The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1889-08-07

my faculties were employed in hand-to-
hand encounter with the elements.
The wind seemed to take a malicious
pleasure in trying TO tangle me up in my
macintosh by driving the ilapping tails in
between my legs and by getting under
the cape and whirling it over my head
and about my ears in a most bewildering
fashion. Then, no sooner had reduced
the cape to con- niparAtive Submission than
a stronger gust than before lifted my hat
off my head and sent it spinning along
the road in front OF me.
/ | know no time when man looks
more thoroughly ridiculous than when
he is in pursuit Of ? ruaaway hat With
that fiendish delight it waits until yon
have actually steoped to pick it up, and
then how aggrasaiingly it bounds and
skins along for few more PAGES. only
to repeat The same process, until some
kindly eddy carries il into corner from
which it cannot escape.
| No less than three times did the wind
play me this nasty trick, and at last, in
desperation drew out my silk handker-
chief and tied it securely over the refrac-
tory head-gear and under my chin, pain
fully conscious of what my appearance
must be, and desontly thankful that by
no possibility could Celia see Inc from
the villa winaows. With such get-up
dignity was incompatible, and / had
come to the conclusion that mixture Of
dignity and injured innocence was the
most fitting attitude for me to adopt to-
wards her.
was now able TO look about with toll
cradle comfort. ! VAS going up a slight
incline in the road. On each side Of me
were the varying, undulating downs, but
certainly the road was considerably mar
rower than that upon which ! had set
out to walk upon leaving the ayil-
iage and the telegraph poles, which
had then noticed, were now cohspicuous
by their absence. / was puzzled to ac-
count for this at inst, but then remem-
bering the ehases after my hat, came to
the conclusion that in the excitement Of
one Of them must have strayed of the
main road on to a side one.
WAS all the better pleased was sure
10 meet some ope. or 10 pass some cottage
where could ask my way home, and, in
the meantime, the uncertainty as to my
whereabouts gave just that element Of
interest TO my walk that had been want
ing before.
Altogether, / felt in better spirits.
had walked off my bad temper to a reat
extent. and begun to think that perhaps,
after all, ! had been a trine unreasona-
bic and rude to Celia. a feeling ofire-
morse at having LEFT her all alone in 1he
stupid little villa took possession of me,
and / would have turned straight back
by the way had come to seek for rec
onciliation, if a sudden bent of the road
had not brought me unexpectedly in
view of the sea.
HluSt nave DcCu hdthiiis III SOmc-
thing of a ring, and also must have been
gradually ascending since left the vii
lage, for now found myself on the top
of one ofthe cliffs overlooking the sands.
The road here took sudden dip, and
apparently led down TO the shore by
series of rather steep zigzags.
1t would now, it seemed to me, be
much shorter to make my way home by
the shore. At any rate there WAS a cot
tage little way down the hill, and
could find out there which was my best
way to get back to St. Bridgets.
was pleased tosee, as looked around,
that on all sides there were the signs ofa
clear up on the part of the weather The
wind seemed to have gone round to some
more favorable point, for though still
blowing hard, it did not now bring with
it the driving showers Of rain. The clouds
out TO windward were slifiing, and there
was even every now and then watery
CLEAN of sunshine. The fresh salt smell
OF the seageed, which was wa fled up to
me where | was standing, was invigorat-
in. and the occasional scream of a sea-
gull as it dipped up and down on an in
coming wave had peculiar charm of its
own which could not help being con-
scious Of
Hurried down 10 The little cottage.
The door was ajar. knocked, but no an
swer. Sol pushed it upon and saw seated
before the lire an old. woman, who APP
parenily did not hear my entrance, for
she went on with her kitting without ev-
en- turning her head.
Good evening ma'am,' said.
Still no sign that she heard me.
walked over to her and gently touched
her arm. She started rounl then,
and her bUl of. wois,ed jumped off her
lap and rolled on the floor. l picked it
up former.
"Can you tell me which is the nearest
way to. ST. Bridgets?" asked.
"Eh ?" sheansxered, putting her hand
to her ear.
Which is the shortest way to st.
Bridgets? " l reiterated loundly.
Aye. thee must speak louder if thee
wants me to hear. I'm an old 'ooman-
ninety-one come Michelmas-and I'm
deaf these twenty years and more. Nay
Nay as / made another equally fruit
less attempt to make myself heard " if
there's aught thee wants to know>t >thee'd
best 20 down the shore. Bill, he's there
and a fine lad he is, though / say it as
shouldn't, being his mother. I'm an old
'ooman, ! am-ninety-one come Mich
;clmas and"
did not wait for further "reminiscences.
saw it was hopeless to elicit further in
formation from her. ard set Off TO the
shore, trusting TO find "Bill" and to
get mere lucid directions from him as to
my best way home.
had not walked far along the sand
when came upon the fine lad, gray
haired man of about fifty, who was at
work repairing boat that was hauled up
on the shore.
Whereabouts isSt Bridgets, and can
you kindly tell me the best way to get TO
it / asked him.
He stopped in his work and looked up
at me from under the brim of his SOU
wester"