The Lafayette gazette., 1895-10-26
And the vcrses-'Dear Eyes," they

Earnest and lender. and eyes that smile.
| Or dark without hopei ana all the while
| think OF you who have gone aWaS
| ~ long so look in your eyes, dear
| Your eyes that speak to my soul until
| The cry o: .arth's loneliness grows stan
A. draw you so near,-so near
She had never known Jack could
! make rhyme till these verses had
come to her. Dear, honest Jack: !.cve
! sorry he would be if he know all the
trouble he had brought about. No;
| she could scarcely hold him responsi:
! Dle for her present discomfort-it was
| all her own ctrelcssness; and tho next
| time she indulgcd in the exchange of
literature she would shake the volume
| to its foundations to exercise NIL .ufi:t
ing i1nps that might do her i'll: One is
so apt to tuck things away in L book
| and then forget all about them: Yet,
| after all, he might have given itsf Z
cha nee to explain.
She aroused from her rcveric
| by the soft rusl, Of waters parted by
! the even stroke Of strong arms. Marie
turned her head shoreward a man was
rapidly swim ming toward her. The
! head looked +efy familiar; but lie had
written her he was going on the eight
ten. few more strokes and there
was no doubt of his identity; she
] turned her gaze aEaiii oft to sen. He
clarnbcrcd up on the rock beside her:
He was superb creature; with limbs
bronze and shining As one Of GeroEne's
Arabs. lie looked like some radiant
river god with a dash of water on his
chestnut hair, his eyes as blue the
morning sea. and with that beauty in
his face that comes from cctscious
strength and l<indliness and the glory
of youth and vigorous, OVERLOOKING life
''Good-morninG, Marie"
She had not yet looked at him, but
she met his gaze now with a half smile.
ho, Eycr
eight ten"
II started" he answered. "crossed
the ferry, went to the station; end
came back Why did you come out
here alone? You should have known
better. the tide is running out now
and the swim back will be hard pull
all the way
II am quite capable of taking care
of myself she answered, somewhat
stifay. ''and if You are afraid of the
tide You would better go in at once"
He was nstonished to flnd her adopt
ing an injured tone; if anyone had a
right to be hurt, he surely was the ono
to enjoy tho privilege of that position.
He looked at her despairingly; tho lit
tie curls. dried BY the sun and wind.
beckoned maddingly. He forgot his
grievance for moment
when Venus came ashore on the
waves" he said. keeping his eyes on
the curls, 'Zephyrus blew her t!lore.
and be fore he left her he lowered about
and kissed her until her hair, which
the had wet. was dry and shining
like silk; but it always kept the crinkle
tho motion of the waves had given 1t,
and all true daughters of Venus have
inherited that ripple OF the waves ever
since That is the story I always think
of" he finished, seeking now her clear
gray eyes, "vvl,en see your hair in the
sun. Marie.''
She laughed gayly. 1T seems to me
some one else i dipping into poetry
besides poor Jack"
His brow da arkened. ''Don't make
joke of it, he said; 1.-The blood has
been boiling in my veins ever since l
read it. don't blame Jack for loving
you, for writing it to you. I ought
not to have read it; but the thought Of
his having his arm about you, as it
clearly implies, and that you have
cared for him, perhaps care for him
still, has driven me almost beside my
self. If you have any pity for Inc tell
mo the truth, or let me CO.
You may CO." she spoke coidly; II
will not keep YOU.
See: we are here" he said, under
the free sky, with the pure clear water,
all about us, close to honest nature,
and life would be SO good to me if-is
there always to be an if?-if only I
knew the truth and that it is not what
1 tnDuShC-tnaC you 90 not care
him.
Il am very fond indeed of Jack; and
for the verses, 1 think they are
charming. and that any girl should be
happy to inspire a man like that"
Darrell groaned. You more
frivolous than believed, and you have
not been true to either Of u.s.
Il think 1 will swim in,'' she said.
She slipped Off the rock and struck out
for the shore. He followed her silent
ly, keeping his eyes upon her, for the
tide was making hard out to sea.
Don't try and buck against the
tide" he called; ''let it carry you
down. Just swim for the shore: you
waste your strength that way He
was swimming close beside her now.
"If needed it, she asked, would
you be strong enough to tow me in?"
He laughed grimly. ''Tr.- me-" he
answered.
He took both her hands in his, swim
ming easily on his back; to this healthy
young giant her added weight was
nothing. They went rushing through
the water at what seemed n terrific
rate of speed to the girl whose endur-
ancc had already been taxed by the
swimming. and the sense of security
and strength it gave her was a deli
cious relief.
At last they reached the float; the
little boys were tearing up and down
the sand doing jumping "stents' She
let go of his hands and he lifteA her