Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-09-11
MIDSUMMER FIRES.
CHAPTEE I.

t4AC lCNClf 1C oEGLIEu " l1t
blood red and ruddy purple cleaned tn,
throbbing waves of the horizon rosy ant
golden came the ripping wayelets from
that distant path of the sea to the yellow
sands of the Manx coast.
a path, winding up headland, led from
the western shores to white road. Th,
red CLEAN of the sunset was upon it, anC
the sparse heather landward glowed rudy
as some girls sauntered lettering along tn,
path.
There were three of them, sisters. One
was child, Nessie the others, Meta anC
Kate QGaltrough, were ON the happy
borderland OF girlhood and womanhood.
We have no picturesque national earb Of
a foreign land wherewith to set them forth
they were dressed as hundreds of girls in
London might be dressed, though they
came of so pure a Manx race as TO be
proud of the days when English people
were looked upon as foreigners in Man.
Nessie was full of life; she danced ahead
or she fingered behind: she sprang to right
or left over the broken ground of the head
land what her sisters waited for had evi
IDENTIFY no strong hold on her thoughts. AT
iASI Sne Struck IN Win THIS.
Ye'll be utterly foolish. You girls. idling
here any longer for those lads" Her &C
cent bore the North Country lit and the
soft, sweet tones of the Manx people. do
you think they'll be leaving their fishing
for the"
His" commanded Meta.
The girls were all at play, in q sense, but
it was play with a serious vein in it to
Meta.
"Eh2-I am full of respect p and wild
Nessie threw out her arms and made gay,
bowing reverence in circling fashion to
the hills and the green mountains but
the boys are not so. and I'm thinking
they'd only be hindering US if they were
here"
And they promised. too; and if they
break their promise well be free from ours,
! say. Do come; well be awfully late,
and there's a lot to do"
Then they walked on bit faster. Nessie
was oct of sight, but yet they were closely
following on her steps. So many turns
and bends and shoulders there are TO these
Manx headlands that one may be easily
out of sight
A shout burst forth into the still summer
cir and the next moment Nessie, with
waving arms and with yellow hair flying
As the light wind caught her, was seen on
the tOpmost bit of green.
" Boat ahoyW and her arms gesticulated
There was boat sEimming across the bay
Peel Bay One unbonneted head was in
the stern Of the round, deep boat; it be-
longed to @ fisher lad, who was the work
ing chum of three scarlet-capped youths
One Of these last was Qualtrough. a cousin
Of the girls; the others were his friends
lads who, year or two back. had been
with him at King Williams College at
Castletown, but who, being English were
only in Man for summer jaunt now.
And now it had been for the delectation
of these same young Englishmen that the
doings Of that midsummer eve were being
made 30 much of.
"Do they mean to land or not?" asked
Kate.
Undoubtedly" was Meta's decisive
word. "Do they not know it is for them
we are making this delay"
= In very short time the boat was out of
sight, which means that she was well I'M
der the beadland and landing her crew in
White Strand Cove. Some few moments
more and three young men in boating fan
nels, and each with a rough pea-jacket
atop, appeared from clsmbering up the
face OF the headland. Then the party
went on more swiftly.
First on TO and across the white sunlit
roadway, then down an opposite lane,
rough and stony and INTENDED. This lane
finally lost itself on furry common, where
short, sweet. NOISY grass was patched irreg-
ularly by savagery of gorse, and furZe,
and strong, waving bracken. Meta, walk
ing apart, pulled the bracken; Kate and
Nessie, with energy of more laxative and
less solitary humor babe the young men
bring out their knives and slash away
NOISY branches Of gorse and furZP.
Where is all this to go now?" asked
Doyle Philipson, the elder of the two Eng
lish brothers. " Is this common the haunt
of-of-the enemy?" A twinkle lighted
IN a Would-be grave face"
"Oh, don'tr' Metals exclamation was
instructive.
"Therer' cried the Manxman of the
party. Take Meta's horror for your key
note, Philipson. or you'll be setting us all
in danger OF the evil influences Of the
hour"
"Eh. WilGer and Nessie flung her Wig
orous small self against her cousin, herself
armed With huge bundle of prickly furze.
ven DO the worst of The three. You
ought to know better
blessed ere the immuuities of igno-
rance - the youth exclaimed.
" / do not say that at all, quickly young
Philipsau replied. " | wish to know
wish to"
" Meta will tell you then
The girl was still in her silent humor-
perhaps q dangerous humCr for nature
lust g degree prone to mysticise over things.
These were men from the outer world,
the brave outer world of which she
dreamed; the faithless outer world which
she knew ridiculed any ancient fantasy of
custom. Should she be silent, or should
she be brave and show that she was not too
weak to acknowledge her weakness? One
second she had for hesitation, but no more.
viii you"-csme the question point
rdly put TO her" lay your commands upon
me, Miss Qualtrough. and tell me while
obey p How light and yet how true did
he look as his clear-browed eyes met hers.
Meta flushed with pleasure. Was there
really sensible man going to listen to her
old wives fables. and listen with respect
The delight of this flashed through her
and made the delicate Manx face of the
girl radiant Manx feminine beauty has
not had much eulogy, very likely; but,
where will you find more delicate features,
brighter intelligence, and purer expression
than in the faces Of the girls of Man
Meta Qualrough was a picture, with all
the loneliness of those island women.
you mean it2'' was her cry, and her
face was full of enthusiasm. Her blue
eyes took Ere of brilliancy, and the clear
delicate pink of her complexion, height
ened its color with one quick flush, gone
as soon as il was seen.
Assuredly mean it. Ignorance has no
charms for me as it has for your cousin
there. But do not promise faith, mind
you"
A shadow fell over Metals radiance.
A very quick-eyed young man was this.
He saw it, and read, too, in his kindly,
sympathetic soul the measure of her
troubles So reading, he at once set him.
self to gladden. her again. He was think
ing what lovely study her radiance would
make for some girl saint of Middle Age
religion.
Every one has chink in his armor,
YOU know and. though / am matter-of-
fact personifed, you may-just may he
smiled, find me vulnerable somewhere"
The rest were ahead, every one of them
laden with green or sun-dried stuff for the
burning. These two gathered up their bur-
denS aud followed, talking all the way.
From the eorsy common the track was
homeward for the girls, and they crossed a
meadow, stopping at its further side by a
brook, where grew elumps OF golden marsh
marjrolds. They were wanted as much as
the dry stuff. but not for burning.
Thought not" said Edgar, the younger
of the Pbiipsons. They're far too pretty.
You ba7e some in bowl at your house.
They come far before the lilies of the Lon