News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1892-02-18
A PINK DIAMOND.
BY NJ. CARRIE HYDE.
[From the Chicago Daily News

I1eI UeduUy WdS -eACepUIOudi, DuJ
so protected by a natural dignity
and reserve that the young men
about the market made little pro-
gress in their attempt to become
better acquainted with her, yet
scarcely knowing why.
8 1t may be worth your while to
talk more with the market lads y
advised Satanna; "faces like yours
are safer wed, and old women do not
live always to protect them"
Something in Satanna's words
disquieted Anemone, but she made
no reply. Resolving to weave lace
early and late rather than marry as
the old woman suggested, she tried
to dismiss the subject from her mind.
Satanna in the meantime, nearing
her SOth year, was growing decrepit
and often helpless, and lost so fast
the strength which had made her a
woman of iron that when Saturday
came AnemOne went to market alone
She filled the fish basket with crabs
and small fish of her own catching
far down the coast, but setting her
small teeth firmly she refused to
carry one from the chopping-tray
:" Are we to starve, girl, "querulous-
ly demanded the old woman, "for a,
foolish fancy of yours? If [ were but
able would even yet give you a bath
in the chopping-tray!" And she
struck at AnemOne with a piece Of
fire-wood.
"Never mind, grandmother, said
the girl, patiently, "the basket is
we'll filled as it is, and l haYe made
several extra yards of lace which L
am sure of selling we'll"
It's good to see you here to-day,
without that old waspp exclaimed
a gay marketla lad to Anemone. "FOr
what would you sell me a yard of
that lace, just as a keepsakel" and
he drew his brawny hand over the
finger-woven cobweb.
| will give your sweetheart some
for nothing" answered Anemone.
Keep it for yourself, then," he
said, grlffly, turning away.
"You must let me go part way home
with you" said another man to her,
with more assurance. "The old
woman isn't here and | will help you
lug the basket"
"Oh, no, indeed!" laughed Anemo-
ne; 1.-THE basket is empty, and 1
| shall hurry so fast that no one can
keep up with me-" And she meas
ured off her last yard of lace to a
waiting purchaser.
| One afternoon toward sundown,
AnemOne, wearied with the lace
weaving and staying closely indoors
with SaUanna, who was now in APP
parent sleep, put on the heiaoe-trimmec
| blue silk dress, which fitted her so
well, tied on the rose-laden bonnet,
which was lying near 1T in the trunk,
and, throwing the cashmere shawl
about her shoulders, sauntered out
in this, her old-fashioned finery.
Never had the broad sea rolled
| toward a more incongruOus, a more
beautiful embodiment of unconscious
loveliness. Her golden hair was
knOtted low and strayed in grace
full tendrils about her neck and fore
head below the bonnet brim. Her
complexion, touched with sea-shell
pink upon the cheeks, was as match
less as the perfect contour of her face
or the curling lashes and curving
eyebrows of raven black. Her eyes,
as changing in their coloring as the
sea before them, were at this moment
very large and blue with surprise,
for she had just espied " fisherman"
seated Eonchalantly on the brink of
the choppingtray, hooking and un-
| hooking fish as fast as he could bait.
"Oh, sir, you must notl You
must notp she exclaimed, running
down the cliff to him, and before the
fisherman realized that he was spok-
en- to he saw beautiful girl in an
old-fashioned bonnet and blue silk
evening dress fling his fish, one after
another, into the sea.
pardon mel" he said, springing
to his feet IN astonishment, "will
you explain what this means?" He
lifted his hat reassuringly as he no
ticed how she paled and trembled at
her own impetuOsity.
"Perhaps," said Anemone, catch
ing her breath, 81 seem very rude,
but | could not help it and | am sor-
ry."
"Yes," he responded, "you have
been rude, very rude" and he smiled
broadly, but no doubt | am invad-
ing a private fishing-preserve, and
| that is also very rude. 1t is one of
my fancies to fish in odd places but |
never expected to find such fine large
| fish in this boiling caldrOn. Can you
tell me who Owns-that is, who con
trols the fishing here?"
- Ora md m nt her -
swered Anemone, huskily.
"Ah," observed he, half laughing
again, edo you live near here?"
Yes" answered Anemone briefly,
blushing suddenly in the conscious
ness of her strange attire, 81 must
60"
"Then let me go with you to apol
ogize to grandmother and get drink
of fresh water after this salt escapade
of mine," and hastily gathering his
tackle he walked along by her side.
"Oh, sir, please don't GOMEZ"
pleaded Anemone, much disturbed,
'Grandmother might not like to see
you, and | will bring you the water
| if you'll wait here" And catching
up the trailing skirt in her hand, and
Fastening forward, she disappeared
within the cottage, which he had OBJ
served was so much smaller than
the surrounding rocks.
"Strange, strangeP' repeated the
gentleman to himself. "This beau
tiful girl in this lonely place!" And
he sat down upon n bowlder to
await her return.
Long he sat there, and the sun had
rolled his golden ball far below the
horizon, and he was fearing his love
lv handmade might never return,
when she shyly approached him in a
plain worsted gown.
Fair onel" he asked, with laugh
ing eyes, as he made a low obeisance
in accepting the cup of water, do
you belong to a fairy tale-a re-
versed fairy tale, might say?"
"Not yet" she answered, smiling
too; "why, do you ask?" And she
shook the water from her dripping
fingers.
because in the usual fairy tale
the gray gown comes first, and the
ball dress afterward," he replied
draining the cup. "Where do you
find this fresh water in such brack
ish region as this must be?"
i "Under those trees you see over
there-that is one reason / lWas sc