The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1885-04-08

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any good would take hours of watchful-
ness and he would have to abandon
all hope of seeing Annis that even
ing.
1t was hard struggle, but inclina-
tion proved to be made of material
which could not hold its own against
his own strong sense of duty.
He gave up all thought of the pleasant
greeting he had been living upon in his
heart all day long, aud set himself to
work to gather fuel for the beacon
fire.
After several hurried journeys to the
woodland, which lay little distance
away, he succeeded in accommodating q
pile of branches and dry twigs, which he
had raked out with his hands from de-
serted hut, which stood on the confines
of the thicket, and had evidently been
gathered together for some purpose; but
under the circumstances Owen felt him
self justified in taking it, as it would
have been almost impossible to have
kindled a fame of green wood.
Just as he had succeeded in coaxing
splendid blaze into life, voice cried:
"Hallo, Glenn, is that you2 What in
the name ofwonder are you doing2"
II am answering to a signal of dis
tress. Harkl" as dull sound came
again from the sea.
"Weq, old fellow, wish you JOY of
your p' and hope it'll do the good you
expect For my part, I'm off to old
Martin , l hear little Annis is going
away tomorrow, and l don't want to
miss a sight of her beaming face to-
night. It's bright and sweet enough to
Goodbye, and good fortune attend your
work. It's lucky all are not such selfish
fellows as am"
1t was as if thousand fends were
tugging for the mastery of Owen Glenn's
heart, as he listened to the rattling talk
of the gay, light hearted youth.
Should he give Robert this chance of
seeing Annis, and of perhaps asking her
to be his wife during this very night,
while he stood and worked to do good,
and in Gods providence tried to be the
means of saving the lives of people who
were nothing to himl
Thus his thoughts ran over and over
again, repeating themselves like the
voices of mocking demons, while out
wardly he labored on as unremittingly as
though no influence of the kind were at
work piling on fresh fuel for the flames,
or pushing some burning log into a bet
ter position, and in that way won the
victory.
Peace succeeded to the wild storm of
agitation which had momentarily threat
ened to engulf him. Thus the night
wore through.
With the morning came great calm.
One would not have thought that the
sun-fecked waves which came leaping
in. white-crested and tumultuous, to meet
the stern barrier of rocks, and crawl up,
up almost to their SUBMITS, could be
aught but playful in their force. All, it
is treacherous beauty-that of the sea.
Too tired to notice the beauty of the
transition from storm to sunshine, Owen
walked slowly home. His work was done,
and he must have rest.
Later in the day he started out for
walk. He was in that miserable state of
mind which oftentimes follows some
great exaltation of spirits. The thought
that Annis had gone away without his
seeing her again weighed upon his mind
| like an unwelcome incubus.
At the voice of Robert Hunter, who
stopped to accost him, he shrank and
trembled as though in pain, but he list
encd as intently as though his life de-
pended upon what he was about to say.
Had he proposed to Annis, and had been
acceptedl"
"Glenn, he began, 81 wish you and
could change places about last nights
work.
"It's rather late for that now," was
the quiet answer.
'I'm fully aware of the fact, and that's
what regret about it. I'm afraid it's all
up with me in a certain direction"
"What do you meanl" asked Owen,
with sudden interest.
"Why, if you believe it, might just
as well have left my visit unpaid last
night; indeed, had far better have done
so. Annis was so interested at the chance
of there being a ship outside in distres:
that it was all could do to prevail upOr
her not to face the storm and come and
help, she said; and she gave me some
pretty rubs, | can tell you, about my
leaving you alone to do the good work,
as she called it. ! don't believe that An
mis- will look at me again without
thought in her mind of what ought t.
have done and didn't"
Sucra tide of JOY rushed through Over
Glenn's heart that he could hardly speak
and while he was struggling to hide hi
emotion Robert went on with his revela
tions, little realizing the effect of hi
words:
"She's not going home to-day just OF
that account. She told me to tell yor
to come up and see her and tell her al
about it. wish it had been my luck t
make such a hit. Women are great OF
any one who touches their feelings
You ought to have seen her eyes snal
and sparkle when she was lecturing IN
about not staying to help you. neve
saw her look so pretty. But, halo
what has come over your For Owel
/ was hurrying off in the direction of tn
cliffs.
. A. ha x,ray,t Pobart couo,ht looly nnoi