The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1895-04-05
HLL FOR L0NE
By WALTER BESANT.

were not his friends his name may re-
main unknown. The vicar read the fN-
neral services while the birds were sing
ing on the trees, the sun shone on the
laburnum and the lilac, and from below
the cliff came the roll of the waves along
the shore. His remains were laid beside
those of his wife, and while the words
of the solemn service fell upon my ears
was thinking how it would have Jared
with Paul had it not been for his mar
riage. 1t will harm no one now to tell
the story of that marriage.
When first he met his wife, in the
year 1857, he was-well, he was 25
years of age, to begin with. 1t seems as
if merely to be % is enough, but sup
pose some other things are desirable as
we'll. He had just been called to the
bar, he was fellow of his college, "a
hard headed reader and an athlete. He
was popular because he possessed a pleas
ant voice. pleasant face and pleasant
manner, because he was not small and
petty in speech or thought and because
he was strong. Nobody among under
graduates is so popular as the man who
is strong. Further, in order to acquire
facility in speaking, he spoke regularly
at the union and learned to speak well.
Whatever he attempted he either did
we'll or abandoned altogether.
have said that in the year 1857 Paul
was 20 years of age. 1t was in that year
that he took the step which subsequent.
ly led to his early retirement. And it
happened in this way:
In the month of September we started
together upon a walking expedition.
In those days we had project for walk
ing round the coast Of Great Britain,
taking a fortnight here and another
there, according to season and opportu-
nifty, and reckoning that we should COM
plete the task-allowing for sinuosities
and creeks-in 373 years exactly. We
carried white, round pebble. At the
end Of each walk we buried it and
marked the place. At the beginning OF
a new walk we dug it up again. By
this method one was quite sure of pass
ing over the whole ground without pos
sibility of self deception. We began
very well, with capital weather and
high spirits. On the afternoon Of the
third day an accident happened OF a
very common and unintarestlng nature.
Paul twisted his ankle ON q loose stone,
| We were then about mile and hall
distant from a certain small village
through which we had to pass, but we
had not intended to rest night there.
When we reached it, however, the trou-
BILE of the ankle became so bad that it
was absolutely necessary to stop. Fortu-
nately we found decent inn, with bet
| ter accommodations than might have
been expected. 1t was an old thatched
and rustic village public house, to
which had been built new modern
wing containing three or four bedrooms,
coffee room and a billiard room.
After laying my man upon the sofa
in the coffee room went out to explore
the place. 1t was more considerable
than had expected. There was sin
gle long street running up gentle hill
from the seashore. On the top of the
hill was church, with an ancient rub
BILE tower and square brick temple
of the period of George II. Beyond the
church were two roads, and beside then
certain villas, which looked very pretty
mid the woods and trees and gardens
At the lower end of the town was the
port. Here the sea runs inland ant
makes little creek for the reception o.
stream. They have built ont brlcl
jetty and constructed wharf, along
which are generally lying half doze1
small vessels On the right of the creel
there rose bold headland, such as are
so common on the white coasts OF AL
bion. On the left the land was low fol
a mile or two, and then rose gradually
and there was a great bay with SWEEP
of cliff after cliff, very beautiful. AS
looked there came swiftly round the
headland little boat-not common
dingy or fishermen's boat, but minia
ture yacht-quite dainty little craft
flying foresail and mainsail. A girl wa
steering her, and boy sat beside the
masthead to lower sail. The boat raj
merrily up the creek alongside the jetty
The boy lowered sail, unshipped mas
and rudder and tied the painter witt
the quicllness of him who understand
his work Then both sprang out ant
ran up the steps of the jetty, and one o.
the fishermen touched his hat and wen
slowly down to take the boat to hel
moorings. The pair were clearly broth
Ell and sister--he q lad Of 1S; she yea
or two older, perhaps 2l. They were
curiously alike, and the girls face wa
her brothers. glorified. There is NJ
other word which can express the differ
ence between the two faces. She had thu
same face as her brother, but glorified
Thus the boys hair was light and cur
", Hers was darker. His eyes were {
light blue, and hers a dark blue an(
deeper. His mouth was weak, and herr
was strong. In her walk and bearing
there was more strength and character
than seemed to belong to her brother
All these things did not observe at thu
moment when she passed quickly up the
pier, but found them out afterward
AS for her figure, she was nearly as tai
as her brother, who was certainly fee
s, and in shape she resembled the god
dess Artemus, who was of thinner anC
slighter build and had a more slendel
waist than Aphrodite Her admirers
in fact, invented the corset and the prac
tice of tight lacing.
In the evening after dinner we tool
refuge in the billiard room, as thers
was nothing at all in the house to read
The only occupant of the room was th'
young fellow whom l had seen in the
boat with the extraordinarily beautiful,
girl. He was knocking the balls about
for amusement. There was no marker.