The morning news., 1897-04-18
,pTER 1.-TWO STRINGS TO HER
- ROW

Ch-'- BOW.
sso she have" said old Pollock; $50 she
have. and tbs better luck than the likes of
q eto deserves. A good strings better than
81 bad bow anyways"
Pollock was the local Solomon of Pol
cla7e Bv virtue of his age and extreme
wisdom he occupied a pedestal aloof, from
which he scrupled not to utter the truth
81 oooordine to his lights, even though the
saving of it might be most ungallant, as
B q, tbe present instance. Mily Pritchard
was tbe beauty of Polglaze. Perhaps no
other Cornish fishing village held her peer
in looks
She might, indeed, have had twenty
strings to her bow instead of two, but
coupled occupied all her time and atten-
,ion. They were assertive beings both,
and held their heads high, and wanted del
icate handling. Each, moreover, felt sure
Of success; one trusting to a purse that
ugopld some day be fat, as Polglaze purses
go and the other feeling strong in the
certain conviction that he was the better
loved. and the better figure Of man.
Beauty and the Beast, the two men were
Fl u.
N sun-tanned Dick Richards, was fisher
8 man. and had his business with the ma
q iority Of his companions, on the deep;
while one John Mackelhose, an innkeeper,
stood for the Beast. Beast-like he was
TO the eye-a hairy-faced man, with
81 round back and ape-like arms, strangely
81 long. But none had anything against
him save his temper. That was tremend-
4 Gus. and wont to come in flashes like bolts
from the blue. His tavern, 'The Trawler's
q Rest" enjoyed a good name enough. He
Il kent il for his mother, and when she died
81 the place was to pass into his hands. Then
4 he would be a rich man-perhaps the rich
est in Polglaze.
Macklehose and Richards were keep
ing company" with Miily when this weird
passage in the lives of them began to un-
fold. She had told both men plainly that
her own feelings were undecided, and with
the frankness of her class in matters OF
the heart, she led each to understand that
he might hope So they continued to pro-
claim confidence and devote themselves to
Miily Pritchard.
She managed the two strings with no
Il little cleverness; she temporized, and pro-
81 crastinated, and played the fool, and work
ed the men up to evaporation, but she
Fl would not finally decide between them.
Meanwhile both the publican and the hsh-
er hung on her word
Polgaize watched the rivalry with much
interest, and the subject of Milly Pritch-
& ards sweethearts was always deemed an
interesting one People said she must be
waiting for Widow Mackiehose to go, for
N she did not hit it off with the Old woman
~ 10y any means. Widow Macklehose, in
fact, like the patriachal Pollock, and one
or two others, had seen through Milly long
ago
Blue eyes and gold hair, sure enough"
said Widow Macklehose; $50 have them
dolls in Mother Tempny's shop; but the
dolls is stuffed with sawdust, and she
~ amt got no more cart than they ana
sint no more TO be respected neither l
oubt she's but frOward wench when
ell $ said"
The Beast, however, would hear no word
igainst his hearts desire. He loved his
little shriVelled-up parent well, and had
been a model son, but he loved Miily better
than anything on earth or in heaven.
The two men were about 30 years of
age. and had been friends until the girl
came between them. Now, though they
we're civil when they met, a volcano be-
n gan to shoulder in the breast OF each. Re
81 ations of such kind could not last Tor
Nj ever. In fact, every day tightened the
n ension, and ali interested in the trio saw
n dearly enough that their problem must
peedi.y solve itself for good or evil.
III Mil.y Pritchard lived with her uncle and
NJ iept house for him. He was an aged man,
linking out the autumn of his life by the
M .re through the winter in the sun during
ae summer time He had a small pension
MI rom the government, but It died with
i'm, and Milly 30 Nothing to expect for
ler services, save stick or two of old
lrniture.
She herself possessed little more than a
lew gowns and a few trinkets. She was
H. in orF,fa Iar handed down
N pretty face and sun-bright hair for her;
drowned father had handed down moth
III ng, unless maybe, a vain disposition and
an unstable nature. With her uncle Milly,
Of course, did as she pleased. He gave
M her a home and food, and for that she
N paid him in kind, cooking his meals,
e nended his clothes ana washed them, at
N lending to his little comforts. That done,
she argued, she owed him nothing, and,
though some charitable people, led astray
n by face as mild and sweet as an angels,
thought Milly was only postponing mar
rage from her duty to her old relation,
but this was not the case. a variety Of
A matters combined TO make the girl hesi-
tate before taking the momentous step,
out her uncle formed no part OF the cal
culatiOn.
AT this stage then we find matters on
DAY in March. Then strange thing hap
pened, and Milly found the necessity for
most abrupt decision suddenly thrust
upon her by a dying woman. The Beast
rushed into old Pritchard's cottage by the
i sea, shouted for his niece and upon her
n appearance Informed her that his mother
was az the point Of death. and had pray
ca 70 see Mlly before she was taken.
CHAPTER II.--"YEA" OR MAY"
MHy Put on her hat and hurried of with
Jonn Macklehose to "rhe Trawlers Rest. q"
Mothers took awful bad in breathin'. ="
u ne explained: "and she reckons It's for
ueatn. 50 do the doctor. She's judged
you 'ardly, Mllly. but 'tlsn't time to
Hlnd that. ] knowed you'd come"
lhe Elrl felt very nervous when she was
! presently brought into Widow Aiackle-
no.e bedroom A little withered woman,
] tlopped on white pillows IN q big, old
tuahioned bed, beckoned 10 Molly, took
her white hand between her wrinkled
lywn ones, and then liked her bright,
n1th eyes on the girl, and gazed awhile
without speaking.
m going" she said suddenly; "Tm
he'ns' Mlny PrteharJ. and wants a yea
NY from thee afore goes. iris time
- MutW ny mind. Tor the love of the