The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1898-12-09

ed far out to sea on either side of the bay
as though sho were crouching down in the
middle of the town, was lying forlorn and
deserted, for the men who had been load
ing her with clay had retired to the shelter
of the shed on the beach-a shelter merely
nominal, for the shed was composed of but
four granite pillars supporting an impcr-'
feet slate roof, where they sat wrapped in
sacks, and with the big letters on their
backs and chests proved living hornbcoks
to the two or three youngsters who, hay
ing escaped from home after tea, had come
to share the shelter of the she'd The elders
sat in contented silence, staring absently
out at the gray, misty sea, Illuminating
and resting, while the youngsters studied
them. They were silent because there
was nothing to talk about. Most of the
inhabitants of the place being present,
conversation was hampered, and they were
not in the mood to mako talk or to be
cheerful
Martin Rowe was the first to break the
silence, and he spoke with the air of an
oracle. If the wind was to get up, the
rain'd stop Bit Then he lapsed Into
silence again.
Reuben Hawke grunted assent. IF
her do get us, us'll have dirty weather out
yander tonight"
No one answered. Far out they could
Just see n faint trail of smoke. marking
where a steamer was hurrying along. II
couldn't fancy going along i'll one OF them
there, " said an old man in & corner by Il
pillar, nodding slightly toward where the
smoke of the steamer was melting away.
I'D so soon 90 pom one of the steam en-
gines, and nobody can 'cuse me Of that.
I've never even 50 much as seed one all
the years they've been tearing about the
country
Il reckon us'll have to come to it sooner
or later, " responded Il younger man laZi-
ly, but it do seem like tempting Provi-
dence to TO zee harm. If l was a mar
ried man, nov, shouldn't reckon it right
to SIX it,
II dunno, Sam; things looks different
altogether then" Sam looked perpleXed
and could find nothing to say. Martin
Rowe's ubstracted, singsong voice broke
the silence again. We've had brave
scat of dryth," he remarked, evidently
following out the train of thought sug
gcstcd by Reuben S statement. "A change
wouldn't be out the way now"
For nearly an hour they sat passive, Tu
minating, chewing their guilds of tobacco
and by and by the short day closed in and
the rain iessened. When the slight began
to fade, one of the men suggested that
they might as well go home. The Others
hcsitated. They were paid by the job, not
by the hour.
While they were hesitatng there was Il
quick step outside and i swish of petit
coats, ard in another moment Il girl was
in their midst. She WAS tall, graceful
creature with "A fine head we'll set on her
pretty neck, from which her dress in
back loosely, and dark, wavy hair drawn
back from low brow. Her eyes y,cce
darl; and close set to her thin, well shaped
nose, above which her dark eyebrows net
1t was n striking face, but one rcpollant
rather than attractive TO student OF
physiognomy.
The men glanced up as she came in like
a small whirlwnd, breaking UP their
stolld reflections. "BiIl's come back
she said exctldly, and he says the wind
is going round and there'll lie IL gale l.y
and by" Her checks were flushed and
her eyes sparkling with excitement. The
men seemed to catch the infection of her
mood and looked up with interest, but
Martin Rowe, her father, alone sLoko.
DO 'ee say so now, Ecrity:" he ejacu-
lated, with little apparent interest in
statement, though there was plenty in his
eyes.
But Verity's keen eyes, glinting round
the place, had caught sight of the smaller
members Of the community, staring at her
with eyes and ears agape with interest.
and Immediately bounced upon them.
Why, if there Isn't our Zachy and Tom
MY Hawkinl Tommy Hawlin and Xachy
Rowe, your mothers are u looking for you.
You'd better make haste home, and you'n
catch it when you gets there. 4" And Tom
and Zachy fed before her flashing eyes,
but their minds We're full of a vague Won
der as to why their elders looked pleased
when they heard there was a gale rising
Bills prophecy was quickly fulfilled Be
fore night tell Il hurricane had sprung IN,
squalIy, gusty-bad enough in all CON
science on land, but so times worse at
sea. The wind reared in the chimney
and ratified the doors and windows. wax
ing up little Zachy Rowe and frightening
him SO much that he was afraid to 20 to
sleep again had he been able to, lest the
roof should fall in and kill him before he
could save himself, and while he was lying
awake in his little bed in the END of the
kitchen winch was rallied off to form a
bedroom he heard some one burst in at the
front door and say in n loud whisper:
HERS ruined straight on em, and hers
going down as fast as she can 20. The
folks is taking to the boats or trying to
swim to land" Then there was such a
hurrying and bustling and quick low
whispering that Zachy grew consumed
with longing to know what it all meant.
He heard his father give II low laugh in
answer to the last remark There's
many as have tried that" he said mean
ingly, and little Zachy's heart ;tched to be
tp Wi tbpp, nd
as their backs were turned he tried to. slip
on some clothes and cut out through the
open door, but his mother was quicker
than he.
'No, you don't, my dear cheeld," she
said, catching him as he was getting well
out over the threshold, and then she stood
by and received his lit lie garments one by
one as he took them off, and having put
them far out of his reach and tucked him
in his bed, she sat down by the fire and
waited, listening intcntly, or went over and
opened the top half of the door and leaned
out over the hapse as though looking for
some one ZaGhy, waiting and listening,
too, lay in his little bed and watched her
1t seemed to him that a lifetime passed
thus. In reality il was a couple of hours.
Not sound from without save tho roar
and cry of the wind reached them, and he
was just dropping off to sleep when the
door was flung open and Verify burst in.
Over her head thick shawl was pinned
tightly, but in spite of it her hair had been
caught by the wind and was blown wildly
about her face, and her skirts were drip
ping water all the way she went. She
stepped in with a brisk, exultant air and,
going over to the table, laid on it some
things that glittcrcd and sparkled in the
light of the fiaring Candida gold watch
and chain, two rings, in one Of which
flashed a diamond; handful of money,
and pockctbOok.
"Oh, my!" cried her mother, and her
eyes sparklcd. Verity's sparkled, too, but
she took care to draw the articles nearer