Evening journal., 1889-02-25
THE ROCK BY THE SEA.

| now aDSQrGiy diflgfeenDlc you can MAX
yourself, Jack. But thera-I'm not going {,
quarrel with you. How much longer are yol
| going to keep me up to abuse mef and Rub,
laughed aloud in her usual saucy, tantaliging
manner Jack looked at her, his face as blacl
as thunder cloud, on which was WRITER
a stern determination, butsshe was in no wa,
appalled, by IT, On the contrary, she looked
at him gayly and carelessly, as If she were
perfectly Indifferent to him or his moods.
Miss Howard be began, Miss How.
ard, she mimicked mockingly; ''since when,
prayl How eeremonious we grow, to bs
STREE
He resumed, as If she had not interrupted
him; Il win not detain you but a moment
longer. While am convinced that at the
present time you are perfectly heartless,
owing more to tho unhappy way Of your
bringing up and TO tho influences and fash
ions Of society than 10 natural hardness Of
heartn- "Ohl thanks, thanks awfully,
you ere too good, she broke in again, laugh
ingly. II was all as good as a burlesque to
her. accustomed as she was to lovers rant
ings II am as firmly convinced he went
on, in so calm a tone that it should have
warned her that this meant more than an or
binary tiff; that you love me- but, with
your natural perverseness, win neither ac-
knowledge it to yourself nor me-"
As he said this-with an air of a Judge
pronouncing sentence on some unhappy pris-
oner-with his gray eyes fixed on her face
with the sternest gaze they were capable Of
in spite Of herself the bloom on her soft,
round cheek deepened TO bright red, and
for an instant her saucy, moclzing eyes fell
before his A transient smile passed over his
| gloomy face at this evidence OF his power and
left it even gloomier than before As be re-
garded the lovely, half shy face before him
he commenced again bitterly. "And why
viii you not yield to that love and make us
both happyi win tell you. You do not
wish to be tied to one; to receive the love and
homage Of one is not to your taste. Oh, no;
not for years to come. II would wait pa
tiently, and in the meantime bealways ready
to dance attendance on your whims, not no
ticing any one else, and always keeping in
the background when desirable Irritation
came up, then, perhaps, il you didn't meet
some one you preferred to me, after keeping
me in suspense all that time, you might gra-
ciously condeseend to marry me- But de-
cline to become the slave OF any woman;
and, as much as love you, / am going to
leave you forever
'Ha, hal" and her sweet, low laugh rang
out like chime of silvery bells 1.-THE plot
thickens. Ple..se so on; it is as lovely as
play"
II know and feel" said Jack, earnestly,
that we are especially suited to each other,
and believe that in time you will realize the
truth of what say and will regret me, even
as regret you now-but no more. I've al
ready said too much-more than intended.
Good-by," and with deep bow he turned
and left.
"Well, of all thingsl" she murmured.
"Foreverl Fudge. I'll see him tomorrow
on the promenade the same as usual He is
delicious do like him the best when he as
serts himself. He is grand when he gets en-
ragged. He looks so stern and glares so, and
is SO unapproachable that am almost afraid
Of him-the darling. If Idont look out he
will end in making me marry him before the
season is over. OF course shan't marry
any one else, but I'm not going to hurry my
self; there's plenty timen After which sage
conclusion she went up to her room in CAV
spirits, thinking Of the good time she would
have in making up with Jack as she had done
number Of times before
The next day Miss Ruby failed to meet
Jack as usual In fact week passed, and in
all that time he had not called. She had
missed his presence from ball and opera and
every place that she had graced with her
bright presence. At last, making a few in
quiries, she found that Jack was out some
where on the broad ocean on his wav TO
China to join his brother, tea merchant,
and was likely to be absent term Of years.
Although outwardly Ruby managed to
conceal tho shock she hud received, she could
not conceal from her own heart that some
thing had gone from her that she missed and
longed for with an indescribable longing and
a wild regret 1t was all the more madden
ing chat no one was to blame for her sorrow
but herself. The old places had lost their
charm. Everything end everybody was in
sipid, hat and monotonous. Ali if he would
N---J NNNt+A NV EAAtNtAJ NNAAA HAt ANkllQWA-
edge her love, and how gladly would she
marry him at the earliest date he might mem
tion. Had she known his address at that
time she would have written to tell him Of
her love and penitence
-Four years after Jack had gone Ruby was
at fashionable watering place She was
still the belle of every assemblage. Her in
difference ard utter carelessness, combined
with her rare beauty, brought her scores Of
admirers, whom she drove almost mad with
her GOODNESS She was still as lovely as ever.
but in her big, brown eyes there was a shade
Of sadness, and slightly absent look which
gave touch of soul to a face that had here
tofore sparkled with wit and glowed with
gayety and high spirits, but had lacked feel
ing. Now it was perfect II Jack could
only see her now
One day she was taking her morning stroll,
and feeling an unaccountable depression Of
spirits HcT great esSs were uearing their