The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1896-10-29

girl, adjusting her biz white hat, and,
as a r1bute To custom, etcnlng ner
gloves (Which she put In her pocket
instead of upon her hands,, set of for
her daily walk. She paused a moment
at the gate to Il Il fareWell 10 hef
aunt. who was bent double over her
carnation bed. the surface soil Of which
she was loosening with Il fork.
The tide is out this evening. auItie.
/ am going TO the rOcks-the distant
rocks; it's a long walk. | may be
late
Don't get drowned, love-
"NO, auntie."
Don't get your feet wet"
"No, auntie."
Half an hour later Helen had reached
the shore. She loved the sea, h thou
sand lights and shades that tinged its
surface, the rpstlrSSneSS, the eternal
variety, the mystery of its troubled
life. But that evening she had no
time to watch the " She walked
quickly along the sands, Skirting the
groups Of nurse-maidS and children.
with her face turned westward toward
the cliffs, which shelved down into Il
jutting peninsula. Here the low rocks
reached far out into the sea-, and then
sinking below the surface showed, Xix
a black shadow. through the blue wa
terS. Thither she steered her way.
The bathing woman. who was stand
ing as sentinel behind a long row of
curious, Sand-ingrained. faded garments
which, secured by stones, lay supine
on the yellow sands, addressed her rs
she passed:
Where be zee going to, miss?'
'To the rocks"
"Then PLACE TO mind the tide: her
in powerful fast and strong out
yonder. Don't zee go out TIL far, miss.
It's safe enough if you'll be 4 bit care
full"
Helen nodded. "She would be care
full" she said, and strobe on fast.
She toiled labOriOusly owe the rough
and broken Shingle which interviewed
between the sands and those splendid
rocks-her destination. Most girls
would have been daunted by the OBJ
stacleS of hat long and painful walk,
and would SOOn have turned back TO
Join those comrades who We're content
with pleasures less difficult Of access,
but with Helen it was altogether other
wise. An impeachment in her route was
merely a thing to be S~urmOuntcd; it
was no barrier 10 stop her progress.
When once that formidable possession
of hers, her mind, was made up. her
urpOS she had accustomed herself to
consider, was infeXible.
She found the distance she had to
traverse was far greater than she had
anticipated, and it was long before she
tired. hot and fOotsDre-reached the
desired spot and sat down on the first
low rOck at hand to rest n look about
her. The air was redolent Of the breath
of the sea; a bright breeze was blow
ing, which put a sharp head on the
chOpping waves, and cut them up into
bustling. zigzag ridges that splashed
and broke continually against the rocks
and tossed and swayed the heavy lay
ers Of seaweed TO and fro.
Save for Helehrsshe place was desert
ed; the sea would chafe and fret so
fOOlishly, 1t seemed to her, so sadly,
too, as though memory would not let
it rest though the sky IA clOudleSS.
Helen leaned back against the rock
and watched the water, more thought
full than was her wont. 1t was very
cool in the shade Of the cliff; the sea
gulls swooped lazily about the bay,
and a fleet of fishing Smacks, their
tawny sails bright in the sunshine,
We're sailing past before the wind.
Presently she emerged from the Sha-
dow and began to cross the rocks, steer
ing her course toward their furtheSt
ledge. which formed a natural break
water on the west Of the reef. She
was light and agile of limb, possessed
a fairly steady head. and a ready eye,
but the path she trOd was a perilOuS
one, for the seaweed which grew On
the rocks concealed the pools, and was
moreover. both Shiny and slippery.
To avoid the catastrophe of spelling
her boots and stockings she took them
off and put them upon an adjacent
rock. Then, with an easy mind, and
happy as a child, h waded through
the tepid pools in which the green rib
bon and pink-tree seaweed f1oated,
where wildly green rock fish dartedi
to and fro, and sea anemOneS unfolded'
their tinted limbs until they doomed
like the blossoms Of a chrysanthemum,
in the sunshine. Her obServant eye
missed none Of the beauties ut her
feet. but every now and then she re-.
membered the dangers OF the tide.
and kept an outlook on the sea.
She was enjoying herself after a.
childish fashion; the warm. transpar~-
ent water was tempting. She rOlled'
her sleeves up high, and kneeling down
before a pool she plunged her hand and
arm down among the seawecd and the
stones. She was laughing at the awk-
ward flight of Il tiny crab when n call
a clear, loud call-startled her To, her
feet.
She stood up. raised her dripping,
white hand TO shade her eyes, and STAR
ed in the direction whence the sound
had come. A little sailing boat, in
-.t;,l $50, .n,tnJ Mr. JpppS and tfa