The age-herald., 1900-08-12

tered Richard in a suppressed tone, which only Annie heard. He stood close to her side glowering with black brows upon the group. She could hear him breathing hard. The situation was getting to be ridiculous
 Let me see!" she cried, checking off her partners with motion of her pretty fore finger. Fred, ten days ago. MT Marquett five hours, and you just now" turning with a look into Richards eyes. ''Well, I will take the happy mean and dance with MT Marquett," and away she whirled. Fred Parker with easy facility whirled after her with another partner. If Richard Gran shaw had done the same he might have danced off his foolish jealousy and saved his soul from crime whose shadow dogged him like a bloodhound for the best years of his life.
 But no. He watched Annie with gloomy eyes for few moments, then his face set and hard he stepped out upon the piazza which formed gallery around the danc- ing room and overhung the sea. A wind had arisen and the tide was coming in, foaming about the piers upon which the pavilion was erected. The house had been built for the use of summer visitors at the little seaport, but out of season the young people of the village held their dances in 1t.
 Annie had chosen her partner with refer ence to her lovers weakness thinking that
 
 tire stranger, though he might be so of Fred, who had been an old friend of hers and his own chief rival But Richard was madly jealous; he fed the flame of his burn Ing heart by watching her through the window. Smiling and radiant she danced and whirled about the room in the arms of that detestable stranger.
 "There Is no truth in her." he muttered, gnawing his moustache. "One word or look from her, and I should have said, T have a right to the dance, for we are engaged. But no; any one but me-that idiot, that smirking jackanapes of a tailor's sign! Here she comes with him.
 Annie and her partner were waltzing down the room towards the long sash door where Richard stood. Annie looded like a glowing rose, but MT. Marquett what was the matter with him? He suddenly seemed to go to pieces-like a man of shreds and tatters, his knees knocked to- gether his limbs shook. His face turned grey like a clay masque he reeled and swayed and staggered forward Richard threy open the door by which he stood, and Annie with strong grip half carried her partner through the doorway on to the piazza where he fell upon the floor. "Oh, what is this? Oh, what has hap pened?" she cried, kneeling by him and pushing back the hair from his pale face. "Is he dead?" She sprang trembling to her feet. She clung to her lover in a frenzy of fright. "Oh, Richard, what shall we do? Shall I get some water?" There is water enough here," said he, savagely f1inging her arms from his neck, while with one touch of his boot he pushed the helpless Marquett off the gallery plat form into the dark waters.
 "Get him out and dance with him some more Good-bye!' and Richard sprang like Q hunted deer, cleared the piazza with one bound and disappeared into the dark ness. From that time on he was seen no more in Seaport. It was as if the earth had opened and swallowed him up. The men rallied to the help of the fainting man, who, it was understood, had fallen acci- dentally over the railing. He recovered soon, the incident passed from mind, and the village life went on as before. As years went by Annie Bergen kept her beauty wonderfully. The gossips were busy with the coming and going of her beaux. Fred Parker after a long siege, gave her up and forgot that he ever had wanted her MT. Marquett proposed in vain. The rich widower and the classic young min ister shared the same fate.
 Annie vii lgo through the woods and take up with a crooked stick at last" said 1 the gossips.
 l But the Seaport winters began to go l hard with Annie. The moaning of the sea kept her awake nights. Was it not