Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-05-07
DADS 10.
Rockland, Wis.

Il piazza of the great hotel there is an
unbroken stiffness. The roses clam~
\ bering over the railing, nod lazily in
the breeze; the lace curtains at the
long windows sway gently to and fro !;
the parlors beyond are silent anG
deserted. Up at the beach the waves
are sleepily tapping the glistening
sand, while the bright -colored suits
are drying in long lines behind the
clearinghouse are the only reminder
of the merriment which existed less
than half an hour ago. One or two
of the ox-teams are slowly creeping
along the road, loaded with trailing
Il sea weed of variegated hues; here and
there is a group of broHzed fishermen
mending their nets. These are the
only signs of life.
Everybody is down ON the pier.
The Block Island" is overdue more
than twenty minutes and the rickety
j boards creak and tremble as the an
xious crowd press to the very edge,
each one eager to catch the first
glimpse of the steamer as she round
Clay Head.
The excitement increases. The fish
ing boats huddle closer together be-
hind the breakwater, the hackmen,
growing impatient, voclferate loudly;
the Marine band in the pavilion on
the hill strike up; and yet
''Here comes Jor' some shouts.
depend ont, the boat'll be in soon,
now" says a grizzled, old fisherman
standing close by. Jos sure sign.
Nigh on to a year since she's watched
that boat come in every day, and l
never knew her to round the Head un-
less 10 was mere"
All eyes turned toward the road
An Anticipated specimen of a carriage
is coming down the hill as rapidly as
the lean and bGny horses in front can
drag it along.
1t draws up on the wharf besides
the more pretentlous vehicles, young
girl Jumped out, ties the horse, lays
her arms lovingly around his neck a
moment, then hurriedly pushes her
way through the throng to the end of
the pier.
A tall, angular girl, clad in home
made dress of the coarsest material,
scant and patched, vet very. clean,
with a rough straw hat tied down
over hair which is long, straight and
decidedly red A girl with nothing
pretty and attractive about her, but
there is such brave pathetic look III
her great, blue eyes, that one involun-
tarily turns and looks at her again
and sgain.
Swiftly and silently she passes along
to the farther end of the pier and lift
ing one kand to shield her eyes from
the sunlight, gazed steadfastly at the
distant horizon.
81 know he will come to-day" she
says. seemingly unconscious that she
is speaking aloud. "Just year ago
to-day he went over there, Dad did.
He went to set some fxins' for me,
and he promised to come back soon,
bat he has been so long. Oh! be will
surely come oday, wons he9" she
asks, turning to a weather beaten, old
sailor who is gazing at her with just d
suspicion of moisture in his eyes
AYE lass, that he will he ans
wers.
I've got extras for dinner to day, :"
she goes on, Frightening up, '"ca use
he'll have a mighty appetite after
being at them Turin places SO long
and I've made a cushion Tor his chair
that sits by the window, / brushed up
the team, too, and old Bess seemed to
know he was coming, for she brought
me over in no time.
"Quite-hke he'll come to day, says
the old skipper, "and he'll bring you
so many smart things that I'm afeard
you won't be 10 any longer"
Yes / will, replied the girl. 'Tll
always be 10 to Dad any way. Dear
old Dad. He's told me many time,
how he picked me up out of the water
that dreadful night; and when no one
seemed to want me, he took me home
with MIN; nae, a helpless baby with
nothing on earth but a ring on my
finger with 10 scratched on it. Oh
I wish could do something big for
him. so he would know.
well, cheer up, lass; he's waiting
for some good reason. P'raps he
can't find what ne wants for you just
yet"
'Oh. ] know now that's it. de
was going To get me a blue gown with
BlA GOlldf Ou IL nv q HiNAtf HpAN
star in each corner, jut begged him
to try to get a white one; white is so
pretty like, and 1 never had a white
dress in all my life" glsncing rueful-
~ down at the home spun cotton.
May like he had to 20 and go, fore
he could go and get It.
For a few moments she gazed earn
estly over the water. Is it smoke -
that long, thin line of grayi Hesl
just around the headland something
white is coming into view, a few
more minutes and the great steamer.
gally bedecked with flags and pen
nants, burst into sight. Slowly, too
slowly for 10, the boat plows along
through the blue water, until all drip
ping with foam and sparkling in the
sunshine, the huge wheels cease to
reyolve and the "Block Island" is IN