Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-07-22

dunes, on sho other by blue sea flecked
with ever. changeful white-crested waves,
and far above the blue sky bent over all.
What could there be that was not exqui-
sitely delightful about this unless it were
sense of almost painful solitudeP This
time, however. Nancy had book with
her, and when she had provided for
little Jasper by piling mp q great sand
castle on which he could stand IN
triumph she sat down to read. Jasper
was in general way delightfully."- self
contained child, with stores OF amusc-
ment within himself. To-day, perhaps
because he had been crossed IN his de-
sire to go TO "those nice rocks, he was,
in Marlborough parlance. not quite $50
good to do with" For some time, how
ever, be did stand in triumph on his
lofty castle then he hunted for shells {;
then he assembled to his castle again !;
and then he began to wish the tide
would be quick and come up to it; and
so he went on for more than two hours,
with interludes Of appealing to Nancy
to "get up and make that tide come
quicker" :,
At last. after brief lull, she heard
him cry, "Arfy Airy J come here, /
say " Nancy heard great deal about
ali the inmates of the castle from her
sister, and was quite sure that Arfy must
be Mr. Prendergast's nephew, Mr.. Ar
thur Carey, but fancied that he had gone
with the rest OF the party to Chilling
ham.
"Get him to come here, Nancy" vo-
ciferated Jasper, or else get tho tide
up"
lis Mr.. Carey there?" she asked.
"Yes, sitting under a great white UNI
pally. He doesn't hear me telling him
to come" In spite Of that Jasper still
stood on his sand castle calling and
waving a spade with white pocket
handkerchief tied TO it. "Come here,
Nancy, if you don't see him." he ,aid.
Nancy saw nothing, and wanted to see
nothing. She thought she was tired,
but in reality she was n littlo disappolnt-
ed because her sister and the Prender-
casts and every one else had gone to a
picnic and she would have liked TO go,
too. She began to read once more, but
suddenly she heard Jaspers tlresomo
little voice again, and this time it seemed
TO como from a distance. She instantly
sprang up in alarm, and found that he
had run away to his friend "Arfy, who
actually had not gone to Chillingham.
but was sitting under large white UNI
brela ever so far Off on the dune above.
lie was staring straight before him ut the
castle, shading his eyes with one hand
so as better to see the beauty OF earth
and sea and sky, and was apparently
quite unaware that little Jasper was on
his wav to him. What rough path for
the boy ! She saw him scrambllng up,
plunging down, and frequently rolling
/ backward on the soft sand. Then he
was up on his poor little legs again, and
once more struggling onward, but a
great part OF his mischances were seen
10y her while she was pursuing him, for
she lost no time in giving chase.
The hills inst there were not pleasant
TO climb, being sandy dunes bristling
with long coarse grass called bents. For
every three steps she advanced she slid
back two. The boy had such good
start that be reached Mr.. Carey before
she could catch him, and then stood
still, too much delighted with his
achievement to think Of his bleeding
legs.
The ascent WIS costing Nancy an effort,
| too, and well was it for her that she was
50 much stronger.
She could not help being mortified at
the indifference with which Mr.. Carey
seemed to regard her difficulties. Jas
per had said something to him about
her. she was sure, for he half turned to
see which way she was coming but
! after one glance he had reverted to his
picture. As a woman she was nothing,
though doubtless if he had but known
that she was lady lie would long
ere this have FASTENED to give her
helping hand up this sliding bank
which seemed to grudge her every bit
of foothold. He was working as busliy
as ever, while she was pulling herself
ND by the bents, and sliding down with
the sand almost under his eyes. if he
would but have looked at her. He had
a smile on his face, but beyond that
was giving no attention to the boy
either his picture-she was sure it was
a bad one-occupied his whole mind.
Did all artists like looking at skies and
castles better than at girls whom some
people had been known 10 consider far
from plain ? She asked herself that as she
stopped for moment to take breath
only moment-and then she once more
hurried onward. But when she had
scaled tho last height what did that avail
her? for she dared not go near Mr..
Carey and the boy so she sat down on
sandy knoll about twenty yards of.
hoping that Jasper would soon tire OF
standing by man who would not speak
to him and come to her and let her 80
home.
She sat five minutes and then she ven
tured to look at Mr.. Carey He was
man OF thirty or thereabout. resolute-
looking, kindly, and handsome. His
ewes were keener than any she had ever
seen. What was he like to talk to, sho
wondered? How engrosscd he seemed to
be with his work She was sure it was
getting late, and forced herself to call
Jasper.
~ am not coming TO you " cried JAS
per, embroidered by the fact that he was
standing 10y brother man.
Jasper. you must come, she said i'm
perativcly; ait is time to &c"
This time Jasper took no notice OF her
at all, but Mr.. Carey said something to
him which she could not hear. He an
swered it by finging himself on the
ground, as il there, and there only, did
he intend to be.
81 ain afraid he is rather rebellious, "
observed Mr.. Carey, still scarcely raising
his eyes from his picture; but if you
don't object to waiting for quarter of
an hour l shall be done here then, and
he won't mind going"
The assumption that the child pre-
ferred him so much to her nettled Miss
Nancy, who exclaimed. with some irrita-
ton, 81 think you might make him 60
with me now. However, | don't mind