, 1885-02-13
10.


great hotel thcre Is an unbroken stiffness
The roses clambering over the milling, nod
lakily In tho brcoze, the lace curtains at tho
long Windows sway gently 30 and fro, the
pariou beyond arc silent and deserted.
Up at the beach the raves are slcepily lap
ping The gllstoning sand. while the bright
eolored suits drying In long lines behind thu
bathing houses are the only reminder OF tho
merrimant which existed lsss than half an
hour ago Ono or two Orleans arc slowly
creeping along the road, loaded with trailing
nea-wesd OF vnrieKAtsd hues, hero and there
Is a group Of bronzed fishermen monding
their nets. These are the only signs OF life.
Everybody n down on tho pier. The
-block hland' is ovordus more than twenty
minutes and the ricksty boards creak and
trembls as the anxious crowd press TO tho
very edge, each one eager 70 catch the first
glimpse Of the steamer as she rounds Clay
Head.
The excitement increases The fishing
boat huddie closer together bohind tho
breakSnter, the hackmen, growing impa-
tiont vocifernte loudly; the Marine band IN
the pavilion on the hill strikes up; and
yet
Here comes Joiv some shouts
"Dcpand ont the boat11 30 tn soon, now
says a grizzled, old fisherman standing close
BY. Jos a sure sign. Nigh on 10 a year
aAulu nAuN HLNEuU1 NuNL DuAL como III INII|
day. and l never know her to round tho
Head unless 10 was hsrs."
An eyes turned toward the road. An an
tiqnated specimen Of carriage Is coming
down the hill a. rapidly As the lean and bony
hor.e I'm front can drag IL along.
IL draws up on tho wharf beside tho more
pretantious vehicles, a young girl jumps out.
tics tho horse. lays her arms lovingly around
his neck a moment theu hurrisdiy pushes
her way through tho throng 70 tho end OF
the pier.
A tall, angular girl, clad in a home made
dress Of the coarssst material. scant and
patched, yet very clean. with a rough straw
hat tied down over hair which Is long,
straight and decidedly red. A girl with
nothing pretty and attractive about har,
but there Is such a brave, pathetic look In
her great, blue eyes, that one involuntarily
turns and looks at her again and again.
Swiftly and silently she passes along TO
the farther end OF the pier and, lifting ono
hand to shield her eyes from the sunlight,
ganss Hteadfastly at the distant horizon.
u know he will coma to-day" she says,
seemingly unconscious that sho Is speak ing
aloud AJust a year ago to-day be went
over there, Dad did. He went 70
get soma flxins' for me, and he
promised 10 come back soon, but II has been
20 long. Obi he will surely como to-day,
won't heiH she asks. turning TO q weather
bsaten, old sailor who Is gazing at her with
just a suspicion Of moisture In his cyez
"Aye, las, that he viii, (" he answers.
I've got extras for dinner, to-day" sho
goes on, Frightening up, @'cause he'n have a
mighty appetite after being at them furrin'
places 80 long, and I've made n cushion for
bis chair that ats by tho window. brushed
up the team, too, and old Bess seemed to
know he was coming, for she brought mo
over In no time
Quito like he1l coma to-day" says the old
skipper, @and he'll bring you so many smart
things that I'm afeard you won't be 10 any
longer
YES, 1 will, p replied tho girl @rn always
DO 10 to Dad anyway. Dear, old Dad. He's
told mo many n time, how he picked me up
out OF the water that dreadful night; and
whom no ono seemed to want me. he took me
home with him; mo, a helpless baby with
nothing In the world but n ring ON my finger
with 10 scratched on IL Oh, / wish / could
do something big for him, 50 he would
know
well, cheer up, Lass; hos waiting for some
good roason. Praps he can't find what ho
wants for you just yeti
@Oh, i know now; that's It. He was going
10 get ms a blu gown with a big collar on Il
and a great gold star in zach corner, but l
begged him TO try and get a white One;
whits is 50 pretty like, and l never had n
white dress in all my life" CHANGING ruefully
down at the homs-spun cotton. May like
be had to go and 60, fore he could get it"
For q few moments nho Kazed earnestly
over the water. lsit zmoko-thatlo long, thin
line Of grayi Yesi just around the hsadland
something white Is coming into view. A
few more minutes and the great steamer,
gnily bedocked with flags and pennants,
burst into sight Slowly, too slowly
for 10, the boat plows along
through the blue water, until
all dripping with foam and sparkling In the
sunshlne, the huge wheels cease revolving
and the "Block Island" is in at last Tho
ropes are fastened, the plank Is thrown out
and the passengers come ashore.
Into every face 10 peers eagerly. He
might have changed in a year so very much.
that she must watch closely. One by one
they come; friends are greeting friends; they
are all of now, and-where is Dadf
With one defpalring cry she bounds down
the plank and searches for him in the cabins.
@Come, come, move along, my girl says
the captain, roughly. "What do you want
heref'
~Oh, ! want Dad she sobs; ahe was
comm to-day, I know. Tell me, haven't you
seen himf'
~ Au3uAA 4 hiioW nlur nc HnhNUIu.
gruiiy. Move along, wo are late to-day and
can't DO bothered"
10 turns slowly away and mechanically
passes up over the gangway. What does II
matter TO her that sun Is shining, that the
band Is playing its sweetest musicl All the
brightness OF the day has gone for her.
Calmly she walks along, slowly unfastons
Bess, and climbing In the wagon, silently
drives away.
But her face Is very pale and there Is such
n strange. strange look In her great, blue
sailor draws his brown hand across his eyes
and murmur. -Poor little gall"
Il Is evening. A sudden and fearful storm
b raging. The sea has arisen, and with a
roaring sound PUSHES inland to dash itself
against the great hotel, the huge drops OF
rain dash against the windows, and the guests
gathered together In the splendid parlor,
shudder and tremhle at every returning fash
and deafening peal Down ON the beach the
angry surf IA rolling in. mountains high, and
tho fishermen are anxiously gazing out upon
the dark waters as II fearful Of what such a
storm might accomplish
Suddenly there comes a vivid fash. a ter
ribls rcverberating roll and In the awful 3D.
lsnco that follows, tho group Of waiting mon
gaze with horror in each others faces Than
comes another fash Gloss by and on the outsr
edge Of the breakwatsr-thsy go a ship IL
going to pieces Thsre comes the sound Of a
signal gun, oncs. twice. All "a confusion
now. The life boat Is manned, pushed out
and beaten back. Above the angry shrek.
ing Of the wind can be heard the shouts OF
those on the beach, % faint dsspairing
cries OF thoss on the doomed vessel, and the
sohs OF the women who are endoavorinR TO
keep back their loved ones from seeking
death in those terrible waterz
And Il 4 death. Six stnlwn-t forms. 20
Every smoker should Try Little
Joker.