The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1885-06-04

the bay. Sometimes think she does
it to bother me, and sometimes | think
she does it because she likes me and
wants to make me jealous, so that I'll be
sure to propose. But it can't be that,
either, for she won't let me propose.
Hanged if l know what she does mean
by it,"
Poor perplexed Tom sat down and
| took a newspaper out of his pocket, and
tried to forget his trials in it's accounts
| of murders and accidents and other
| cheerful matters of that sort. Finding
them dull, he turned to the story de-
partment. There was little sketch
| there called "W ashed Ashore" Tom
read it. 1t was about man who loved
a woman-as he loved Miss Stafford
| and singular coincidence, he couldn't
find out whether she loved him or not.
| One day he was out rowing and lost his
hat. The waves washed it ashore. The
| woman he loved found it. She thought
he must be drowned, and to the poor,
inanimate thing. she confessed the love
she had borne for its owner. The sup
posed dead man happened to be near at
hand, and heard her tardy confession of
love-and then and there all his troubles
ended-or began.
"Why couldn't try such an expert
ment on Janet!" thought Tom. eff
could only contrive to make her think |
was drowned. might find out whether
she cares for me OF not. | don't sec as
I'm ever likely to find out in any other
way. pll try it."
| He went down to the beach and en-
| gagged a boat. He saw Devere coming
as he went down the bay, and Miss Stat
ford waved him passing greeting with
her sunshade.
"That's lucky" thought Tom. "Shc's
seen me going out on the water. I'll
leave the boat somewhere along the
shore, and it'll be found, and Ill be
missing, and she'll be sure TO think | fell
in, and was drowned, or committed
suicide, and when she thinks that, she'll
he likely to say or do something that IL
give herself away, and I'll hear of it
after l turn up and then I'll know what
to do"
cit looks squally in the west,' De
we're sung out after him. "1Ou'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 jutted out into the bay. and
Tom concluded that boat abandoned
there would be pretty sure to float back
to the hotel when the tide came in. Ac-
cordingly he left the boat to the mercy
of the waves, and started back round,
about-way to the hotel, over the rocky
cliffs.
The sky was overc.ouded by this time,
and the wind began to blow. To add
to Toms discomfort, the rain soon began
to pour down in great torrents. and he
was drenched to the skin before he could
find shelter.
The sun was going down before the
storm abated.
1t was quite we'll along in the evening
before he got back to the vicinity of the
hotel. He was thoroughly chilled in his
wet garments, he was hungry, and he
was afraid that his plan would prove a
failure. Therefore he was not IN very
pleasant frame of mind when he saw
Janet Stafford's red jacket just little
way ahead of him, as he came down the
beach. The sight of that jacket, in it.
self, was not very disagrceablc, but the
sight of Jack Devere's broad brimmed
straw hat, looking in the moonlight like
All aureole about his rivals head, made
him very angry.
deuce his ,impertinent attentions, :"
growled Tom. ''IIes puppy! l sup
pose he answers her, but I'd like to punch
his head for nv amusement They're
coming this way. Now's my time to
produce sensation.
The waves were tumbling 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,
"and that shows she's-she' it
shows she's thinking about me, anyway,
if it doesn't show anything else," and
this was some consolation to the poor
fellow. perhaps they won't recognize
the hat as mine, but if keep shady to.
night and the boat is found, then they'll
think that l must be lost and we'll see
what she'll say"
''He may have been cast away on some
island along the Shore" laughed Jack
Devere. Maybe he'll turn hermit and
end his days and troubles there"
II hope not" said Miss Stafford, y
"for if that should happen l should new
er know what something particular
was that he wanted to say to me-" Then
she laughed, and the sound of her mer-
riment made the listaner's ears tingle.
"Poor fellow" said Devere, but his
tone didn't seem to have as much pity in
it as his words did. "You'rc really too
hard on MIN. What's that at your feet,
Janet? A hat, isn't it?'
''Sure enough" said MISS Stafford,
stopping to pick it up. ''Why, Jack,
l do believe it's Tom Winters, for
here's a bunch of blackberry leaves
sticking in the band, and | remember
giving him some 1 had gathered yester-
day. He begged SO hard for them that
l couldn't refuse him. Oh, Jack! do
you suppose he is drowned?"
81 wouldn't wonder at all if he was, -
:. answered Jack. 1t made Toms blood
run cold to hear his rivals matter-of-
fact tone. ''He was a perfect muff with
a boat, and never ought to have been al
lowed two rods from shore in one"
II hope he isn't drowned said Miss
Stafford, and Tom listened delightfully."-
to the sig Oh that accompanied the words.
1t proves that she must care something
for him.
| uIust wait till she hears of the boat. -