The Penn's Grove record., 1885-06-06
ARLIE

W q 4 . JpNA
when is she TO arrivep" my brother
Earle asked me one evening, as he sat
half in and halt out of the window oil
our small dining room.
"Like2" l repeated slowly, Il wish
you would not ask me such questions,
Earle. You know it is nj of my short
comings never to be able to describe any
one, | never have done 50 in my life,
and | do not suppose ever shall. Let
me see if | possibly a make you un-
derstand what Iettie is like. She-she
IS very nice, Earle"
My brother laughed. and blew a long
thin cloud of smoke from beneath his
dark moustacne.
"All girls are nice, Grace, " he said.
81 have never yet come across one that
was not. But this special one--is she
dark or otherwisep"
every other wise, - | answer, smiling.
"She is fair; and, oh, Earle, she has
such a pretty complexionl 1t is like a
rosel"
Like this, for instanceP" he asked,
picking one of-tbe rare dark roses, of a
sort of maroon color, for which our
small garden was famous.
mot a bit like that" | laughed.
"But you must wait and see; l cannot
describe her, as | have told you, dear.
Tomorrow evening she will be here.
and then you shall see for yourself. |
wonder what she will think of our cot
tage, and the village, and our friends2''
l continued, half to myself.
"She Will like everything, and go
/ - 49, Arrar rnV nnn. nKnd II
you want to complete her enjoyment, l
should strongly recommend you to Dor
row somebody's infant-girls are always
so fond of babies" my brother said, as
he threw away his cigar and stepped in
through the open window to tea. ''Jok-
ing apart, Grace, / am very pleased
that she is coming; for l have to go out
so often that | fear at times 1t is dis
mally lonely for you. l sometimes
think of moving nearer to R~edstone; It
IS so dull here in the winter time"
Never think of it again, Earle"
replied, "for l am neither lonely nor
dull; and l do not know of a house or
cottage between here and Redstone
that would suit US. | am attached to
this quiet little spot; l love to sit at
! that window and watch the beautiful
curling waves come rolling in: l am
never tired of looking at the sea-"
"Now, Grace Trafford, be a candid
woman If you can, and tell me, is 1t not
what you expect the sea to bring you
which is the cause of your never being
weary of looking, and not the sea it.
self ? Come now, confess. 1t is ex
ceedingly romantic, | know, TO profess
to love the melancholy dirge. But how
about this, Miss Gracep" Ana my
brothers. sweet deep voice sang softly
al shaded mine eyes one day when a boat
Went curtseying over the billow;
| m ,rked her course TIL, a dancing mote,
She faded OUT on the moonlit foam;
And | STAYED behind In the dear loved home,
And my thoughts all day were about the boat,
And my dreams up n the pillow"
"a very pretty little song, Earle, and
very nicely sung; and you shall sing il
! again when Lettie comes, if you are
good" Though | spoke laughingly,
and did not wish Earle to think he could
tease me. 1 was painfully conscious that
my cheeks had grown many shades
darker.
81 wonder whether Lettle's complex
ion at all resembles yours now?" Earle
said, his dear handsome face beamine
with suppressed mirth. "Grace dear,
that remark of mine brings US back to
the realities of everyday life. When
does your friend arrive2"
Tomorrow evening"" | replied.
"Earle, there is punishment in store fol-
you for teasing your sister," | added.
II hear the surgery bell ringing"
IT. pnvN n,,unnaA En.lnNa .,,faIr 49,.
was sounding down the hall, and 1 was
left alone. | arose from the tea-table,
and, taking up my work, settled myself
ia my fayorite seat, the broad old fash
Toned oak seat in the window.
l wondered whether Earle and | were
unfortunate in being the last of the
Traffords? | was rather inclined Ia
think not, for the examples continually
brought before me led me to conclude
that, as a rule, friends were very much
nicer than one'sow people. Earle and
| had not n relative in the world-not
a fifteenth cousin twenty time removed
and we were none the worse for it.
But our friends we could not CONT.
Every Il was kind to us-I think that
was all owing to Earle-there was not
a man, woman, or child. from one end
of Rsdstone to the other, who would
not have done almost anything for the
doctor at the Clyffe."
Through the open window came the
sound of the rising tide, and my work
fell at my feet, while my eyes gazed al
the glorious tints thrown by the dying
sun upon the rocks before me. | watched
the fading of the ~IoSe-gleams. watched
the purple shade come owe the sea, and
I thought, "Ah, Earle was right
"My thoughts all day were about the boat,
And my dreams upon the pillow"
about a dear bright sunny head which
was sailing somewhere far away in the
golden west-the glorious west, WHOSE
tints we're GROWING the dusky rocks be
fore me with the fading splendor of the
dying day.
Two years before a large ball hat
been given at Redstone by the officers
of II. NJ. s. Gr0uler. To that bal
Earta had fakan ma and thHra hal