Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-01-07
Calls aud Sketthes.
on THE ROCKS AT CAPE ANN.
CONTINUED from yesterday

ply the pulpit tO-moTIoW. MI. Dio"u
wanted to go away for week, and l
promised to take his duty from him. Mind
you all come to church"
The murder was out And SO was in
the next moment. for. as we moved to
give more room to shift sail, my foot
must needs become entangled in rope, l
9.sst my balance, and tumbled head fore
,.scsss into the water! But almost before |
ned it, Jacks honest face. white as
;... J, was close to mine land as his strong
arm seized me. heard him cry, not car
ing for those around:
"Don't be afraid. my dearest, you are
safe !" In less time than it requires to
write description of the scene Twas on
tie deck again, half smothered in warm
shawls and wraps, half choked by the
raw brandy that was poured down my
throat, and wholly dazed and bewildered
by the two revelations so suddenly made
to me.
Everybody talked and laughed as if
nothing remarkable had happened, and as
if they had not heard Jacks astounding
words. He said no more, until having
quickly brought us ashore and seen me to
the door of my room, he stepped before
Kate. who evinced rather a decided dis
position to hustle him off. and whispered
in my ear: 81 shall look for you on the
rocks, tomorrow morning, after break
FAST Then aloud: Il sincerely hope
your sudden bath has done you no harm
but, of course, you will not be visible
again to-day,so good bye for the present"
OFF he marched. Between Kate and inc
utter silence. But that lasted only until
my wet garments were thrown aside and
warm dressing gown replaced them.
| Then Kate planted herself in chair di
| rectly in front of me, stared me full in
the face and calculated ''Well."
| She really spoke only thatssingle word,
but the tone in which it was uttered made
| it contain two duodecimo volumes at the
| very least, and when essayed to respond
| it seemed to me that whole dictionary
full of words would be inadequate
express my feelings. So, instead
then l CRIED and the tears proved kind
of 81 clearing up shower, and then we
went to the subject more comfortably.
] 'Who ever heard of such a thingp"
said Kate. 1--WE never have heard him
say, or seen him do anything undignified,
Or unbeitting that profession-being out
OF the harness down here, and taking for
granted of course, that we had heard all
about him from people around, he never
thought it necessary to play parson. And
am just delighted Molly, my dear, that
you have fallen in love with each other;
you couldn't have done a better thing
than to tumble overheard this morning,
ard thereby bring the affair to crisis"
| There is no affair, as you call it,
said l. 81 don't care anything about him !!
at least-well, don't exactly dislike him ;
out would not marry a minister for all
the world-no, not even a bishop, much
less, that kind of a minister Oh, dear,
what am to do? | wish we had never
come to Cape Ann And he said he
should expect me to meet him on
the rocks, tomorrow morning! Besides.
he is to preach at II o'clock, and he had
much better be thinking of his sermon,
than talking nonsense to me-"
And so | ran on, Kate listening with as
grave face as she could assume. At last
| finished up with, Perhaps it would
be rude to take no notice of what he said,
so | will Just stroll down to the beach for
five minutes tomorrow morning, and tell
him, of course, that | cannot think of
marrying him, and then you and | will
90 off for a long ramble, and forget all
about it,"
"Just as you say" replied Kate, trying
to keep a sober face, You cannot have
anything to say but NOT"
1t is very disagreeable to be obliged to
own up to an inconsistency. | had much
rather confess to having done something
wicked, and from my earlier childhood, |
had made it a point to cleave steadfastlv
to my principles once asserted. On the
subject of matrimony | declared myself
with no uncertain sound. | would never
marry Yankee minister, never, never
And yet, on this fair August morning,
here was |, arrayin9 myself in killing
muslin dress, a fresh blue ribbon on my
bonny brown hair, and prepared deliber-
ately to march down to the rocks, and be
formally proposed to by man whom
| knew to be Yankee minis
ter. Of course, it was highly unconven-
tional for me to go forth to meet my lover,
instead of sitting in state to receive him.
but there was no chance of an undisturbed
tete-a-tete in the boarding house, and in
truth my only idea was to '.get the thing
over as quickly as possible.
So, after breakfast, | coolly started off
followed by Hates benediction, and Won
dering within myself whether Jack would
really take his dismissal much to heart.
He was waiting for me on the shore, and
we met under the shadow of great boul-
der that seemed to shut us off from the
world beyond. | can hardly tell what we
said first. | think we exchanged some
very feeble commonplace remarks about
the weather and the lowness of the tide.
Then Jack plunged boldly into the awk-
ward chasm, and asked me then and there
to marry him.
81 could not think of it ~
"Why?''
You are a minister, and | so dislike
ministers.
You will make just the most bewitch-
ing parsons wife in the whole country ~
But you are Yankee, and | never
could endure Yankees before - (The last
word in a low tone)
81 shall prove to you that New Eng
landers are the salt of the earth"
"But told Kate | did not intend to
marry you, and came here on purpose to
say So
You shall use your woman's privilege
of changing your mind. and Miss Kate is
too good-natured to blame you for doing
so--under the circumstances.
| but am so verv hiob church ;,