Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1891-11-11

ever are left to the mercy of the wild
waves, it will save you, maybe, as it
did me-"
Harry smiled little at this silly
notion, but his face glowed with de-
light as he bent his head and suffered
her to transfer the dainty little thing
from her own neck to his; for he
knew that it was her sole treasure
priced above all things else, yet she
gave it to him.
| CHOW, she continued proudly, as the
little jewelled locket, upon which her
name was engraved, sparkled on his
bosom, "you will have to come back,
I anyway. / am to have this back again.
you know"
''You shall, Syria, God willingl' he
answered solemnly.
every well. Come, now; supper
will be spoiled and Aunt Sarah ready
to scold."
He continued to hold her hand, and,
side by side, they walked to the house
The captain and his wife were in the
doorway, ready to chide them for their
tardiness; but single glance silenced
them.
$50 you have made up your mind
at last, Harry" the old man said.
'Yes, father"
"When do you sail?" O.
''At daybreak."
The meSher heard no more. Turn.
ing back into the old sitting-room,
with its happy fireside and cheerful
=UDper table. she Went to work po"'-
Ing away the warm trousers and the
heavy socks, now cramming in bum
die of cakes or a twist of homemade
candy, her eyes all the while blinded
with falling tears.
AT moonrise everything was ready,
and with his knapsack strapped across
his shoulders, Harry stood in the door
way.
"Good-by, father!' his voice husky.
"Good-by, Harry. Make a man o.
yourself before you cast anchor again. D"
GAY, ay, father!"
Then he broke down, and, pulling
his cap over his eyes, strobe away
without another word.
AT the first reddening of the dawn,
| the Black Dragon sailed; and strain
ing her blue eyes in the uncertain
light, to catch a glimpse of the spread
ing sails, Syria caught faint echo,
Harry's voice, borne back on the morn
ing breeze as he stood on deck, singing
his old sea song.
Autumn faded into winter; SHOWS
fell, whitening all the solemn beach,
and crowning the little hillocks round
the old farmhouse. Spring followed
with balmy winds and genial skies,
and summer and winter again. One
after another the seasons followed
each other. The gray moss on the old
farmhouse roof grew larger and thick
er; the old captain was getting rheu-
matte and dozed away the afternoons
in the chimney corner, and Aunt Sarah
was losing something of her old bust
ling activity, and gradually suffering
the long thread of household cares to
slip through her fingers into Syria's
hands.
Beautiful Syria! The promise of
her girlhood was being developed into
glorious maturity. But she might
have been pearl, as they called her,
in her icy seclusiveness, for all the
human feeling she seemed to possess.
One by one the Headland boys came
to the farmhouse, to pay their homage
to.its lovely mistress; and one by one
they dropped off. Syria was not to be
won. So cold, quiet and unapprOach'
able was her manner that "as cold as
the belle of the ocean" came to be q
proverb among them.
In the meantime the days rolled on,
bringing the third autumn, and with 1t
happy tidings. The Black Dragon
was homeward bound. Aunt Sarah
seemed to regain her lost youth as she
listened, and went back to her old post
and old labors. All through the gold
en- days they worked; cleansing and
adorning the old-fashioned rooms, and
heaping the cupboard shelves with
rows of golden pumpkin pies, and
platters full of crisp cream cakes. The
turkeys were all fatted and ready to
roast. Harry was fond of good living,
and he should have it, his mother
said, when he came. But why did he
not come? Every day the Black Drag
on was looked for, and every evening
brought disappointment.
At last one golScs afternoon, when
sunlight streamed in yellow bars over
the sanded floor, and Syria had looped
back the curtains with clusters of scar
let berries and sprays of wintergreen,
and ranged the golden pippins in long
rows on the mantel, in the very midst
of their expectations the tidings came,
brought from the city by fisherman.
The Black Dragon, homeward bound,
took fire just under the line, and every
soul on board perished. Harry would
never come home!
A silence more solemn than death
fell on the old farmhouse Aunt Sarah
sunk beneath the blow into feeble
second childhood; and the old captain