Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-25

the door unlocked. This morning, when she
woke, it was to find that MisslBeatrice had
not slept in the house that night, and she
came out to see ii she could find ner.
"Where was she going when she went
out?" Geofrey asked.
She did not know, but she thought that
Miss Beatrice was going out in the canoe.
Leastways she had put on her tennis shoes,
which she always wore when she went out
boating.
Geoffrey understood it all now. "Come
to the boat house." he said.
They went down to the beach, where as
yet nobody was about except few working
people, Near the boat house Geoffrey met
old Edward walking along with key in his
hand.
Lord, sirl" he said. You here, sirl
and in that there queer hat, too. What is
it, sir?"
'"Did Miss Beatrice 90 out in her canoe
yesterday evening, Edward?" Geofrey asked
hoarsely.
mo, sir; not as I know OF. My boy
locked up the boat house last night, and I
suppose he looked in it first. What You
don't mean to say Stop; Wen soon know.
Oh, Goad the canoes goneP'
There was q silence, an awful silence.
Old Edward broke it.
"She's drowned, sir-that's what she is
drowned at last; and she the finest woman
in Wales. I knewed she would be one day,
poor dearl and she the beauty that she was;
and all along OF that id unlucky little
craft. Goad help her Shes drowned, ]
say
Betty burst out into loud weeping at his
words
'Stop that noise, GIRL" said Geofrey,
turning his pale face toward her. go
back to the Vicarage, and if Mr.. Granger
comes home before I get back tell him what
we fear. Edward, send some men to search
the shore toward Coed and some more in a
sailing boat. will walk toward the Bell
Rock-you can follow mer'
He started, and swiftly tramped along the
sands searching the sea with his ewes. On
he walked sullenly, desperately, striving to
hope against hope. On, past the
Dock Rocks, round the long curve of beach,
till he came to the Amphitheater. The
tide was high again; he could barely pass
the projecting point. He was round it, and
his heart stood still. For there, bottom
upward, and gently swaying to and fro
as the spent waves rocked it. was Beatrice's s
canoe.
Sadly, hopelessly, heavily, Geofrey
waded knee-deep into the water, and catch
ing the bow of the canoe. dragged it ashore
There was. or appeared to be, nothing in it,;
of course he could not expect anything else
It's occupant had sunk and been carried out
to sea by the ebb, whereas the canoe had
drifted back to shore with the morning
tide.
He reared it upon its end to let the water
drain out of it, and from the hollow of the
bow arch something came rolling down,
something bright and heavy, followed by a
brown object. Hastily he lowered the canoe
again. and picked up the bright trinket. 1t
was his own ring-the Roman ring he had
given Beatrice. and when she told him in
the letter she would wear in the hour of
death. He touched it with his lips and
placed it back upon his hand, this token
from the beloved dead, vowing that it should
never leave his hand in life, and that after
death it should be buried on him. And 50
it will e, perhaps, to be dug up again thou
sands of years hence, and once more play
part in the romance of unborn ages.
Ave atque vale-that was the inscription
rudely cut within its round. Greeting and
farewell-her own last words to him. Oh,
Beatrice. Beatricel to you also ave atque
vale. You could not have sent a filter mes
sage. Greeting and FAREWELL Did it not
sum it all? Within the circle of this little
ring was written the epitome OF human life;
here was the beginning and the end of Love
aud Hatred, Of Hope and Fear, of Joy and
Sorrow.
Beatrice. haill Beatrice FAREWELL till per-