Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1885-05-21

Poor perpleXed Tom sat down and
took newspaper out out of his peck
ct, and tried to forget his trials in its
accounts Of murders and accidents
and other cheerful matters of that sort.
Finding this dull he turned to the
story department. There was little
sketch there called Washed Ashore. "
Tom read it. 1t was about a man
who loved woman,-as he loved
Miss Stafford, and, singular coinci~
dence, he could't find out whether she
loved him or not One day he was
out rowing and lost his hat. Tne
waves washed it ashore, The woman
he loved found it. She thought he
must be drowned, and 10 the poor, in
animate thing she confessed the love
she had borne its owner. The suppos-
ed dead man happened to be near at
hand, and heard her tardy confession
of love, then and there all his
troubles ended-or began.
"Why couldn't try such an exper-
iment on Janetp thought Tom. IF
/ could only contrive to make her
think | was drowned, | might find
out whether she cares for me or rot.
/ don't see as I'm ever likely to find
out in any other way. I'll try it. "
He went down to the beach and en-
gagged boat. He saw Devere coming
as he went down the bay, and Miss
Stafford waved him passing greeting
with her sunshade.
That's lucky," thought Tom.
She's seen me going out on the water.
I'll leave the boat somewhere, along
the shore, and it'll be found, and I'll
be missing, and she'll be sure to think
l fell in, and was drowned, or COM
mitted suicide, and when she thinks
that she'll be likely to say or do some
thing thatll give herself away, and
I'll hear of it, after | turn up, and
then I'll know what to do.
"Tt looks signally in the west,
Devere sung out after MIN. YOU'D
better not go far, Winters"
Thank YOU" answered Tom; "but
I'll look out for myself" and he was
soon out of hearing of Miss Statford's
merry laugh and Jack Devere's jokes
at his expense.
A peak iuted out into the bay, and
there would be pretty sure to float
back to tie hotel, when the tide came
in. Accordingly he left the boat to
the mercy Of the waves, and started
back roundabout way to the hotel,
over the rocky cliffs.
The sky, was overloaded by this
time, and the wind began to blow.
To add to Toms discomfort, the ram
soon began to pour down in great tor
rents, and he was drenched to the
skin before he could find shelter.
The sun was going down before the
storm abated.
1t was quite well along the evening
before he got back to the hotel. He
was thoroughly chilled in his wet gar
menets, he was hungry, and he was
afraid that his plen would prove
failure. Therefore he was not in a
very pleasant frame of mind when he
SO W Janet Stafford's red jacket Just a
little way ahead Of him, as he came
down the beach. The sight of that
jacket, in itself, was not very disa~
greeable, but the sight Of Jack Dew
ere's broad brimmed hat, looking, in
the moonlight, like an aareole about
his rivals head, made him very ang-
ry.
"Confound his impairment atten-
tons" growled Tom. He's puppy.
| suppose he answers her, but I'd like
to punch his head just for my amuse
ment They're coming this way.
Now's my time to produce a sensa-
ton.
The waves were rambling in on the
beach. Tom threw his hat out among
them knowing they would wash it in,
and that the couple coming toward
him would be quite sure to see it on
the sand. Then he hid behind rock.
81 haven't seen Winters come back
yet, Miss Stafford was saying, when
they came within hearing distance
"She's thinking about me, said
Tom, land that shows she's-she's-
well, it shows she's thinking about
me, any way if it doesn't show any
thing else, and this was something
to the poor fellow, perhaps they
won't recognize the hat as mine, but
if keep shady tonight and the boat
is found, then they'll think [ must be
lost and Wen see what she'll say"
He may have been cast away on
some island along the shore" laughed
Jack Devere. Maybe hell turn her
NIT, and end his days and troubles
there"
81 hope not, said Miss Stafford,
'for if that should happen | should
never know what that something
particular was that he wanted to say
10 me. - Then she laughed, and the
sound of her merriment made the
listeners ears Jingle.
"Poor fellow said Devere, but his
tone didn't seem to have as much pity
in it as his words did. You're really
too hard on him. What's that at
your feet, Janet2 A hat, isn't it2'
"Sure enough, said Miss Stafford,
stopping to pick it it. why, Jack,
I do believe it's Tom Winters, for
here's a bunch of blackberry leaves
sticking in the band, and I remember
giving him some had gathered yes
terday. He begged so hard for them
that couldn't refuse him. On, Jacki
do you suppose he's drownedl'
l.