Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1886-11-12

and she had sent for Jessie, who was
great fayorite with the country bellies, to
come for four days and help her make
her wedding outfit.
II hate to leave you mother" Ies lie
had said, ''and particularly at this time,
for it was near the sad anniversary of
her fathers death. But unselflsh Mrs.
Burke had replied that Jessie was to 90
by all means, for it would be change
for heI, and besidesit would be a pity
to disappoint Molly Benson.
So Jessie went, and it is on the after
noon of her second day at "Shining
Light" that we saw her in the beginning
OF our story, sitting by the window and
dropping stray tears on Molly's brown
meTino.
Leaving her there, we will return to
Reginald, who, when he came back from
his trip, year ago, had gone straight to
his rooms, and finding two letters on his
table, had carelessly taken up the upper
one and found it to be an announcement
of his uncle's death and a copy of his
will leaving him $500, 900. Mingled
with his grief at the death of his kind
bcaefactor, who had educated him, was
feeling of freedom, and the thought
came that now he could marry JESSIE !;
and taking up his hat he was about to
seek her, and confde to her his grief and
good fortune, when his eye fell upon the
other letter, which he had not noticed
until now. Opening it he found it to be
from Jessie, telling him the circumstances
of her fathers death, and of their pow
erty, and finally bidding him goodbye
| for ever.
Since that day, Reginald had been
continually searching for his lost love,
but year had passed and he was no
wiser concerning her; and at length, al
most despairing, he had started in his
yacht, with only his skipper for COM
pany, for cruise along the shores of
Maine and Massachusetts. They had
been out some days, and the vessel was
drifting along near sandy belt of land,
in little Massachusetts harbor. 1t was
almost a calm, and on the water lay
great tlocks of sea-gulls, which rose and
flew away in every direction as the yacht
approached, filling the air with the fiut-
teringof wings, and their little hoarse
cries. At the end of the belt of land,
along which they were sailing, was a
lighthouse, and they were rapidly ap-
preaching this point, when Reginald was
aroused from his reverie by an exclama-
ton from the skipper, who was unac-
customed TO this locality, and had care
lesslv allowed the vessel to drift upon a
sand-bar, near the main strip of land.
No damage was done, but as the tide was
rapidly receding, the further progress
of the yacht was stayed, until such time
in the night as the tide should be suffi-
GENTLY high to allow the vessel to float
off.
Being in this predcament, Reginald
decided to wade to the shore and go up
to the lighthouse in search of adven-
lures. So leaving the skipper in charge
of the vessel Reginald started for the
shore, promising to return within an
hour or two; and if he did not keep his
promise he surely is not to be blamed.
Reginald had not got far in his ascent
of the sandy hill, which separated him
from the lighthouse, when he encount-
cred an elderly man, who, seated upon
the sand, was engaged in mending a net.
He explained his presence there and re
lated his accident to the man, who he
ascertained was the light keeper, and
who pressed him cordially to come up
and take supper with him, saying: "The
old woman'll be glad 'nough ter see ye,
fur strangers is few an far between at
the light and she won't be bit put out
at yer stayin' ter supper, nuther, for she's
got II lot of stuff corked up purpose ful
comp'ny, fur our darter Mollys goin' tel
be married, an the dressmaker's ovel
from the village helpin' of her sew
Hoping for amusement and really
pleased with the old mans cordial hos
pitality, Reginald followed him ur
toward the lighthouse, listening tC
Cap'n Penson Gor of course it was he) as
he told of Molly and Mo'ly's man, who
he said was Gas likely young chap as
care ter see, and he and jim (my son,
Jim) owns schooner, the Molly Benson
and they're up ter the Banks now tishin'
but comm home soon fur the weddin',
he concluded contentedly as they arrived
at the kitchen door, whe e Reginald wa'
warmly welcomed by Mother" whC
brought out fresh doughnuts and sweet
cider for his entertainment Shortly
after Mrs. Benson entered the uppel
room, where Jessie and Molly, who had
,oned her, were sewing busily. Come,
gal, " she cried, "put up your work, ful
want yer ter come an help me with thC
supper, Molly, fur we want ter kind o
fix up fur the young gent, yer know; aut
you, turning to Jessie, chad better rur
out on the beach an take breath o.
fresh air; you look so kind O. pale an
tired. Yer needn't be afraid O. meetin
'um," she added, mott ing Jessie's re
luctance-for she had morbid dislike tt
meeting strangers ever since their mis-
fortune-''fur Pa tuck the young MAJ
over t'other side ter get clans; so you jus
run out, Miss Burke, an yer can hev ye
supper up here quiet, if yer ruther"
Thanking her gratefully, Jessie wen
out into the soft warm air, and sitting
down on great rock, looked over thu
water to the village where her mothe
and the children were. And as she sa
there thinking, she did not notice hov
, fast the sun was disappearing below th
water.
, In the meantime Reginald had come
r back from the clam digging and wa
sauntering slowly down the beach; h,
, turned corner suddenly and came upol
; great rock with girl ting on it, he
, head silhouetted against the red glow o
| the setting sun.
t For one moment his heart seemed Il
: stop beating. He had found her at last
after this weary year of vain search ant
: trial She did not see him yet, and com
7 ing up close beside her he said softly;
t 'Jessie"
7 She turned quickly, her face as whit
: rs death, and in another moment she wa
in his arms. ooh, how could you leav