The Press., 1898-01-27
larger and more distinct until the songs of the native sailors could be dist iinctly

of the native sailors could be dist inctly heard in her cliff top nook.
 She reached the age of l9 when one morning she encountered young stran- ger in the person of the son of wealthy planter who lived many miles over the other side of the mountain and who, while pursuing his favorite rastime of shooting red winged partridges, had scaled the cliff and, following his dogs, almost stumbled into Ninette's retreat. The young man. after apologizing, with drew hastily, but his dogs, enjoying the carcssss of the timid but delighted girl, refused to answer his call, and he was obliged to return to induce them to fol- !uw him.
 From this incident there grew an ac- cuaintance as carefully conducted as the strictest rules of the old French family conduct would prescribe. And one morning the count was somewhat surprised to receive a visit from the young mans father and mother, who had driven from the extreme end of the island for the purpose of introducing themselves and requesting permission for their son to pay his addresses to Mi nette. The motherless child was intro duced to the woman who desired to be her mother at-law and her husband. Family history and family matters were discussed at length, and the plant CT and his wife did not depart until the desired consent had been obtained. Aft CT this the young couple were betroth- ed, the engagement duly announced, and at the expiration of nearly year the date of the marriage set and made public, when one day Ninette, while reading in her favorite nook, was over- taken by one of those fierce storms for which the island is famous, and in at tempting to regain the top of the hill slipped and fell down through the tan- gled underbrush, cut and scared by jagged rocks, to the sands below Here she was found by friends who were alarmed at the storm and her absence and started out to search for her.
 She was carried home almost lifeless and for several days lowered between life and death, until the vigor of youth enabled her to recover sufficiently to understand the terrible accident that had befallen her. Her once beautiful features were so cut and scared that after one mortified look into a hand mir TOT the poor girl turned away, sent for her father and announced her intent tion of entering a convent as soon as she was we'll enough to do SO
 The almost distracted lover had rid den over from his mountain home day after day to inquire after her condition. His parents had made repeated calls, and kind hearted strangers hitherto ex. cluded from the counts domain by the cold, exclusive disposition of its owner now came and offered sympathy and as sistance daily. AS soon as the attending physician decided that Ninette had sufficiently recovered to be able to bear an interview with her lover without se- rious results the almost frantic young man presented himself, only to be tear fully informed by the old count that his daughter desired him to convey her un- dying love with every assurance that it would remain unchanged until death, but that as the fearful accident that she had met with had disfgured her so that she was confident she could not survive Henri's expression of horror when he looked upon her poor mutilated features she would beg him to remember her as he saw her last, and that she would ever cherish his memory in the convent re- treat that she desired to be conveyed to as soon as her health would permit Sadly and silently the young man took his departure, to return two days later, when he came instead of on horse back, as was his wont, in the clumsy old family carriage. from which he was assisted to alight by favorite servant, when he said to the astonished count
 'Take me to your daughter. Tell he1 that the changes in her features I can never know. She will always be as sweet and beautiful to me as when saw her last. I shall never see her again, but cannot live without her so- ciety. Take me to her. She will see nc looks of horror, for I am blind.''
 Henri, after leaving the counts door, had ridden to his own home, tai ken a last look at the scene that he had loved since boyhood, and then summoned a Hindoo fakir, and after long consulta- l tion submitted to a painful operation | that deprived him of his sight forever. The devotion that could not exist out | side the atmosphere of mystery and su- perstition that hangs heavily over the | little island was rewarded, and the de- scendants of Henri and Ninette now | live in the beautiful little valley back of the capital and tell of the yelled wo- man who conducted the blind planter | over his estate, and who was his guide | and companion until both were laid to rest near the scene of their first meet | ing, where a marble tablet set in the side of the cliff marks the spot and makes it almost sacred to the residents of the island.
 l returned to the city, and it was sev- eral days before was able to complete ly shake off the indescribable impress | sion caused ty what the old innkeepe1 stoutly asserted was true story of the love of Henri and Ninette.-San Fran cisco Chronicle.