Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1892-01-08

though with chat curously youthful, al
most childlike look in her face-made us
| kindly welcome at once. She had been
blowing the conch for her brother Dick,
she said, though she was not much afraid
of his being out in the fog; he was over at
| his wenng weir, at the Wolves and he
must have seen the fog coming in. Dick
always knew she would rather he staid
on at the Wolves than try to get back at
night in Il fog. For it was night, wasn't
it, She couldn't be sure as her clock had
run down and would not strike
Then for the first time we were quite
sure those blue eyes were blind
No, she was not afraid, She told us, to be
left alone on the island. 1t was lonesome
sometimes, though Dick was seldom CT mt
night 1t would be less lonesome before
long, she added, with Il little telltale culver
of her voice. Dick was going to bring n
wife home. Sat what was there that
could hurt herr She had never been afraid
but once in her life, ana that was in the
great SaXby gale, ages ago, when it so hap
pened she was left by accident in sole
charge of Head Harbor light, and the great
waves breaking over the hthouse all the
while. as she could tell from sound and
jar. But all that was long ago, when she
was mere child. She must not keep the
ladies waiting now to listen to old women's
Giles. Would they walk into the parlor,
and they should have u cup of tea there
presently
Then she stopped, with IA quick catching
of her breath, rs Macleod stepped back
from the gravel path onto the rass.
There is some one with you, ladies, of
COURSE" she said, hastily.
Joan referred the question to Macleod
] wit bpr avaS b1t Spninty how CT ba
was staring at our little hostess, us if all
his soul had passed into his eyes, and it was
! who answered it.
Our boatman," | said.
will he come in too? The kitchen is
pleasant she said simply.
He started. | could see how he shuffled
nervouSly on those great feet of his before
he growled ont something hoarsely about
having TO make the boat fast
As if he had not done that already.
At the sound of his voice, ndistinct as it
was that change came over the little crea-
turc again.
Her color fled and then it came back with
an added glow, as if she blushed at her own
thoughts. She was not past the age of
blushing evidently Was it her blindness
that had kept her soul so young2
81 must be dreaming" she said simply,
I 'Wnen ought To ne Wlue awake and do
ing. But | won't be long, ladies' and
hope"-turning her face toward the side
whence Macleod's unwilling voice had pro
ceeded-"I hope when you are ready you'll
come in and make comfortable tea"
81 wished she had asked us. too. into the
Kitchen" said Joan presently when she
had finished her inventory of the parlor
furniture from the depths of one of the big
split rocking chairs we took possession of
The hooked rag mats covering the floor
clipped almost into the semblance of warm
hued Persian carpeting the cOlored print
OF the young queen in coronation robes; the
portrait of Il brig. full sailed upon the vivid
est of green and white capped seas: the big
red covered center table, with its huge
antlered branch of white coral, perhaps
brought home in that very brig from south
ern seas, rs Il companion piece to which,
under tall glass case, stood ii huge bou-
quet of wool flowers dahlias. white and
red and yellow. and crimson princes feath-
er, knitted, as | afterward learned, by the
blind girl
II wished she had asked US, too into her
Kitchen" said Joan II think, VI IS
Alethca, if You don't mind I'll 20 and ask
myself | am sure | could help her get
tea.
/
asked dryly. CHANGING around on the trim.
quaint rooms.
But it would take more than that to
stop loan in IL fancy of hers And to tell
the truth, | did not care to stop her. |
confess to IA fair snare of Mother Ewes be-
quest to her daughters, and as Joan had
moi noticed Macleol'S face and the biz of
unconscious byplay ON the blind woman's
part, Joan might 90 and crafty my curl
osity in seeing what WAS happening.
For that something was happening was
rather sure had seen one boatman pass
the window, stepping gngerly on the turf
in the direction of the kitchen.
| could not hear voices where | sat, but
heard Just then the long wall of the conch
giving forth again its guiding warning to
the befogged Dick, if perchance he might
be sailing somewhere within sound of it.
Joan told me afterward how it all han
pened, giving me IA scolding at the same
time for making her as she said, play
gocseberry fool
She was standing in the kitchen door