St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-07-19

slowly back over the rocks Reaching the
last point from which she could look down
upon the spot where she had been taught
LIES sweetest lesson, she paused, and a
long. sobbing sigh escaped her lips The
wiRd, murmuring among the rocks, seemed
to take it up and repeat 1t again and again,
while far below, at her feet, the waves
ehanted their mournful dirge.
Under the water pitcher in the cave lay q
scrap of paper containing these words:
The boat came in to-nighC. GOOd-by,
sweetheart. Look for me again when the
next moon wanes. PHILIPPE"
The note was never found, but lay and
rotted in its hiding-place. Slowly and
YEARLY passed the days to poor Marie.
Daily she stood within the little cove gaZ-
ing seaward; and, although after time tn e
storm of despair which at first had taken
possession of her soul passed away, yet her
heart was sad within her, and the poor,
lonely child would stretch her arms out to
the robber-sea and cry aloud, go, Philippe,
love, come back to me, Philippe. l cannot
live alone"
-Four long weeks passed and Marie again
sat in her favorite corner of the hearth;
opposite sat her grandmother and an old
gossip from the village who often looked
in of an evening for half an hours chat
with Mere POuteaux. On this occasion she
had entered bursting with news, her old
eyes almost sparkling, and her whole body
shaking with excitement. She hardly
waited for the usual question: ''What's
the news, neighbour" before she began:
''Ah, who would have though it? Such q
thing has not been said of us of Gillette
since l was babe. when they caught Vic
tor ROux and Maitre Simon of Cherbourg
at such tricks and hanged them, that they
did,"
what for? What about? 1 don't I'M
derStand, cried la Mere Pouteaux.
What for? Why, for smuggling, of
course"
At this, another pair of eyes sought the
old goSsiD's face, another pair of ears lis
tened anXiOusly.
This afternoon three gendarmes were
here poking about and asking questions of
the men who were busy mending their nets
OH the sands. They wrote down the names
of those who were away, and afterwards
one OF them, who is cousin to my jeans
Wife's nephew, told Jean that they were on
the track OF gang of smugglers, who, they
say put in here nearly every month when
the moon is in its last quarter They say.
too, that they hide the smuggIed goods in
4 cave near here before taking them on to
Cherbourg. He says they are sure of their
men the next time they come in and that
their orders are to take them dead or alive"
Then the old dame hurried off to take her
news elsewhere.
The affair caused great excitement
among the inhabitants of the little hamlet.
The men left their nets, and might be seen
at all hours of the day standing in groups
OH the sands discussing eagerly the ifs
and ''butS" of the case, and many mean
ing glance was east up to the little white
cottage on the cliff.
Marie was half distracted with fear and
anxiety. How could she let her uncle and
Philippe know of their danger, or what
could she do to prevent harm from coming
to them? \ hundred ideas and plans pre-
Sented themselves, each one seeming more
impracticable than the other. At last she
made up her mind not TO fix upon any one
of them, but to wait and watch and then to
act as it seemed best when the time
came.
Every night as soon as it was dark she
crept down to the shore and crouched be-
hind some projecting rock. where she hoped
to be able to discover anything unusual
which might be in progress. She felt no
rain. nor cold, nor wind; her nerves were
strung to the highest pitch. But when the
waning moon rose and the danger was past
she had hardly strength left to Chamber
home.
One dark night six-Oared boat landed
its crew under the shadow of the rocks be-
low DiIlette.
Marie, from her post above. heard the
sound, and. in moment, her plan was
formed. She waited until the men had dis
persed among the rocks, and then crawled
down To the shore. Sometimes whisper
NrT1 -
Oncea stone, dislodged by her foot, rolled
down the path, and a rough voice called:
''WhO goes there?"
''Marie'S teeth almost met in her lin to
suppress the cry that arose.
Its nothing" answered another voice.
''they can't be in before half an hour yet"
She waited a moment. and then crept on
again, this time on her hands and knees
o. would she never reach the shOre9 On,
on, and now ut last she felt the soft sea-
sand beneath her. There was no longer
any fear of rolling stones. But the boat
where was the boat?
Every precious moment seemed to her all
hour while she CROPPED along, trying To
lind the boat: for this was her only hope.
At last she felt it; the tide was rising. and
the tapping of the water against its sides
had led her to il. 1t was already half
dtOdi. y push. ~ SllIlH8. dlu Silc WAS III.
She seized a pair of the oars. \ few strokes
and tine boat had left the sands, but not
moment too soon. Her movements had
been heard. and the men rushed down to
the shore. TO the boat was the order:
and to the boat they sprang.
y yell of rage announced the discovery
of their loss. Their boat was riding DER
the waves some twenty yards from shore.
Fire and volley rafting over the
water awakened hundred echoes among
the hollow cliffs.
When the echoes had died away the
stroke of the oars was no longer heard. but
the sound of the firing had been borne far
out to sea, and when the moon rose YES
sci might have been seen with all sails set
speeding away, until at last her tOpsail
sank beneath the horizon.
Down the silvery and broad pathway
came another bark, and the pure cold queen
of night looked down upon a face of calm.
triumphant beauty. The dark eyes were
closed. the sweet lips sealed, but the moon
beams resting on the unbound hair. turned
it into halo of glory. \ small dark spot
on the fair breast showed i'm what guise the
grim angel had come to Marie, and the look
of reStful happiness on the marble features
showed how welcome he had been.
Fare thee well, little Marie; '''twas no.
bic sacrifice"