The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1899-12-08
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ESSVE,


tant point, a white sail glimmered and
too plainly told her what way the
swift yacht 1'ycho was following with
its happy burden. The sound of music
above the roar of the surf, and she
could not sleep in her little room down
in her fathers cottage while the lights
were flashing so merrily from the myr
lad windows of the Grand hotel.
She ground her feet hard into the
sand and said in low voice, talking
to the wind and waves:
II was happy enough before they
came. happy in my quiet. ignorant life
and now | am unhappy because | am
like a child crying for the moon. Theil
life is not my life. They are away
above me and out of reach. And yet
and yet he follows me; he talks with
me; he steals away from the ballroom
and the billiard saloon and lies under
the shadowy cliff for hours and hours
telling me stories, singing sometimes il
such n grand, sweet voice! 1t only
makes our fisher folk seem ruder and
coarser when | must go back to them.
Out into the broad strip of moon
light, along the yellow beach, two
young men strolled together, and one
said:
You are growing to be a perfect
night owl, Hugh. | see you wandering
out here alone when there is plenty OF
fun going on at the house."
"Oh, there is woman at the bot
tom of it." laughed the other, two wo
men. in fact-one that | wanted to get
away from and one that | wanted tC
get near to-
but is not that your yacht Harr
around by Harpie's point? Are you
not expected to be aboard of herr"
Eyes, but | begged off at the last
minute. | wanted one more happy
hour before mother and the girls come
to spoil it all"
Essie had shrunk back in the shad
ow, and little scornful smile curved
her lips. to think that her hero SHOULD
be afraid of his mother and sisters.
But do you think il is treating the
fisher girl just right, now. Hugh?
asked the other earnestly. you know
we were brought up to think that ev
cry woman is somebody's sister OF
mother and that anyhow they are not
made for toys. or worse, as you are
making this little girl"
81 will tell you the truth now
"a Ia
"Essie is Il sweet girl, as bi.s,ht al>
fair as the seashells that travel all the
way from farof tropic climes to be
tossed by some stray wave at our feet
but she is young yet, and what | an
not quite sure about is that it woult
being married at her age. But what
am quite sure about is that when The
summer is over and my mother ant
sisters have gone. with the other pleas
ure seekers, back to their homes, wheI
the big hotel is closed and all the cot
tages are empty of summer boarders
then | am going down to the fisher
mans home to get acquainted will
my Essie She is good. straightfor
ward Yankee girl, and Ill be hanged il
want any bunch of fashion and fl
ings for my wife. want-well, the
fact is want Essie."
The girl i'll the shadow heard it all
and falling on her knees on the wei
sand. with her face against the cliff
she clasped her little hands and prayct
as earnestly and fervently as a child
prayed that the Father in hcavel
might make her thankful for life's hes
gift. the love of true heart. and tina
she might prove worthy of that sacret
trust.
Then the slight, sirlish figure arose
and glided away TO her own little mes
in the cabin loft. and her dreams grew
glorious with the new revelation tina
had so strangely come to her.
All the summer went by like fairy
story. and If people noted the new ligh
in ESTES eyes they thought it only the
outlook of some bright fancy of hel
own. she was so fond of dreaming
waking dreams" they said.
Sometimes she saw Hugh Abbot
walking with tail, stylish girl, ant
she wondered If that was the one Ii
liked to get away from, but she never
by word or look claimed the attention
he was so fond of giving her.
Sometimes she laughed out in hei
wordless, perfect joy and. looking int
his frank. boyish eyes. read again the
precious story which he fancied he was
keeping so profoundly hidden from her
But when the forest leaves burned
gold and crimson flame, Wien the sal
winds piped chill and shrill through
the rigging of the great ships, then th'
city folks drifted back to their homes
but Hugh stad, as he had promise,
himself, and roughed it day by dn,
with the toilng fishers, only to so hom'
and talk with Essie through the Ion:
evenings. to read to her, to sing witt
her and plan the long, bright future, a
it stretches out before them, when sh,
is to be his wife. with no care or trou
Bile that his constant love can shielt
her from, when all the burdens of lif'
are to grow lighter for sharing.
He is staying there yet though TIL
gray skies of November bend abov'
the troubled sea aud storms are FIRE
quent all along the coast.
She scarcely breads his leaving, 81
sure is she that the winter will pas
quickly with her books and tasks an,
so confident that the early summer vii
bring him back to note with please'