Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-09-11
+ himself and ono for J.oue,. too

MsSaaylng away for weeks together.
nney seldom brought fish home with
mem, having sold it all, they sad. at
tneroourg on the way. Mere Pou-
faux was a very old woman now, hard
VI nearing and apathetic, living in the
Past ana in the future, caring naught
!or me present but to supply the bod
ny wants of herself and her grand
enid. So Marie grew up as untaueht
ano as Wild rs the sea-gulls, whose
haunts she loved. Her only books
were sea and sky. her only friends the
rocks and crags. The village children
summed her as an .uncannv creature.
FROM the day she had first
appeared amongst them. speaking a
strange tongue, they had pointed at
her n screamed: The witch, the
wltch." running off Immediately after
waro as last as their sturdy legs would
carry them. The fishermen mending
tnelr nets on the sands often saw her
Perched Ike a bird on the very SUNNI t
OF II of the crags; then throwing her
SELF w the edge. she would descend,
using her hands and feet, seeming
rather to fly than to slide or scramble
down. They would shake their heads,
mutter a prayer Or two, and warn the
little ones against having anything to
do with her.
But Marie had such an appetite for
happiness that the days never seemed
too long o too lonely to the uncared-
for, solitary child. She would lie for
hours in some nook among the rocks,
gazing Over the ever-changing surface
of the waters, her thoughts far away in
a beautiful dream-world all her own.
1t any one had seen her at such times
she might have been taken for a sea-
nymph lying in wait for some unwary
mariner to lure him to destruction.
She was, perhaps, too petite to be al
together beautiful. but her small, deli
cate figure was straight aud supple
and she bore her head. with it's
crown of gold-brown hair. with an
easy. natural grace born of her Iberian
blood. Her eyes were of the darkest,
deepest brown, with q spark of that
passion in them that gives to its possess
sor a capacity for happiness far beyond
their fellows, but, too, adds to their
sorrows a pang which coarser natures
can never feel. lev understand-pas-
sion which of the good makes saints
and martyrs and of the bad demons
who disgrace humanity.
One stormy night Marie was seated
cozily before the kitchen fire gazing
dreamily into the glowing embers and
tracing fantastic figures there and her
old grandmother sat nodding over her
spinning-wheel in the chimney-corner.
when the door suddenly opened and
Jacques Pouteaux entered. The old
mother looked at her son and from him
through the open door, which Jacques
quickly closed and bolted. <Then he
threw himself at her feet and, hiding
his face in her lap. burst into a storm
of tears. She knew then that she
would never welcome back her young
est son again and that Jean lay deep in
his sailor grave.
To Marie, who had deeply loved the
only parent she had ever known, the
blow was q dreadful one-a blow from
which she recovered. Heneeforth
herlife vas even more solitary than be-
fore, for the half-mummitied old grand
mother could not enter into her feel
ings, and the dear father, to whose
coming she had always looked forward
with such Joy, lay in the cruel sea.
The years sped on until, when the
lonely girl was about sixteen. an
event happened which changed the
whole tenor of her life. One night..she
was awakened by the noise of gravel
being thrown against her window. She
lay listening, not knowing whether it
was fact or fancy. Again came the
rattle of the stones, and. starting from
her bed, she threw open the sash.
II want you. Dress quickly, and
Jump from the window !; l VIII catch
you. Don't make a noise, Or you will
disturb the mother" said a voice which
she recognized as that of her uncle.
He had been absent for some weeks.
but it was nothing unusual for him to
return thus. Unexpectedly and by night.
In a few moments Marie stood beside
him the window was not far from the
ground, and she had often leaped from
greater heights in her scrambles among
the rocks. Telling her to follow him
and to keep S lent, Jacques led the way
down the narrow, uneven path to the
shore. There lie paused, took a small
lantern from inside his coat, and, turn.
ing it's light upon her face, said:
:.Swear by the Holy Virgin never tt
reveal what you will see tonight. Dc
not be afraid ; nothing shall harm
you"
Il am not afraid" she answered.
.Swear them" and Marie repeated
the words after him with which sht
bound herself never to reveal the Sc
crets thus solemnly intrusted to her.
, ..Come on" said Jacques. leading
the way to a rowboat lying at the foo
of the cliffs. They entered. and soo1
the little bark was tossing like a nut
she'll from crest to crest of the surging
waves. In perfect silence Jacque;
rowed on until the keel grated on the
shore, and Marie, now wrought up tt
the highest pitch of excitement, saw
} by the light of the lantern that they
had entered a small cove. High, darl
, cliffs bordered it on three sides, anc
projected far into and o. the water
From an opening in the cliff, large
enough to admit a man with ease, pro
ceeded a faint light. Without q word,
Jacques disappeared through tho
aperture. Marie, her heart beating
fast. followed.
The cavern. though low at its en-
trance, was lofty within and so deer