Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1893-11-16
Christian e|iina
A Thrilling Romance OF
Land and Sea.
BY ARRAH LEIGH.
CHAPTER 1.


In order to understand persons char
acter 1t is often necessary to view the
circumstances OF his past life and the Off
shoot cannot be very fur different from
the parent bough, and some homogen.
eous element must bind the one with the
other.
That is why you are taken to this beau
tiful scene to-day.
Did you ever sail from Charlie ston har-
Dor and watch the old city fading away
in the purple haze of distance, while an
unclouded sky smiled down upon the
winding Cooper and Ashley rivers, and
over the white plantation HOMESTEAD
dotted here and there among the beauti-
full rice fields and golden, shining wheatp
II not, you cannot imagine the scene
this afternoon, for the sun blazed, as it
only can blaze in the South, over the
scintillatine waters, over the grim old
amid o gayly painted flotilla of pleasure
DO its.
Out from her humble pier a small ves-
sci slowly sailed. A weather. beaten,
storm stained craft. lily fitted to bear a
tempestuous voyage; yet she stored
straight toward Sullivan's Island, on her
way to the ocean. bound for New York.
The breeze and tide were both strong
Mt present, and the boat made swift
progress. At the expiration of an hour
Fort Moultrie and Fort Sumter doomed
an sight; end almost simultaneously
snowy whito dove flew out from the pal
mettos, fringing the banks of the shore,
over the all,gators and reptiles lying on
the sand, over the shining amethystine
tide, and fell dead on the deck of the lit
tie vessel.
Bad luck!" cried a sailor, picking up
the tiny, te-faced creature and gazing
at it ruefully. We will be wrecked, I'll
bet my life."
APshaw, Davy! the poor bird has been
shot. Don't be superstitious, said
passenger, standing near.
The sailor shook his head gravely, and
moved of without speaking; it was evil
dent he was awe-stricken by the slipht
staring at the water in silence as he was
left alone.
He was tall, dark man, in whose sad,
brown eyes and pale, intellectual face
was written history; revealing to the
most careless bystander his existence had
not been confined to the trivial cares, the
light sorrows, which alone check the
length of years rolling over some human
beings.
He had suffered and the scars remained
to show it. Thinly clad in suit of pure
white flannel, Panama hat shading his
dark eyes, this man was but little bet er
dressed than the sailors, and vet he
stood like prince among them, but not
OF them. None there would have thought
OF claiming him for companion, and in
tellect raised him to a sphere they re-
garded with veneration. Still he was
sad; they we're joyous. Why? What had
been his mistake in life that the shadow
of deep regret lurked in his glorious
brown eyes, and that misery had taken
the flesh from his body and the color of
health from his face?
Why?
Reuben! Reuben!" called languid,
querulous voice, and he turned toward o
lady lying in comfortable steamer chair,
under nm awning at the further end of
the boat; fair haired, large-framed
woman, with blue eyes and a faded, sal
low complexion. Twenty-three or four
years of age, she looked at least, thirty,
with her stout form and wearied express
sion.
We'll, my DEAR" mildly murmured the
gentleman addressed, approaching her.
"Oh, Reuben, will you never learn not
to apply endearing epithets, to me before
people? How many times must 1 tell
you it is vulgar? I believe I shall never
be able to make you gentleman, and to
be so humiliated!" she exclaimed, and
raised her handkerchief to her eyes.
sigh moved the chest of the being
beside her; look of resignation came
over the patient countenance.
Did you call me for anything particu-
lar, Grace2"
Yes, Reuben; I should think you have
been father long enough to know it is
necessary for q child to receive some
care. Chris has been asleep just one
hour, in that sum-" said Mrs. Verina,
pointing with a white hand toward where
little figure was lying, hatless, its head
low curls we're bleached almost white by
the fierce heat Of the tropical sun.
A tiny arm was thrown over the face,
as if the child had unconsciously striven
to protect herself from the hot rays,
which had already blistered her delicate
flesh.
The man did not speak, but rushed
forward and raised the baby girl in his
arms, and, holding her to his breast,
brought her under the shadow of the
awning.
His cheek was deadly white; his lips
met in two straight lines; his eyes shone
with a contemptuous light as he held
that little blistered arm and stared at his
wife.
And you call yourself mother!" he
burst out, suddenly. You, o woman.
sat here and saw the sun blaze down on
your two-year old-daughter's head, and
never made the least movement to save
her from from, perhaps, o sunstroke."
Her blue eyes opened wide with aston
ishment.
How dare you speak SO to me?" the
thin voice questioned. rs this fitting
recompense for my having stopped to
marry you-to have you think must be
a nurse for your children, and to be in
solent because l am not constantly q
slavey You forget am an Astange and
lady"
"A lady spares others suffering by suf-
fering herself, said Reuben, CURLY.
She commenced to sob and shake her
head.
Il might have known it would come to
this" she whined. Father told me it
would. He said common man could
not understand the refinement of per-
son in my position; but though he told
me you would not appreciate me after We
we're married. loved you, and would not
ha1;avn biD,-cou1d not fnr Won HA0m0d