Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1898-01-29
Landscape was . fiahing viIlag.


and its delightful location and the
freshness Of its sea breezes brought
in summer time pleasure seekers By
the score.
Two.smart hotels had sprung up
on the beach, and through the hot
season they we're usually well filed
With guests.
This summer Henry Desmond
came down to spend weeks vaea-
ton. Il vas in August, and two
weeks yet to the opening Of the fall
term at the seminary. So Isabel
was at liberty.
Perhaps it was fate, perhaps pure
ly accident, that Desmond happened
to select Martin Ridgeway as his
boatman. Martin took him out fish
ing daily, at so much en- hour, and
on the fourth day Henry invited Is.
abel to accompany him.
She did not know who was the
boatman until they reached the pier,
and she saw Ridgeway arranging
the sails of the May Queen. She
drew back with an instructive shud.
/ der.
as that the man who has attend
ed you all this week, Henry ~ she
asked.
"The very same. A queer, silent
sort of fellow, but good sailor and
be knows every inch of water in this
vicinity. But why !? You look as
if you knew him, and were no friend
to him."
/ @Do l? Perhaps I do. I've.had
q slight acquaintance with him, and
| am not progressed in his favor.
Let us give up today's excursion
Nonsense, darling! It is such a
fine day for boating, and be promis-
ed to take US to Breakwater Sands
for shells. There are very beautiful
| specimens found there, / am told.'
Isabel struggled hard to recover
her equanimity, and partially sue
ceeded. Still she stepped on board
the May Queen full Of misgiFings.
But Ridgeway was polite, even
cordial to her, and said some very
| graceful things about how much be
and his boat we're honored by SO fair
passenger.
And as be continued kind and
courteous all the way, Isabel came
to the conclusion that she had
wronged Ridgeway, and she did the
best she could to atone by her friend
" manner for the hard thoughts she
had INDUCED respecting him.
They we're very merry, happy
trio, and reached Breakwater Sands
in perfect good-fellowship.
The Sands was a narrow strip of
land, which the ebb-tide left bare
and dry, but at high water II was
completely covered.
Curious specimens of sea weed and
rare shells were frequently found
there, and it was quite a celebrated
resort for people who were not
afraid TO venture so far from The
mainland.
| At the west end Of the Sands,
Ridgeway told them, they would be
likely to find the best specimens of
shells and sea weeds, and together
they strolled off in the direction
pointed cat, leaving Ridgeway ~
ing on the deck OF the beat, reading
volume of poems.
1t was very pleasant out there all
alone to the young lovers, and they
were both unmindful Of the lapse of
time.
They had been told that at three
o'clock tie tide would begin to rise,
and that it would then be unsafe to
remain longer on the sands. At
length Isabel noticed that her foot
prints were filing with water, and
she seized Henry's arm to hurry
him away.
"The tide is coming in" she
cried. awe must hasten or we are
lost. This is q auicksand half an
hour after the tide flows, and we
should be swallowed up in the
treacherous sand long before the
water would entirely cover the
Sands ~
He put his arm around her waist,
and they hurried forward to where
they had left the boat as fast as pos
sible.
But their progress was painfully
slow, for the porous sand was filing
with water, and at every step they
sank ankle deep.
At last they came in sight of the
May Queen, and to their surprise
and horror they saw that she was a
long distance from the shore, lying
still on the water. Desmond shout
ed to Martin Ridgeway:
"Put back as quickly as possible
Don't you see the tide is rising?
Hurry, or We shall be lost |"
II see it, shouted the man in the
boat, land / rejoice in it! / have
left you to your fate. Even as it is
you are to be envied, as you will die
together, while / shall live on alone
swore that the woman / loved
should never live to wed another
fI-- y