The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1896-05-15


Danny, Danny interrupted the little
one, what is that funny thing you told
me the sailors say when the wind is get
ting upY"
Davy's putting on the coppers for
the parson, answered the lad absently
and without tho semblnnce of SMILE. For
the twentieth time Ruby laughed and
crowed over the dubious epigram.
Mona glanced sometimes at Danny's
listleSs face as they walked together along
the shore with the child between them.
His look was dull and at certain mo-
ments even silly Once she thought she
saw a tear glistcning in his eye, but he
had turned his head away in an instant.
There were moments when her heart bled
for him. People thought her harsh and
even cynical "Aw, allis cowld and freez-
in is the air she keeps about her, they
would say Perhaps some bitter experience
of the past had not little to do with this
Nothing so sure to rctrify the warmer SEN
sibilities as neglect and wrong But in the
presence of Danny's silent sorrow the
girl heart melted, and the habitual up
ward curve ut one corner of her mouth dis
appeared She knew something of his
Euiferina. She could read it in her owa
At some thrilling moment if heaven had
so ordered it, they two she and this simple
lad, might have uncovered to the other the
bleeding wound that each carried hidden
in the breast And that great moment
was yet to come, though she knew it not.
Love is selfish thing, let us say what
we will of it besides.
Danny" said Mona, "have you seen
anything more of Christian?"
Eyes, " said the lad Some momentary
remorse on Mona's part compelled her to
glance into Danny's face There was no
trace of feeling there 1t was bat1led love,
and not jealousy, that had taken the joy
out of Danny's life. And as yet the lad
had not once reflected that if Mona did not
love him it was perhaps because she loved
another.
"He isn't goin, continued Danny.
"Thank God" said Mona fervently.
"And Kisseck, does he still mean to go?"
AYE, of coorse he's goin It'll be tomor-
row, it seems. I'm to go too"
Danny, you must not go" said Mona
dropping Ruby's hand to take hold of the
lads arm. He glanced up vacantly
"Seems to me it doesn't matter much
what do, he said.
But it does matter, Danny What
these men are attempting is crimo-black,
cruel, pitilcss crime-murder no less.
That's what the young masther was
sayin, answered the lad absently, "and
the one of them hadn't word to say agen
! it."
Ruby had tripped away for moment.
Returning with little oval thing in heI
hand, she cried: Danny, what's this?
found it under stone and its gills were
shining like fire"
"A sea mouse" said the lad, and taking
it out of the childs hand he added, "Im
less nor this worm to our Bill "
Danny, would it hurt you much if you
were to hear that your uncle Kisseck was
being punishCdY'
The lad lifted his eyes with bewilderet
stare. The idea that Bill Kisseck could bt
punished had never really come to him a
within the limits of possibility. Once in
decd he had thought of something that HI
might himself do, but the wild notion haC
vanished with the next glance at Kisseck
face.
"He could be punished" said Mona
and must be.
Then Danny's eyes glittered and LOOKED
strange, but he said not word. The.
walked on the happy child once more tax
ing hand from each, and laughing, pratt
, tling, leaping and making little runs be
tween them. Ruby was in a deeper sens
the link that bound them and in the deep
est sense of all she was the link that hell
them apart forever They had walked t
: the mouth of the harbor, and Mona hell
.. out her hand to say goodby. Danny locke
beyond her over the sea There was some
thing in his face that Mona had never be
fore seen there What it meant she kneN
not then, except that in moment he ha
grown to look cid THE storm is CON
ing said Mona II see the diver out a
; sea. DO you hear his wild noteY"
= Aye, and We see Mother Carey's chicke
= = yonder, said Danny, pointing where tn
. stormy petrol was scudding close to
q white wave and uttering a dismal CRY
= Then, absently and in low tone, Il thin
, at whites I'd like to die in big sea Liz
, that, said the lad.
Il Mona looked for moment in silenC
> into the lad hopeless eyes. Danny turne
= = back with his hand in his pockets and h
u face toward the sand.
= Truly a storm was coming, and 1t was
storm more terrible than wind and rain.
II
. Mona and Ruby continued their wall
y 1t was the slack season at the factory, an
e Mr.. Kinvig's jewel in looms was compete
u y to stand idle three working days out
u the six The young woman and the chi
! passed down the quay to the bridge, crosse
y to the foot of the Horse hill, and wake
, along the south side of the harbor-no
D. full of idle luggers-toward Contral
% head When they reached the mario
IL strait which cut off the Castle isle fro
10 the mainland, they took a path that Ii
i upward over Contrary head. A little VIZ
W up the Hill they passed Bill Kisseck's CO
IL tage The house stood on a wild headlaI
u and faced nothing but the ruined cast
10 and the open sea. An old quarry had on
IL been worked on the spot, and Kisseck
cottage stood with its front to what mu
VI have been the level cutting, and its back
t. the straight wall of rock. A path woul
~ round the house and came close to the ed
VI of the little precipice Mona took til
" path, and rs they walked past the bai
H. part of the roof woman's head looked o
g of little dormered window that stood
- the thatch.
CT Good morning, Bridget" said Mo-
" cheeriully
az GOOD mornin, answered Bridg
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