The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-02-07

left on the wreck the night before. .
 Hello P said in an aggrieyed vol ice. " You got ashore all right then ?"
 "Ycs," he ansHered in good Enulish. . It vas 10 doing of mine. The waves threw me up. l wish to God had been allowed to drown l" There was a slight foreign lisp in his accent which vas rather plsasinE 1.-Two good fishermen, who liye round wonder point pulled me out and cared fof me-yet Icouid not honestly thank them fer it." ~
 .Hol ho ]" thought [, here is a man of my own kidney. Why do you wish to Dc drowned 2" asked.
 Because" he cried, throwing out his long arms with passionate, despairing gesture there there in that blue smil- ing bay, lies my soul, my treasure re-eyery- that loved and lived for.o
 Well, well" said. People are ruined every day, but there's no use making a fuss about it. Let me inform you thai this ground on which you walk is my ground, and that the sooner you take yourself of 1t the better pleased shall be. One of you is quite trouble enough"
 "one Of ns ?" he gasped.
 Yes--f you could take her off with you, I should be still more graceful"
 lie gazed at me for a momeae as if hardly able to realize what had said, and then with wild cry he ran away from me with prodigious speed and raced along the sands toward my house. Never before or since have seen hu- man being run so fast. followed as rapidly as ] could, furious at this threat ened invasion, but long before reached the house he had disappeared through the open door. heard a great scream from the inside, and as I came nearer the sound of the mans bass voice speak ing rapidly and loudly. When I looked in the girl, Sophie Ramusine, was crouch ing in a corner, covering away, with fear and bathing expressed on her averted face and in every line of her shrinking form. The other, with his dark eyes flashing and his outstretched hands quivering with emotion, was pouring forth torrent of passionate pleading words. He made a step forward to her as entered, but she writhed still further away, and uttered sharp cry like that of a rabbit when the weazel has him by the throat.
 rep said, pulling him back from her. "This is a pretty to-do' What do you mean? Do you think this is a way-side inn or place of public accom- r'
 "Oh, sir" he said, t" excuse me. This woman is my wife and l feared that she was drowned. You have brought me back to life"
 "Who are you ?" asked roughly.
 "I am a man from Archangei," he said simply; Ga Russian man."
 @What Wat is your nans?'
 "Ourganeffl-and hers is Sophie Ramusine. She is no wife of yours. She aas no ring"
 "We arc man and wife in the sight of he said solemnly, looking up- ward. "We are bound by higher laws han those of earth" As he spoke the girl slipped behind me and caught me by he other hand, pressing it as though be- my protection. "Give me up ny wife, sir" he went on. "Let me ake her away from here"
 Look here, you-whatever your name g." said sternly, {" don't want this vench here. 1 wish l had never seen Ter. If she died, it would be no grief to ne. But as to handing her over to you, vhen it is clear she fears and hates you,
 won't do it. So now just clear your ,reat body out of this, and leave me to | ny books. hope may never look lpon your face again."
 "You won't give her up to me ?" he | aid hoarsely.
 "Ill see you damned first I" l answered. |
 Suppose take her." he cried, his lark tace growing darker.
 All my tigerish blood flushed up in moment. picked up a billet of wood rom beside the fireplace. "Go," said, D low voice go quick, or may do ou an injury" He looked at me ir- for moment, and then he left he house. He came back again in a however, and stood in the door, ray looking in at us.
 Have heed what you do," he said.
 The woman is mine, and shall have Ter. When it comes to blows, Russian , as good man as Scotchman.n
 We shall see that" cried, springing z orward, but he was already gone, and 1 ould see his tall form moving away trough the gathering darkness.
 For month or more after this things rent smoothly with us. never spoke to he Russ:a1 girl, nor did she ever ad- ress me. Sometimes when l was at ,ork in my laboratory she would slip in- ide the door and sit silently there watch ,g me with her great eyes. At first the intrusion annoyed me, but by degrees, nding that she made no attempt to dis ract my attention, suffered her to re- aain. Encouraged by this concession, he gradually came to move the stool on mich she sat nearer and nearer to my able, until, after gaining a little every ay during some weeks, she at last 'orked her way right up to me, and used 9 perch herself beside me whenever I 'orked. In this position she used, still ithout ever obtruding her presence in ny way, to make herself very useful by olding my pens, test-tubes, bottles, etc, nd handing me whatever I wanted, with evez-hiling sagacity. By ignoring the act of her hein0 q human k~sn0 ard | ,