The Logan County banner. [volume] (Logan, W. Va.) 1889-1903, 1891-03-26


bead resting against thwart Taking
one Of the oars, sculIed the boat to
the shore. There several anxious per-
sons had gathered, and, Is We landed,
the young lady's father, breath,ess and
alarmed, came rushing down path
leading from the bluff above the beach.
He seized his daughter and gazed at her
with pitiful expression in his face.
He was soon convinced by me that she
was still alive. and had sustained no
serious injury, being only temporarily
safety, he turned to me and over
whelmed me with his manifestations Of
gratitude. He called me D noble fell
low, his daughters savior, etc. mod
estly replied, as heroes invariably do on
such occasions, that had only done
my duty. But he and the spectators
insisted that had performed very
brave act, and, to be frank with you, |
began to think was somebody, even II
did work for living ON . smack for
ten dollars q month and board.
THE next dey the father sought me
out and insisted that / should call on
his daughter. Meanwhile had ascer-
tanned that he was rich man, and that
he and his daughter had come to Block
Island on apleasure trip, the island be-
ing an interesting spot, inhabited by
quaint people, 80 that city nabobs sum-
mering at Newport often came to it for
short stay.
at is not to be wondered at that o
rough fellow like me, unused to society,
the owner Of only very plain clothes,
should be considerably perturbed by
such an invitation. But the old fellow
would not take no for an answer, and
helping out my own scanty wardrobe
with q little toggery, as we called 1t,
borrowed Of my shipmates, ! rugged
myself up enough, thought, to pass
muster. ! accompanied Mr.. Elliott,
that was his name, to the one large ho-
tel the island could then boast. There
was introduced to the daughter, Miss
Helen, who, save that her face was
rather pallid, looked as If nothing had
happened to disturb her. But o, what
disappointment awaited me! ! had
fondly imagined that was about to be-
come acquainted with beautiful girl;
for during the excitement Of the rescue
on the previous day had not noticed
how Miss Helen looked. Instead of sec
ing maiden most fair to gaze upon,
beheld one Of the most homely creatures
l had ever CHANGED to meet. She was
almost bald-headed, having only few
scanty locks Of hair, coarse and yellow
ish. She was fearfully freckled in the
face, had crooked nose, q coarse COM
plexion and muddy looking eyes Fur
thermore she was afflicted with bad
catarrh and had grating voice without
note Of music in it. was shocked,
and was quite sure, much to my NOR
tification, that she noticed that was
surprised and disguised. There were
only two redeeming things in her that I
could discern. She had trim figure
and good mind. In fact, she was cute
and shrewd, as you will discover before
l have finished my story.
"'Well, recovered myself as well
as could, and endeavored to be agree
able. l comforted myself with the
thought that I should see her no more
after the call; but to my great sur
prise, as was going away from the
hotel, old Mr.. Elliott waylaid me, and
in spite of my earnest protestations
against taking'a reward, made me ac-
cept an elegant gold watch. During
the conversation / ascertained that his
home was on the outskirts of Brooklyn,
N. Y, it being half country and half
city residence, so to speak. further
laor,a1 {la< ba xy;cbod 20 hiro mo 70
take care of his horses, attend to his
garden and act as a general assistant to
him during his declining years. sus-
pacted his design and saw that, ALTHOUGH
eccentric, he was shrewd one. Ne
knew that Helen was so homely that
her chance Of getting married was
scarcely one in ten Thousand, notwith-
standing she was an heiress; but Provi-
dence had ordained that should rescue
his daughter from a watery grave, and
being poor, he believed l would be
willing, in consideration of the money l
would obtain, to consent to a union
with that most unlovely specimen of
womanhood. Il was far from being a
willing victim, but what could do? 1t
would be ungrateful and brutal in me
to tell him my suspicious; and, finally,
not being able to offer any objections
that he, would listen to, / consented to
go with him, trusting that my conduct
toward his daughter would be SO re-
spectfully Indifferent that he would
| gradually give up the hope that I would
marry her.
".During the next year faithfully
fulfilled my duties at Mr.. Elliott's home
and although he more than once skill
| fully hunted that he wanted me to brace
up and marry his daughter, pretended
not to understand what he was driving
at He often arranged it SO that I
should take Miss Helen out driving and
be alone with her for several hours.
found her very intelligent in CONVERSE
ton, but she was SO horribly homely, SO
singularly unattractive in appearance
that the very thought of marrying her
made me shudder. could see that the
girl favored me and was o secret ally OF
her father, although she was very
proper and ladylike.. Ny relations with
the family became more awkward every
day and began to think that could
only get out of the predicament by an
ignominious fight to some distant local
ity. But at this critical time, Miss
Helen announced that she was going to
Philadelphia to spend the winter, and
in few days she departed.
Toward spring her cousin in Phila-
delphia, Miss Elvina Pepper, whom,
had been told, Miss Helen had been Wis
iting, suddenly arrived at Mr.. Elliott'i
home, unaccompanied by Helen, who
she said, had come with her as far al
New York and would remain there two
or three weeks visiting friends. Miss
Elvina in further explanation said thai
she was SO anxious to see her dea,