Middletown transcript., 1899-03-04
THE YACHT ORCHID.
IE was lookin. ut Nays portrait =

and bright. Hard, also. WAS his face.
AMI rhe ciench+d lips like adamant.
He took tie ihIck envel pr IF ne
salver, glanced al the clrrky writing
arid at the back, upon which was
stamped in blue l4sters, Nv. Robinson
. & Co.. Then ht flung il on he table,
d as he srrvan left the room be
s .und { hash laush+r br kp upon her
| as rIi Isil. d ears. Sn. fi q 10 hr XII! ch.
~ aud Nlth scare.i tacs whispered hat
sh+ thnIght ponr Nj. O5d must be 60.
ing mad.
Small wonder. perhaps, if he wertl
Fl. had written few days befure 10
William Rabipsnn for those patterns
wedding SUIT. Whal wtignty natter
ltla choice W uld have beeDi May WAS
81 par lcular about WI I he wore. He
used 10 be little careless about his
dress unce-going about In coats with
cIeasrs h hem, and farmers b0uts.
Then, ~ his eudeavnr to gain Nays
appTuba on, he had OyeIdone IL III The
opposite direction, sporting collars Of
absurd height, and impossible ties, en-
during like a martyr ne plncn of paE-
ent Il atuer shoe5 SIZE TOO small for
hlm and getting himself litGle ciIaffrd
by appearing IN suits unmistAkAbly IN
advance IT The fashion.
May, with gentle tact, had changed II
this. Never hurting her young low
er by open Condemnation Of is apparel,
but by artfui suggestions mad irst rOus-
I'D nln 10 an tnterrs. Ill bis attire, then
toned down his some ~ hat clude taste J,
and inalIl schuuled hun lulU lhaI quiet
pvrIrctiuu ut dressing Wuich IL tue At.
IllUute ul geEtlrnah. He had written
IIi tut po, ttip fIUM kCblusUn's d few
W eks Deioie tue flnpurtAn. suit should
Dr needed, as liz VAN ed 20 have NJ ly'S
opinion with regard 10 The materials.
Already the little, laughing gay girl
mad begun to be more than a mere
10 feast upon. He Consulted her about
everything. He had no 81 ters, and
until the lasC year-wheu the death Of
ali uncle aud The inheril ance Of for
tune had made. him uis own master
he had lived y solitary life In remote
country town with the relation by
whose SUI, den dea b he was enriched.
May Garden, one of The fist young
ladies he Came across in town, had ia
ken his heaIt by storm. The mixture
Of fIIvolILy and sound prac ical sense
4ln her nature Was exac ly what he need
ed. The one blake the crust of y Ger
tain muroseness born of an unloved life
and the other steadled the propensiIies
70 extravaganza of taste and living
which unexpected wealth had not un-
naturally aroused.
After the laugh of harshness, which
had SO startled his servant, Laurence
Ord wet bach TO the study of Mays
portrait. 1t was indeed vertiable
May face. Cheeks like young roses,
tlaiI brown, as hawthorn tWi q, lips
which were akin TO the deep pink buds
Of the apple blossoms, and eyes
linct with azure, like two crystal wells
That drink the blue complexion Of the skies.
These latter laughed back as II in
mocking merrimsnt to the hard gray
ones which were loOkii 3 down on them.
A b nf anguish broke in groan from
Ord's lips. He tried to realize that
those dancing eyes we're closed forever.
Tried tried as many and many be-
rbaved one has striven in vain to do
TO grasp the fact that the dear lips
would never speak again; that no more
until the day Of resurrection would so
much as the faintesL color tinge the
still white face. The picture before him
bubbling rysr as it WAS with life and
mirth, gave the lie to such thought.
The idea Of May-Mny, the merriest
little person in the world, lying cold
and silent, was too much for the young
man who had last seen her having q
wild game with kitten on the deck
Of friends yacht.
| He had dreaded hat little cruise
more than be- could say. He had all
but asked her not % 60; but from this
be had refraiued, deeming IL mere sell
| fishness.
"You don't mind me going, Laurie.
do your" she had asked, when the
trip hao been suggested, and with . lit
tie pleading look in her eyes which, was
irresis, 4 BILE, especially Us be had not yet
the absolute right TO give or withhold
permission. ''I'll only be gone three
weeks, dear, and then-if you still have
a mind to-you may take me and keep
me forever, and forever, and foreyerl
A large order, Lauriel Shslisyou W. ut
me for 50 long do you tbink2"
Ord, never backward lover, had an
swered that question by aQuietus to the
sweet lips which spoke it.
He had gone to see her off on board
the Orchid, aud she had stopped 10 The
middle of her airy whirls with the kit
tan and piece Of scarlet ribbon. 70
whisper, "Mind you have the patterns
ready by the time come backln
/ The patterns were ready, but never
i more thought p or hearI-brok d Lsu-
rie would May come back to him again.
"Ths yacht Orchid, which was
/ wrecked last night on the dapgerou
reef outside Alwyn Bay, il the proper
IL Of q Mr., Gr,tiths, Of London. All
on board we're saved except the unfoE