The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1889-03-01

He has seen you grow up into a
beautiful woman and he has meant
to have youfor a wife. But, my girl,
you have your grandfather's spirit.
Better that we should beg from door
to door than that you should con-
sent to his wishes"
Thegiri shuddered.
Il could not do it. grandfather,
even for your sake. 1t would be q
living death to me. can work my
fingers to the bone, butte be tied to
that man would be horrible"
You shall not my child. | would
not have you comply with his wishes
for what little of life that isleftto me.
Still | can't help thinking and speak
of it sometimes, and when there is
such anight as this, the impulse to
do sois more than | can understand,
but we will say no more about it to-
night. Let us try and talk of some
thing more cheerful"
And then Nellie, humoring his
whim, did her best to lead his
thoughts in another direction. 1t
was a hard task, as the freight
showed when it Illuminated her face;
but the old man did not see the look
of pain thereon and how bravely she
bore up trying to carry the burden
that had been imposed upon her
young shoulders.
The hour for retiring came at last,
and after she had seer him comfort
ably tucked up for the night, she went
into her own room. But it was a
long time before sleep came to her
eyes. The house again and again
shook beneath the fury of the blast
as though it meant to level it to the
earth. But it was not this nor the
roar of the ocean that kept her
awake. 1t was the thought of her
grandfather, and whatshe was to do
when Simon Grover turned them out
from beneath the roof that had shell
tered her ever since her eyes had first
seen the light of day.
But at last she slept, and when she
awoke, the low, slanting rays of the
sun, as it arose from it's ocean bed,
shone in through the window. The
storm had ended during the night,
and the only sound thatmethe her ears
was the still angry roar of the ocean
as it dashed upon the jagged coast
as if loath to give up the assault it
had so iercely made upon it.
She gave a weary sigh as she
thought of the long day before her,
and the future that stretched out SO
blank and dreary before her. Then
she arose and dressed herself, for she
heard her grandfather in the outer
apartment. Soon after she joined
him with a smile upon her face, aud
she was glad to perceive that his
Respondent mood of the night before
had disappeared.
About ten O'Clock that forenoon as
her grandfather was sitting outside
the door he called to her.
"What is it?" she said, coming out
to the spot where he vas seated.
''There is a man coming up the
road yonder. Can you tell me who
it is? Your eyes are sharper than
mime"
THAT is Simon Grover, grand
father"
THAT is who 1 thought it was. He
is coming, to harass me again to-day.
Oh, the viper. How [ wish that l
could crush him beneath my foot.
But alas, it is he who can do the
grinding now"
"Let him do his worst, grandfath-
err. We know what that is and we
can meet it. l don't want to see or
speak to the villain again. SO if you
are willing will 90 down to the
beach and wait until he has gone. I
can 60 down back of the house and
he won't see me ifIgo at once. From
where he issnow his view is cut off"
$50 at once, Nellie. 1t is enough
for one of us to have to see him."
Il will be back as soon as he is
gone, grandfather. I shall know
when he goes, as | can see the road
from where l shall be among the
rocks"
With these words and a kisson the
old mans cheek, she ran through
the house and out of the real door
and took her way to the rocks with
the speed of deer.
Once arrived there, and concealed
among them, she cast a backward
| glance toward the house.
She saw that Simon Grover hadar-
rived there and was standing beside
her grandfather. She suspected that
high words might be even then pass
ing between them, and she felt thank
full that she was not there to hear
them. Her grandfather, she knew,
was amply able to make reply to the
man she so detested, and there was
little need of her being there to help
him.
She took a seat on allow rock a lit
tile back from the waters edge and
gazed out on the troubled waters of
the great deep, which had not yet re-
covered from its encounter with its
old enemy the wind The waves
came rushing in as they had done the
previous day but they were not SO
large and violent as they had been,
for now, between the rocks and the
farthest point Of their advance, there
was a narrow strip of white sand
which lay drying in the suns rays.
From the wide ocean before her,
her gaze came back to this little strip
OF sand, and. half imbedded in it, she
saw an object which at once riyeted
her attention.
1t looked like a small wooden box,
almost stained black by the water,
and bound about by a couple of
rusty iron bands.
Evidently it had been thrown up
from tho bod of tho onoan hU tho