Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1899-02-11


he told her that she should yet re-
pent that day 3 work.
For awhile Isabel was troabled
with the threat, but by and by it
passed out of her mind, and ii she
thought of Ridgeway il was with an
emotion of pity rather than fear.
Landscape was fishing village,
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 va.
cation. 1t was 10 August, and two
weeks yet to the openingof the fall
term at the seminary. So Isabel was
was at liDerty.
Perhaps it was fate, perhaps pure
ly accident, that Desmond happen
ed to select Martin Ridgeway as
his boatman. Martin took him out
fishing daily, at so much an hour,
and on the fourth day Henry invit-
/
ed Isabel 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.
lis 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
he 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 | do I've had
slight acquaintance with him, and
l am not prepossessed in his favor.
Let us give up today's excursion
"Nonsense, darlingl 1t is such q
fine day for boating, and he promis-
ed to take Us to Break water 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 foil Of misgivings.
But Ridgeway was polite, even cor
dial to her, and said some very
graceful things about how much he
and his boat were honored by so
fair passenger.
And as he 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
friendly manner for the hard
thoughts she had INDUCED respect
ing him.
They we're a very merry, happy
trio and reached Breakwater Sands
in perfect good-fellowship.
The Sands was narrow strip OF
land, which the ebb.tide left bare
and dry; but at high water it was
completely covered. Curious speci-
mems of sea.weed and rare shells
were frequently found there, and
it was quite a. celebrated resort for
people who we're not afraid to ven
ture so far from the mainland.
Atlthe west end of the Sands,
Ridgeway told them, they would be
likely to find the best specimen of
shells and sea weeds, and together
they strolled off in the direction
pointed out, leaving Ridgeway ly-
ing on the deck of the boat reading
volume of poems.
1t was very pleasant out there all
alone to the young lovers, and they
were all unmindful OF the lapse OF
time. They had been told that at
three o'clock the tide would begin
to rise. and that it would then be
unsafe to remain longer on the
sands. At length Isabel noticed
that her footprints were filling with
water, and she seized Henry's arm
to hurry him away.
"The tide is coming in" she cried.
1--WE must hasten or we are lost!
This is quicksand 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
thay had left The boat as fast as PCS
sible. But their progress was pain
fully slow, for the porous sand was
filling with water, and at every step
they sank ankle deep. At last they
came 10 sight OF the May Queen.
and to their surprise and horror
they saw that she was long dis
lance from the shore, lying still on
the water. Desmond shouted TO
Martin Ridgeway:
"Put back as quickly as possible !
Dorft x-ou eoa ,Ia ida 10 riSiuu2