The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-05
BY THE DEEP SEA.
A Tale Of Sunshine and Storm in
a Gentle Life.


daughters appearance that day. He
was grim man, and generally he re-
marked little that did not concern his
work. Her eyes sparkled, and she was
full of some mystery. He was reminded
of her childish days, when she used to
prepare surprises and he thought as
he looked at her that after all she was
not much changed By lengthening her
frocls and twisting her hair up.
Then he retreated once more into
himself.
She had no remarka Die beauty from
any classical point of view. Her fea-
lures were not regular, and an analysis
of her claim to even prettiness would
have shown it to be slender Yet Sybil
North was pretty, and she had that
namelets charm that is more potent
than perfection. Her mouth was good,
ana SO were her teeth, and as she was al
ways laughing you saw them well and
knew how white and even they. were.
Her eyes were not large, nor was their
color in any way noticeable; but they
danced with mischief and merriment
AANi liSS@l W 90 NJ Wv IL t-Iltt Cll IL "
long, too, and she was very proud of it.
She had the happy temperament that
is not rufhed by the thousand and one
small worries of life. She was not
spared any of these, l suppose; but she
rode bucyantly over them like craft
SO light that the waves carry it safely
above the rocks against which heavier
splendidly healthy, and this perhaps
made it easy to be light-hearted.
Mr.. North was widower with
family of six, of whom Sybil was the
eldest. She kept house for him. and
she helped the governess with the chill
dren's lessons. She played cricket with
the boys in the field behind the house
on the holidays. She mended stockings,
she patched youthful knees, she knitted
and she read to her father. She had al
ways lap or bosom to be cried on by
the six-year-Old boy or the tive-year-old
little sister, and she could comfort
either and turn tears into smiles. She
packed for the brothers when thew
went to school, and she hid cake
somewhere among their clothes to cheer
them in their homesickness.
Mr. North was silent man who had
given himself up to books. He was
short in his manner, and his children
regarded him with some awe Sybil
was looked upon as mediator; but medi-
alton was little necessary, since all
authority was vested in herself and the
governess. To Sybil only did he show
the warmer side OF his nature. He
liked to have her with him: her voice
Soothed him when she read to him. He
put into her willing hands much that
was Precicus-and tedious, too-of his
work, and she copied for him, and
made coplous extracts. He seldom
praised her in words. 1t was not his
way.
Il should like picture of you," he
said one day, suddenly,
SybH looked up in surprise.
"A picture, father?"
He was silent Tor few moments
Well. a photograph, he said. pres
emily. and speaking slowly. AS a
family this has been neglected Your
mother died and have no likeness of
her"
He said nothing more, and the sub
ject dropped. Sybil went on with her
work OF correcting proofs A smile
curved the corners Of her mouth and
her eyes kindlcd. Her thoughts wan
dered
From the study window she could see
the waves beating on the shore. The
vicarag5 stood on the Cornish coast. It
was on the outskirts of fishing village
and four miles from a town. The smell
of the sea ana the taste of brine were
in the air, when presently Sybil pu;
down her work and went ont.
William North opened the window
and looked after her. He noted. too,
the smell OF the sea. The air seemed full
of spray. and the waves broke them
selves on the shore with insistence. Il
was on the next day that Sybil wore
her air OF mystery. Mr.. Norths birth
day was approaching, and the children
were getting up play. Instinctively
he connected with this her sparkling
eyes. that seemed of themselves to be
chuckliug over something. and 4 mys-
terious visit to the town He re-
lnembered afterward her look upon
that day.
The play progressed William North
,;nbent somewhat and oui1zed the chill
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