The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-07-08

anu olteIl suNc u HHnt. iIney urc ltulKlnS
In gruT, North-country Voices. which
are never harsh.
a man comes in, after q moments
awkward pause at the open door, and
seeks n secluded seat where the gas
overhead hardly affords illumination.
He Is q broad-built mana Tyneslder;
not SO very big for South Shields; a
matter of sly feet, one, perhaps. He
carries blue spotted handkerchief
against his left check, and the boy with
the pewter pots stnrcs eagerly at tho
other. A boy4of poor tact this: for the
customers right cheek Is horribly dis
figured. 1t Is all bruised and battered
in from tho curve Of n square Jaw to
the cheek-bonc, which isSbroken. But,
the eye Is intact. n shrewd, keen eye,
accustomed to the penetration of q
Northern mist-accustomed to asclose
scrutiny of mems faces. 1t Is pain
fully obvious that this sailor-for gait
and clothes and manner set aside ALI
other crafts-ls horribly conscious of
his deformlty. Z
Got the %toothdchc?" inquired the
tactless youth.
The newcomer replies in the negative
and orders a cup OF tea and a herring.
II, is Annie who brings the, simple meal
and sets 1t down without looking al, the
man.
Thanks" he growls IN his brown
beard. and the woman pauses suddenly.
She listens, as IL hearing some distant
sound. Then she slowly turns-for she
has gone a step or. two from the table
and makes a p%retenso Of setting the
salt and pepper closer to him.
Three ships had come up with the
afternoon tide-a coaster. a Norwegian
barque in ballast, and a f%ull-r!gged
ship with nitrate from tho west coast of
South America.
lust ashore?" inquired ~Annie-econ-
omical with her words. as heyimostly
are round the Northern river. gr..Aye!"
From the west coast?"
Aye" SrumbleS the n He holds
the handkerchief to his check and turns
the herring tentatively with n fork.
you'll find it's good enough fish,"
says the woman bluntly. Her two
hands are pressed TO her comedy bosom
In 4 singular way.
"Ay!" says the man again, as IL he
had no other word.5y
The clock strikes six, and the boy,
moro mindful OF his own tea than his
neighbours ailments, slips on his jacket
and goes home. The last customers
dawdle out with a grunt intended for n
s%alutation. Mrs. Mason Is softly heard
to snorc. And all the while Annie Ma
son-all the color vanished from her
wholesome face-stands with her hands
clutching her dress, gazing down at the
man, who still examines the herring
with a sclf-conscious ~awkwardness.
"Geordie!" she says. They are all
called Gcordie In South Shields.
"Ay, lassi" he answers, shamefacedly.
Annie Mason sits down suddenly-op-
posite to him. He docs not look up,
but remains, his face half hidden by the
spotted blue handkerchief, picture OF
self-conscious guilt and shame.
what did yc do It for Geordie?" she
asks, breathlessly. ELEVEN years,
come March-oh. 1t was crucl!"
What did I do It for?" he repeats.
what did l do it for?a Why, lass. can't
We see my face?"
He drops the handkerchief, and holds
up his poor SCARED c~ountenance. He
does not look at her, but away past her
with the pathetic shame of n MANNED
dog. The cheek thus suddenly exposed
to view is whole and brown and healthy.
Beneath the mahogany-colored skin
there Is a glow ~sinGularly suggestive OF
q blush.
"Ay, I see your face" she answers,
with a note of tenderness for the poor
scared cheek. II hope you haven't
been at the drink"
he shakes his head with a little sad
mouth.
rs II because You wanted to get shot
OF me-" asks the woman with a sort Of
breathlessness She has large gray
blue eyes with a look of content wait
ing IN them-a habit Of looking up ut the
open door at the sound Of every foot
step.
D It. Annie. Could I come back
to you with a face like this, and you
the prettiest lass on the Tyncside?n
She Is fumbl!ng with her. apron
string. There is half ~coquettish bend
OF her head-with the gray hairs al
ready at the templc-awakcncd perhaps
by some far.or echo In his passionate
voice. She looks up slowly, and docs
not answer his question. IS
Tell u.s. she says slowly. "Tcll US
where you've been"
"Becn!-oh,I don't know, lass! don't
rightly remember. Not that 1t matters.
Up the west coast, trading backwards
and forwards. I've got my masters
certificate now. Serving first mate on
board the Mallard to Falmouth for or
dcrs. and they ordered us to the TYNE.
I brought her round-I knew the way.
1 thought you'd be married, lass, But
may be yc nre?"
May be I'm daft" puts in Annie,
coolly.
II greatly feared" the man goes on
with the slow, self-consciousncss of
one unaccustomcd 10 talk of himself.
II greatly feared I'd meet up with q
BARN OF yours playlng in the doorway.
Losh! ] could not have stood TINT!
But that's why / stayed away, Annie,
lass! So that you might marry n man
would not know me IL I held my hand
icrchicf over my other chcck,,"
There Is a strange CLEAN In the wo-
mans eyes-a CLEAN that n or two OF
the old masters have succeeded In
catching and impartlng to; the faces OF
their Madonnas, but only one or two.
How did you come by your hurt?"
she aslSs In, her, low voice.
Board the old Walleroo going out.
You mind the old ship. We had n fire
in the hold, and the skipper he would
go down alone to locate 1t before we
cut n hole In the deck and shipped the
hose In. The old man did rot come up,
again. Ye mind him. Old Rutherford
of Jarrow. And l went down and look
ed for him. 1t was a hcllsof smoke and
fire, and something In tho cargo stink
Ing l!ke-like hell fire rs 1t burnt. i,
got a hold OF the old man, and was
fetching him out on my hands and
knees, when something busts UP and
sends us all through tho deck. / had
three months in Valparaiso hospital;
but ] saved old Jack Rutherford, OF
Jarrow. And when gotaup andGook-
cd at my face 1 saw that twas not In
the nature OF things ttat 1 could ever
ask n lass to have me. So 1 just stay
ed away and made believe tliat-that' /.
had changed my mind"
The nan pnIlseY. & Lie Is not Glib of