Eagle River Democrat. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1893-1896, 1896-05-11
HER QNE ERROR.
OR
THE FISHERMAN'S BRIDE.
CHAPTER XLIX-CoNrINUED.

| Not satisfied with his own acquire
mems In that way, he had obtained
for her the instruction of the very
highest professors Of singing; and to
alI Nelly's thanks and queries as to
nov she should ever repay him, his
answer would ever be. ''She will repay
it ali some day; we shall see, we shall
isee."
So the ten years that have elapsed
find changes in all. Even the places
we have known, where many of the
scenes of our story have been laid,
ihave changed much of their original
character
.Old Shutter s-cIose has sunk many
degrees in responsibility. The first
floors, who used once to locate them
selves there contentedly enough, would
now turn up their noses at the idea.
Pie-alley even, though that seemed
is dirtier and closer than
of old; and the street in Goswell-road,
whence poor Agnes fled from her hid
den dread, not her taste and care
could render habitable to purity.
But there is one spot where not
thrice, nay, ten times that lapse of
years will work much change percepti-
ble-over which they have rolled and
left no sign.
Deepgang and its Chine still flower
or blossom in all their pristine gran
deur and beauty The ferns may
have thickened, the flowers cluster
may be more luxuriantly; and q few
more jagged masses, fallen from
above, bristle on the beach below, but
in all else the place is unchanged, and
day and night summer and winter
have discoursed their own music
played out each its part, and all re-
mains unchanged.
1t is on man and his works that
Time writes, by the fingers OF decay,
his progress. The little lone public
house. the Peep O. Day, has been bat
tered by the waves, blown by the
winds, through those ten years; and
Like it's master, tells plainly OF the
Fpse Of time.
vt has not brought prosperity, either,
r2g the INSCRIPTIONS host: and he has
9Gade but a shift to live-his gains
being reduced to honest ones-for
many aday.
We cannot doubt but it sits i'll up
on a man whose lightest observation
has been ordinarily seasoned with an
oath, to have to restrain his language
within the bounds of decorum dueto a
civilized Christian and customer.
"This is as far as victuals and firing,
and such like grumbled the host, as
he relieved himself, after doing such
penance by his tongue during quar-
ter Of an hours conversation with a
guest who was sojourning at the Peep
o'Day, by few round oaths. 80 far
he's well enough, and be hanged to
him; but for the drink, why, he might
ha' been bred fish, or sucked by a
mermaid, though the odds are, that
they're glad enough Of a dram when
they get hold OF it. But this here fel-
low, though he do have the look OF q
gentleman, why, he's never called for
not so much as a thirnbeful Of liquor
since in the house he's been, though
if he knoWed anything at ell, he'd
guess this was the place for the right
sort. Here he goes now, stalking
away, in that blessed cloak of his II,
like a walking shroud. Confound the
look Of him; and what he wantsin
this out O. way quarters more'n | can
tell He maybe a spy for aught |
know: though what, in Old Nick's
name, he's after would puzzle one to
guess. 1t be many a long day since
there were aught here to look after
the smugglers carried all the luck
of the place with 'cm, and that's the
truth. But he shall pay for it! I'll
look to that-the man that Wunnut
drink is no man and he shall
-pay'':u
. The logical host proceeded to square
accounts after his fashion, by himself
disposing Of the liquor that was to be
paid for by. The guest who had chosen
SO singular a place Of abode, and who
now, on the ninth day Of his stay,
seemed to entertain no design OF
Quitting a place Of which the presence
of. his lawIess master and his two
equally reputable retainers was by no
means the least Objectionable feature.
!. Meanwhile, the gentleman who had
been thus apostrophised had taken
his way along the upper line OF cliffs,
and strolled slowly along, wrapped in
: a large cloak, his face half hid by q
slouching hat, both OF foreign manu-
facture. He passed the spot where
once had stood the cottage OF the
young married couple, Aaron F'ranklen
and sweet Nelly, his bride. But the
place knew even the memory of it no
longer The black ashes had long
since drifted away or helped to form
the soil on which sprang the wild
flowers. and dark ferns that waved
SLOWLY in the breeze.
The stranger turned away his head
as he passed it, and, taking the path
which led past the runs of what had
been the house of Meghorn, here he
paused. Only portion OF the brick
and stone work was standing. Round
them thickly clustered the nettle and
the briar and one tree, scathed and
blackened, stood a mournful monu-
ment OF theravages which had blighted
1T in it's vigor.
Leaning one cheek, upon his left
hand, the stranger unused looking on
the ruin before him.
sand she came here" muttered-