Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1895-02-28

cottage and went across Sunday 8
beach to ruder one. Now she could
sometimes carry Sandy out in the
sunshine whore she mended nets, or
could run at noon to watch him eat
his bite and hear Is, "Mart's come. "
Then there was not the long sunset
run across the beach.
''Mart'sa high flung lass"
She's too uppish for fisher folks"
''Ye can't git 'er T. talk" said q
robust lad in answer to the two COM
ments Of the fisher girls. Mart never
joined them when the nets were put
away-and lads, lassies and wives
all stood aloof from the silent, hand
some creature. Sometimes, as Mart
sat holding the little fellow, hun
grily devouring him with her eyes
and patiently answering his wonders
about the sky and the sob OF the sea,
she could hear the gay banter and
loud laughter, and once she heard
her own name spoken Mart
needn't be so uppish; she hain't a
single red dress. She allus wears
that brown one" Then she held
him up to watch the swaying boats
coming home, heard the welcoming
cry OF the women and held Sandy
closer to her sea weighted heart.
Poor little Sandy! He felt no lack
OF love and care, only sometimes he
grew lonely for Mart.
But somehow and somewhere, it
doesn't matter where-Mart half
awakened. The voice sounded very
sweet as it spoke Sandy's name, and
the eyes looked very pleasant as they
smiled into Sandy's and answered
his childish queries. Then it sounded
so sweet to hear Sandy laugh as he
was being painted into picture by
the artist and hear the child's eager
talk:
Mart, We do look awful pretty
with y'r eyes seeing something off
out in the sea there. an y'r fingers
'mong the nets" He was very kind
TO Sandy-and Mart loved Sandy and
grew brighter with his every smile,
while her step gained new spring
with every bit OF his added deceptive
strength.
Soon the voice sounded sweet when
II said Mart and once when he
had called her Martha ITO sea fet-
tered Mart had sounded as sweet
as to Martha Of old when the low,
loving voice of Christ had spoken
Il. Then the eyes looked as pleas
oct when they told her of distant
lands or Of Sandy's beauty which was
so like hers.
Mainland the girl started
were you ever in picture before?
mo, I've been allus fisher lass"
"Do you know this one will hang
in q beautiful hall in large city
where many people will see it?"
How'd l known" Mart glanced
a. Sandy's happy face and went on
rpending. Words were small part
OF Mart's life, love and happiness.
SO day by day, while the brown
fiji gers, the waves, the nets and the
boys face were being woven into the
pi:turc, the voice and the eyes and
the kindness grew to be part Of her
life-her's and Sandy's.
But summers soon fade, and one
day the handsome artist looked kind
ly at her and Sandy and the pleasant
voice said: Good by, Mart. Pm
going away to-day, but I'll come
again another summer and then I'll
want the boy again"
Mart worked on-and remembered
for lives like those, intense, rude,
can cherish hopeless. half meaning
less memories more than another
live on them in half dazed sort Of
way, never selfishly having an idea
of any elimination. So Mart dreamed
on, all the whilo loving Sandy more
tenderly, only sometimes growing
half afraid Of the shrinking limbs
and weakening back, but still de-
ceived by the summers fitful
strength.
The fisher wives wondered as they
gossiped in their cottages at the
change in Mart.
wonder what do make the lass s.
quick stepped of later" said one
weather beaten old dame.
can she's brighter" said another,
while the lassies down at the village
were often heard to say, 'Marts
fingers beat every lass" More than
one had spoke kindly to her now and
one had given Sandy plaything.
He often spoke words that were gra-
ciously received by handsome Mart
as she passed among the fishers.
Summer quickly came, and the
nets were again spread upon the.
beach; the lassies sang and joked as
they mended with Mart beyond them
silently working, with now and
tLen glance at sea or at Sandy's
frce beside her.
Say, Mart, wonder when the
picture man ii come again?"
Mart wondered too.
He did come again, and Sandy
laughed and was happy, and so was
Mart. This time she was painted
with Sandy in her arms coming
across the sands beyond the village
to the shore and the drying nets.
The body had the old tense attitude
that made her picturesque when we
first saw her in the dreary surround
ings at the old home, but the eyes
were half tender, suggestive OF what
law dormant in the half awakened