San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1889-09-19

Tho girl stood silent . moment; the
putting tho question with forced laugh
| "How far are you going, Harryr sh
said. "When do you expect TO com
backY'
"Thc Black Dragons bound aroun,
tho world. I believe, he responded, "ant
as 10 coming blackwell, Il will be year
before l eco the Headlands again,
guess."
Then q sudden light blassd up In hi
eyes.
"Shall you miss mo when Tn gone, d.
you think. Syrian he asked.
A swift rose color bloomed In her fall
cheeks. and her eyes overAowed with
tears
"Harry," she said, her voice swec
with unspokcn tenderness, "rm super
stitious. you know. Iwsnt you TO tax,
this with you," unolasping q slender gold
chain from her neck. ~ always had .
fancy that this little trinket possessed
some hidden charm. Put II on your
neck. please. and II you ever are left Il
the mercy Of the wild waves, II will sav'
you, may be. as II did mo-"
At moonrise everything was ready
and with his knapsack strapped aoros'
his shoulders, Harry stood In the door
way.
"Good-by. fathcrl" his voice husky.
"Good.by, Harry. Make . man o
yourself before you cast anchor again"
"Ay, ay, fatherl''
Then he broke down, and pulling hi
cap over his eyes strode away without
another word.
One after another the seasons followed
each other. The gray moss on the old
farmhouse roof grew larger and thicker
the old captain was getting rheumatic
and dozed away the afternoons In the
chimney corner, and Aunt Sarah wa,
losing something Of her old bustling 40
tivity.
Beautiful Syriai The promise Of heI
girlhood was being developed into glori-
GUS maturity. But she might have beer
q pearl, as they called her, in her 10y
seclusiveness, for all the human feeling
she seemed to possess.
Every day the Black Dragon wa
looked for, and every evening brought 9
disappointment
At last, one golden afternoon, when
sunlight streamed In yellow bars over the
sanded floor, and Syria had looped back
the curtains with clusters Of scarlet ber-
ries and sprays Of wintergreen, and
ranged the golden pippins in long rows
on the mantle, In the very midst OF their
expectation the tidings came, brought
from the city by fisherman. The Black
Dragon, homeward bound, took fire just
under tho line, and every soul on board
perished. Harry would never come
homel
A silence more solemn than death fell
on the old farm house. Aunt Sarah sunk
beneath the blow into feeble second child
hood. and the old captain grew morose
and sullon. Syria alone bore the blow
bravely. Fair and white as pearl, she
moved about with sealed lips and solemn
eyes, taking all the heavy household
cares upon her slender shoulders and
working from dawn till twilight. Then.
when the hush Of night brooded over the
great sea, she took her sole recreation.
Gliding down to the beach, she would
Chamber to the top Of the rough bowlder
and sit for an hour looking out to sea,
with her poor eyes full Of piteous expec-
t'No," she said, II won't forget; he'll
come by and by; my little charm will
bring him-I will wait"
At last there came an afternoon black
with portentous omens.
81 never sec sich signs as these ut the
Headlands only once afore, and then we
had q gale that just shivered things
and we are going to have 1t again"
The old fisherman was correct; about
sunset It came, with laundering crack
and crash, as II the very heavens were
being rolled together.
"The guns have ceased" }" he said, put
ting on his oilcloth coat "The poor
ships gone. / am going down to the
shore to sec what the boys are doing"
"a bad night, cap'n," one Of them said
as be and Syria approached.
"Poor luck, captain-poor luck! We
tried putting out the boats, but It was no
go-the gale was too hard We picked
up only that chap. and he's done for"
Syria's eyes followed his pointing fn.
ger, and beheid stretched upon the wet
sand the figure Of man.
"He's not dead. father~ she cried.
There's warmth here-indeed there Isl
Let's take him up to the house and try
TO save him"
"Do as she bids you," said the old
man; and the men obeyed.
"'Tis he-your son Haxryi Don't you
see7 Will you waste your precious time'
Let us work and save himr she said.
And they did. By and by o faint
warmth dffused Itself over his body; o
dim red shone In his pale cheeks, and he
murmured, just above bis breath;
"Syriai Syriai am comingi"
Syria heard him, and without q word
or q sigh dropped in dead faint at his
very feet.
In few days he entirely recovered
and related his adventures. He had
made his fortune and was coming homo
to stay. and no one was more happy than
Syria
But three weeks after there was .
grand wedding at the old farmhouse
Capt Harry Melville received for his
bride Syria, the founding. the beautiful
belle Of the ocean" and their cup was
full -waverisy Magazine
Distributing his FarOrs.
Puek)
Young Mrs. Green-Hsnry, dear