Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1896-04-29


away without any news having been OBJ
tanned concerning Horace Dupee; if he
had really been in New York at the time
of the preparation of the robbery he
had entirely disappeared. The only thing
to be done was to wait patiently until he
came back again, keeping a bright but
undemonstrative lockout for him in the
meanwhile. AS Inspector Byrnes had
the matter in charge, it was not neces-
sary that Pauline should remain in New
York; she could be communicated with
at any time, and it might even hasten the
result she desired if she were known to
be out of the city. Accordingly, as sum
mer approached. and her mothers health
manifestly demanded change, prepare
lions were made to go down to Squittig
Point. Judge Ketelle, for reasons which
the reader will perhaps comprehend, ar
ranged to accompany them. He had not
as yet made any avowal to Pauline of
the nature of his sentiments towards her,
but he had been assiduous in his atten-
tions; and only the greatness of the prize
at stake withheld him from putting his
fate to the touch at once.
They arrived about the middle of June.
The cottage had previously been put in
order for their reception; curtains I'M
packed and put up; mattings spread on
the floors: hammocks swung in the We
randas; Venetian blinds fastened over
the windows. The catboat had been
routed out of her winter quarters in the
barn, new coat of paint had been given
her, new sheets and halliards rove, and
her shrunken seams had been soaked till
they were water tight. There she rested
at her moorings as gracefully as sea
gull Every thing being ready, the
party, conveyed by the judge, drove out
from the town one fine day and took
possession. 1t was sunset by the time
the last trunk was moved in. They had
supper, and then sat out on the veranda
enjoying the pure salt air and the liquid
outlook over the bay. There was faint
breeze; little waves made barely audi
bic plash on the shore of the cove. The
boat courtesied gently off the end of the
pier. as if welcoming its owners back to
nature The moon rose late and red; it
was past the full. To the right, beyond
the point. the lighthouse lamp flashed
Internationally; a sloop drifted past half a
mile out, and the sound OF banjo
tinkled audibly across the water.
Its deliciousr murmured the judge,
sitting with Mrs. Nolen on one side of
him and Pauline on the other, and
cigar between his lips. Tomorrow
we'll go out in the boat and visit the
island"
Mrs. Nolen gave a sigh. She was
thinking of her son drowned at sea.
Pauline understood what the sigh
meant; but she was made of other metal
than her mother. II mean to learn how
to sail the boat myself this summer, she
said. II like the sea; would like to
live Ebeside it, or on it, always. How
soft and gentle it is now! But when
the storms come -!
IT can give you lessons in sailing" OBJ
served the judge. "You know, when l
was boy I spent a year before the
mast.
81 learned something last year from
Percy" Pauline replied, "and, now that
he has become part of the sea, l shall
feel more at home on it than before"
The next day, accordingly, the prac-
tice of navigation began, and was con-
tinued day by day thereafter. Pauline
showed herself an apt pupil, and was, in
deed, quicker in an emergency than the
Judge himself. Mrs. Nolen at first could
not be prevailed on to accompany them;
but one warm day they induced her to
venture out, and the experience was SO
pleasant that she repeated it from time to
time.
Meanwhile the judges affair was man
ifestly approaching a crisis. The con-
slant companionship of the girl he loved
was.inexpressibly sweet to him, and he
was unable to repress some manifesto
ton Of it; yet he could not decide
whether or not Pauline cared enough
about him to accept him as her husband.
That she esteemed him highly was evil
dent. and that her affection for him was
deep and sincere; but there are many
kinds of affection, and the question was
whether her affection was of kind ca
pable of being developed into the love of
u WAG. 1u0 JuuSe WlSIlSu Will oil Ills
heart that he could do her some immense
service, or make for her some noble sac
riice which might serve to draw her
nearer to him. But such things cannot
be commanded at will, and seldom occur
when they are wanted 1t seemed that
he must trust to whatever unaided merit
he possessed to win her heart.
Pauline had always been mature for
her age: but since the calamity that had
fallen upon her she had developed
greatly. She was graver and more tact
turn than before, and her manner was
more thoughtful and controlled. She
seemed already to have outgrown her
girlhood and to have attained thestrength
and experience of woman. All this
was in the judges favor; for his age was
the factor in the matter which he feared
most. If they could meet on more nearly
equal terms in this respect, he could feel
more confidence as to the rest. She con-
versed with him on his own intellectual
level. and consulted him freely and con-
fidentially on all matters of interest to
herself. No friendship between man
and woman could have been more init