Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1885-08-22

When Zero came he was sent to deep IN
J the spare room; and later in the evening,
Matthew Arnold was given lodging with
him. Corona woke early IN tho morn
| ing: but Zero had been gone three hours.
Puella told her. "And the dog?" asked
Corona. idIy. us Matthew Arnold safe
/ up stairsY Puella "s'posed So" but on
going to cal! him, he was not to be found.
Il think You must hunt up Zero" Corona
concluded. Puella put on her rubber
boots and went across the long. wet grass
in search of him; and when she return
ed she came alone, with q string IN her
hand. "That's all that Is left OF him, :
she asserted, producing the frmiliar cord
with which Matthew Arnold bad been
tied to the bed post. 1.-THE creature says
the dog followed him out, and KEEP along
as nice as could be for always, till he see
q cart. Guessed he thoughtit was net
press cart. Anyway, he put. An the
boy says he never heard nothin'.
We said to him last night, about not let.
tin she dog get out, not one blessed word.
Says the dog asked to 90; 30 he let him
20. When you get to be as old as l he,
Miss Corona, you won't have so much
opinion of men folks, dessay. They're
we'll enough in their place; but I don't
want 'em too nigh me-" At least" said
Corona, 81 can get revolver" and get
ore she did. Then came another irony.
She could not learn to shoot for want of
target. Whenever she would 60 out
and take him, somebody would invaria.
bly, come and sit on q rock just within
range. "You ken take me-" said Zero.
"Take you;" cried Corona. "Yes," Zero
said. "Take me for target. I'll risk it. )"
And Corona remarked, severely, "You
may 90 into the house. do not want
anybody around while practice"
In short time Matthew Arnold came
back. Co-ona's dear friend, Mary,
brought him with her, and begged Cor.
opa to accept him as present from her,
bought III Boston; and Corona had to
pretend thae she had never before seen
the creature, and to call him Launcelot,
at Mary's request. Mary's visit was q
source of infinite pleasure both to her
hostess and herself; and soon Tom came,
and Susy and the baby, and Mss Efie
Purchase; and Corona gave q party to
which the neighbor fisher-folk, with
their queer manners and their sad stories
of storm and shipwreck, were invited.
Mary thought it necessary to christen
the cottage before the party; but Corona
could not think OF any name that she
was willing to call it by. She was not
cure that she liked cottages with names.
ut is snobbish American fashion," she
said; IL think will call my place the
shanty." But Mary insisted, and pro-
posed several names, saying at last,
How would you like the Maiden's Re-
pose, for instance?" Corona thought a
moment, and then she said, II will call
it the Old Maids Paradise. That will
do. Presents her compliments. and
hopes to see you in Paradise Yes, I
will consent to the Old Maids Paradise"
The days flew past happily and too
quickly. Tom and his wife and baby de-
parted, but 'Effie and Mary staid on.
The summer waned, the sky was bland
and sweet, the nights splendidly NOON
lit. Atlength the time comes for Fife.
also, to 90. Tomorrow she can remain
no longer. They are rowing in the bay,
among the ships and the aim forms of
sailors on the DINNER rigging. Pleasure
UOtslo 8IuO ny 4uIoIAy. lucy low III q
path of fame. The shores look denser,
yet a certain distinctness touches certain
details-and the roof of the Old Maids
Paradise glitters sharply, and Efie de-
clares size can see the last wild roses
near the door. She is moved to sing, in
q sweet voice, to q low, monotonous air,
some favorite lines about the sea.
As the song dies upon. the shining air
a terrible shadow looms above then-a
huge old fishing schooner, painted black,
with crew clustered silently on deck.
Effie begins to sing again; but Corona
interrupted her with an awe-struck cry:
"Oh, girls! Oh, hush! Look there!"
She pointed upward. "The flag" she
whispers, "is at half mast" But Fife
and Mary do not understand. "They
put it at half-mast," Corona quietly ex-
plains, when somebody is dead. They
have come home from the banks, and
left one of the boys behind. See! How
still they are! They will sail like that
the length of the harbor. And-people
are watching-to see them come in. And
for while no one can tell which it lie.
Only that one is gone. Oh! girls, let us
60 home" The turn and drift toward
the shore, the black vessel keeping still
beyond them, with its speechless crew.
When Corona moors the boat, and the
three women go into the blessed cottage.
which sends no dear one down to the
terrible sea in ships, they think. Th IRE,
indeed, is Paradise, where death is not.
Out in the moonlight the vessel keeps on
her solemn way; and watches on shore
come to therocks with glasses. to read
her name. It is not until morning that
the message comes, from poor little Zero,
who tries to play with the dog, but finds
that is thing which can not be done
when feathers die. Puella puts white
face through the door of Corona's bed
room, and says in q stammering voice:
"The Ella B. Rowin came in last night
at half-mast; but she left the mate at
Georges, in the fog. Folks told her 30
sudden. "Your husbands drowned at
Georges"-just like that. She's been
that bad all night she talks of you con-
and the boy says his sister
says, won't you come over right away?"
Truly. Corona thinks, it is dreadful
thing, as she has heard one of them say,
to be q woman by the sea.
Fife goes, and September comes; and
with September arrives q. serpent for