The Brunswick times. [volume] (Brunswick, Ga.) 188?-1900, 1897-10-31
THE LOVE ROCK.

"That's the rock, SIR" said the
weather beaten old tar.
Ted Rivers looked up and laughed a
little bitterly.
ga nice place to propose to a lady, !"
said he. SIT seems to me that it would
not be so easy as you think to get her
there"
The old fisherman looked shrewdly
at Ted and winked to himself.
"Well, sir, if you'd like to try for
yourself
"I'm not thinking about myself at
all, :" burst out Ted, with so much in
dignation that his companion immedi-
ately drew his conclusion.
81 never thought as you were, sir.
twas only my little bit of joke But
yon's the rock, and the gal as is asked
there is had for the askin. It's gospel
truth, what's more, and it's there as
got my old woman, which wouldn't so
much as look at me until l caught her
a-sittin on the rim of that there rock.
Says I, Betsy, I've come to ask you to
marry me, and she looked round sorter
scared like, and says: 'You'm a-sittin
on the love rock, Betsy, and it's here as
I've follered you, for you're the only
gal what wants. I've set my heart on
marryin you, says /, and you're on
the love rock. Then she looks up as
meek as a lamb, and she says, Yes, ;
and falls a-cryin as if her heart was
broke for Betsy, she always did admire
that young scamp Pete, but she knew
as we'll as me that she'd got to marry
me, because I'd asked on the rock. We
was SO took up with what had happened
that we was all but caught by the tide,
but we got off in time. The rocks new
er quite covered, but 'twould be an ug-
ly place to pass night and next to I'M
possible to be got off. There's nasty
breakers in the best weather and some
sharp bits of rock around, SO as no boat
can get near.
Ted had fixed his eyes on the love
rock. He was not listening to the gar
rulous old man, and he certainly did
not believe the superstition about it,
but all the same he felt inclined to com
pass the difficulties in the way and get
Mile Lloyd there-it would be as
good place as any he knew for telling
the secret which had been his torment
for months, and which he now felt was
impossible to keep to himself, even if
the telling of it meant the ruin Of his
hopes. He could not endure to see her
chatting by the hour with old Fielding,
who evidently admired her and was
quite equal to asking her to marry him,
old villain that he was. And Mile
who could guess what she would do?
She was innocent enough to throw away
her beautiful young life upon that hard
ened old sinner out of pity that she
would think was love and because she
knew nothing whatever about men and
their ways. 1t was high time for Ted
to interfere if he did not want to lose
his last chance.
"You try for yourself, SIR" said the
fisherman, breaking in upon Ted's
thoughts and winking to himself again
81 shall do nothing of the kind, "
said Ted hotly. I'm not a fool. -
"More's the pity! More's the pity!'
muttered the old man, with grin that
he took care to conceal.
cts time to be going back" said
Ted, pulling his watch out "Good
morning I've an idea that this would
be rather nice spot for a picnic; not
half bad. "
Old Jack Grice bent nearly double
with laughter the moment Ted's figure
disappeared round the cliffs, and then
hewent home to tell Betsy the joke and
gain her opinions on tho gentlefolk.
She was shrewd old woman and gave
it as her opinion that Ted was in love.
Jack slapped his knee in delight and
had another laugh at Ted's expense
Meantime Ted hurried back to the
hotel in sort of panic. He felt uneasy
suddenly because he had been absent
for several hours, and Fielding might
be taking the opportunity. Perhaps even
Mt this minute it might be too late and
she DO giving herself away. If she did
that, she would be true till death to the
odd scoundrel, and Ted-Ted would be
the most unhappy of all men. He would
never be able to outlive such blow.
Perhaps ought to have asked her
BEFORE groaned Ted, "but I've never
been able to think that she cares rap
for me. I'm not worth a thought of
hers
Thus thinking, he drew near to the
hotel. A set of tennis was being played
on the asphalt court Mile was not
there. He went and leaned on the fence
that guarded the cliff and gave sweep
ing glance from right to left, taking in
the long walk on the top Of the cliff
and the shore below, both visible from
this point Neither Mile nor Fielding
was i'll view. Then he went round the
hotel to the pleasure grounds, and they
were not there. So he went in and
looked for them in all the public sitting
rooms. There was not sign of either.
Until the gong summoned all the visit
ors down to table 'hote he was unable
to find her, and when he heard casually
that she had been out for drive with
her mother and had since been resting
in her room his heart gave a bound of
joy, and the i'll temper that had been
very visible on his face gave way to his
usual sunny smile, and he was the life
of the young people at his end of the
table.