Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-01-12
THE ROCK BESIDE TIE SEA.


make yourself, Jack. But therein mo-
going to quarrel with you. How much
longer are you going to keep me up tC
abuse me?" and Ruby laughed aloud il
her usual saucy, tantalizing manner. Jack
looked at her, his face as black as thun
er cloud, on which was written stern
determination; but she was in 10 way APP.
palled 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" he began Miss How
ard" she mimicked mockingly; "since
when, pray? How tremendously we grow.
to be sure"
He resumed, as if she had not inter
rupted him: 81 will not detain YOU but a
moment longer. While | am convinced
that, at the present time, you are per-
fectly heartless, owing more to the I'M
happy way of your bringing up and to the
influence and fashion of society than to
natural hardness of heart "Oh. thanks.
thanks awfully, you are too good" she
broke in again, laughingly. 1t was all as
good as burlesque to her, accustomed as
she was to lovers rantipgs. Il am as
firmly convinced" he went on, in so calm
tone that it should have warned her
that this meant more than ordinary tiff !;
that you love me but, with your natural
perverseness, will neither acknowledge it
to yourself nor me"
As he said this-with an air of a Judge
pronouncing sentence on some unhappy
-,
face with the sternest gaze they were eapa-
BILE of-in spite of herself the bloom on her
soft, round cheek deepened to bright red
and for an instant her saucy, hooking eyes
fell before his. A transient smile passed
over his gloomy face at this evidence of
his power, and left it even gloonier than
before. As he regarded the lovely, half
shy face before him he commenced again
bitterly; And why will you not yield to
that love and make US both happy? l
will tell you. You do not wish to be tied
to me; to receive the love and homage of
one is not to your taste. Oh, no {; not for
years to come. If / would wait patiently
and in the meantime be always ready to
dance attendance on all your whims not
noticing any one else, and always keeping
In the background when a desirable flirta-
ton came up, then, perhaps, if you didn't
meet some one you preferred to me, after
keeping me in suspense all that time, you
might graciously condescend to marry me-
But>f decline to become the slave of any
woman; and, as much as l love you am
going to leave you forever"
"Ha, hap and her sweet, low laugh
rang out like chime of silvery bells
The plot thickens. Please go on; it is
as lovely as play"
al 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 l say and will
regret me, even as | regret you now-but
no more. I've already said too much
more than intended good by" and with
deep bow he turned and left
"Well, of all thingsm she murmured
Forever! Fudge. I'll see him to-mor-
row on the promenade the same as usual
He is delicious. l do like him the best
when he asserts himself He is grand
when he gets enraged. He looks so stern
and glares so, and isso unapproachable that
| am almost afraid of him-the darling.
If | don't look out he will end in making
me marry him before the season Is over.
OF course / shan't marry any one else, but
Pm not going to hurry myself there's
plenty time" After which sage conclu-
sion she went up to her room in gay spirits,
thinking of the good time she would have
in making up with Jack as she had done a
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
cd &c han ID
and every place that she had graced with
her bright presence. At last, making a
few inquiries she found that Jack was out
somewhere on the broad ocean on his way
to China to join his brother, a tea mer-
chant, and was likely to be absent a term
of years.
Although outwardly Ruby managed to
conceal the shock she had received, she
could not conceal from her own heart
that something had gone from her that
she missed and longed for with an indie
scribable longing and wild regret. II
was all the more maddening that oneno
was to blame for her sorrow but herself.
The old places had lost their charm.
Everything and everybody was insipid,
fiat and monotonous. All if he would
only return, how gladly would she ac-
knowledge her love, and how gladly
would she marry him at the earliest date
he might mention. Had she known his
address at that time she would have
written to tell him of her love and peni.
tence.
Four years after Jack had gone Ruby
was at fashionable watering place. She
was still the belle of every assemblage
Her indifference and 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 q
touch of soul to face that had hitherto
fore sparkled with wit, and glowed with
gayety and high spirits, but had lacked
feeling. Now it was perfect. If Jack
could only see her now
One day she was taking her morning
stroll, and feeling an unaccountable de-
preston of spirits. Her great eyes were
wearing their most absent look, and as
they wandered over the crowd, that was
ever coming and going, she started VIC
lently, and her delicate high-bred face
turned as white as the filmy lace at hel
throat. She fixed an absorbed gaze on 1
vehicle that was slowly passing The oc
cupants were broad-shouldered grand
looking man dressed in gray. His shapely
head was crowned with white straw
hat, pair of large, dis6guring spectacle.
of colored glass completely hid his eyes
his firm mouth was shaded with Ions
brown moustache, and between his lip
was the inevitable cigar. No whisker
hid his firm chin and fne-rounded throat
A footman at his side was driving spar
of spirited blacks. In an instant the equi
page was hidden by the crowd, but Ruby
eyes would have known that face, tina
form, if it had been far more feetin,
glimpse. She drew a long breath, and b,