she new II
INST All be lived over; sl except the oehei
that som time she might forget
Iroms are YOU plotting some more atroe-
;,;.S So- our tired brainsG don't | implOre |
tb;nk a good way Of reducing you to the
IsveJ Of ordinary folk viii b to send you
= 80 s,nSv epitaphs." "ThAt de2epds uPoa
the sepitsphs," put in Grace, sagclst al
| lepce frivolous ehildr' frowned Jack;
lsrton. win Won 90 With the ladiesY III tan
care Of the horses.
Mr.. AHerlon dismOunted and helped