The Monitor. [volume] (Woodstown, N.J.) 1884-1892, 1888-09-07

the sea breeze, aad the tLirsnrss J;et
gathering. Ii was in this Wy sint, too,
where he had sat; but it. WITS il his
fathers days, and instead Of the o.i sea
dogs lookout there was only tie sum
mer-house.
There had been . garden party, and
Rhoda Mainwaring had just accepted IL
rose from his hand. lie had long loved
Rhoda as the sweetest, pretticst Gill in
all Ouseport, and he thought that he was
right in supposing thathe had made some
progress in her affections. He was then
a handsome, dashing lieutenant, much
sought for by all the mothers of the dis
trict. He was the very soul of every
mpa in which he found himself; he
was dotted on by the fair sex, and the
model whom all the young fellows did
their best to initiate.
Rhoda took the rose from his hand with
so sweet a smile, that the brave, dashing
sailor at once suggested hat she should
take his hand too. Directly he had ut
tered the words, he discovered from the
young lady's expression of alarm, that he
had m~iscalculated his position. She had
at once declared she did not love him,
never could love him, and then, bursting
lubO IL llOOu VI tCdIS3 u VA HolooAoh otho
repentance, she had prayed him to forgive
her for thus misleading him.
"Alas! Mr.. Russell, l have only loved
you as my fathers benefactor and friend.
You saved him from bankruptcy and l
worshipped you for it, for l knew that
the disgrace would have killed himi Oh,
forgive me; never could love o as a
husbandl Youhavep preserved my father's
zxz .-.I IL, 1.C. IrA,4I,A 7 .-x o+a,
nally grateful to you; but, believe me,
any feeling of love, or feeling which may
have been mistaken by you for love, is
only gratitude-or, if it be love, then 1
can only describe it as that which a girl
may feel for her fathers brother-her
uncle!"
All these thoughts had returned to Cap
tain Russell's heart this evening, and he
h~adaltogether forgotten bis surroundings
time and space were not forhim in exist
ence.. Only once had he broken the
silence, and then it was to smack his leg
with his broad palm, and to exclaim:
"By Jovei she was right. She was only
nineteen and l was thirty-four. What
could such an old tar do with such a
young wife,"
And then his reverie had followed up
his life's course. He had gone to sea
again at the earliest possible date, and,
though he was a wealthy man, he had
stuck to it even after his fathers death.
by Jove! the girl was right. / am
nearly sixty now, but Indian climates
have made me feel like eighty. I'm worn
out, fit for n~othing-but my last yoyageF'
In this way were the old salts thoughts
drifting along, when he was aroused from
his dream, or ~reverie, by a scream from
the road.
Captain Russell was on his feet in a
moment. He went hurriedly to the wall
and looked over into the road. About a
hundred yards off he could see a young
girl struggling in the hands of a tramp.
The tramp was swearing and saying:
"Give me your watch and your money,
and be hanged to you! I'll cut your head
off if you make such a row., confound
your
"Help! Murder! Oh, don't hurt mel''
"Let that girl alone, you villain!"
shouted the captain. "Ill break every
bone in your body if l catch you"
The tramp, after making a savage but
unsuccessful wrench at his victims
watch pocket, threw her violently from
him on to the hard road and made his
escape.
The next minute Captain Russell had
arrived on the scene. The girl lay gasp
ing in the road.
He at once knelt down by the PROSTATE
form, and there seemed to be something
which particularly attracted him to her.
Her face was white and her eyes closed.
She was fainting: and as he raised her
head he at once noticed that her features
were not unpleasing.
Then, taking her in his arms, he
carried her-not without many groans-
to his lookout, where he placed her full
length upon a rug of lions skin.
The old captain went methodically to
work like the sailor that he was. He
poured a little water into his left hand
and Tipped it daintily into her face; he
bathed her forehead and propped up her
head with a cushion.
"Poor grill How beautiful she is-as
beautiful as Rhoda. But"
The girl opened her eyes as he spoke
blue eyes full of wonder.
"Ah, getting better2 That is a good
girl"
He poured out a glass of water and held
it to her lips.
''Thank you,' said she, as she took the
water. "Where I'M l? Where is man.
mar"
"Cheer up, my dear. Let me moisten
your lips with this"
"Oh, that is brandy I am all right
now. Give me your hand, please, sir"
Eyes, of course. Now sit in this easy
chair. When you have rested | will take
you home. Take a good rest, then Ill
conduct you home. 1t does a bluff old
sea-dog good to know he has been of some
use-indeed it does. But what is your
name, and where do you live-eh, my
dear?"
"Myname is Rhoda Scryvenour, and"
"Rhoda-Rhoda? What business had
they to call you Rhoda?"
Eyes, my name is Rhoda," she replied
with an amused laugh, why notf"
What did they call you Rhoda for"
"Why?. Because my mothers name is
Rhoda, of course. But who are you who
have been so good? May l not know
Mamma would like to come and thank
you"
ooh, don't; I've done ~nothingl Pm
only old Capt. Russell, of the East India
Company's ship T~ravancore."
Captain Russell?"
"Humphi She's heard Pm a bear"
He muttered these words as she re-
peated his name, for she had started, and
a troubled expression had come over her.
"Im so grateful to you, Captain Rus
sell. Will you allow me to go homer"
"Of course, if you are really better; only
you must accept my arm as an escort.
Come along, my dear"
Then taking his hat and a thick stick
he offered Rhoda his arm.
"Why do they allow you to be out SO
late? 1t is dangerous"
II have been over to Westleigh to see
an old friend who is not quite well.
| NFa,a,0o ILL tI;pl L. M, cfaviny I'll ninht