Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1901-10-04

and used to relate to Nancy marvel
Gus stories of the days to be, when
he should own three-master and she
should be his wife.
These stories usually ended with
promise to bring ship loads of fine
silks and precious stones to her from
the most distant parts of the earth,
and, as she was young and mex
perienced, of course she readily be
lieved them.
When John became big, strapping
fellow, he went before the mast of his
fathers schooner and years laterwhen
his father was no more, and John had
crossed the degree of longitude that
divided boyhood from manhood on
the chart of his life, he became the
possessor of the three-master of
which he had so often dreamed. He
named his vessel Nancy, after the
little blue-eyed Derelict, and it was q
matter of doubt of which he was the
prouder. For Miss Nancy was the
recognized beauty of the village, and
many a young man of Fairport had
envy in his heart for John Crag-
ston.
The young navigator made many
voyages, but none to any very distant
port, and his ventures were fortunate
and his worldly goods were accumu.
In finrr NJ 20 ~
Miss Nancy was wont to stand upon
the beach, with her blue sunbonnet
protecting her brown curls from the
sun, and watch Johns schooner sail
out into the open until it became a
mere speck in the distance, and
finally disappear altogether in the
haze. After that she would cast
many glance to seward during the
long days and keep a well-trimmed
lamp burning in her window at night
until such time as the Nancy again
sailed into the Fairport harbor.
But one day John took her for a
walk along the beach and found her
a shady seat in the shelter of great
bowlder. Then, stretching himself on
the sand at her feet, he outlined a
plan to which she finally half-heart.
eddy consented, with tear in her eye
and sigh in her heart.
"My little Derelict," he said, hold
ing her hand in his, 81 shall make
but one more voyage before we are
married. am going long distance,
Nancy-to the far-off shores of In
dia. But when l return, / shall
bring to you the precious stones and
rare goods which / have so many
times promised you. shall be gone
for many, many months, Nancy, but !
shall return and we shall live in cot.
tage overlooking the sea-"
Miss Nancy gazed far away at the
misty link between the sky and the
sea and made no reply.
"But every hour of the day shall
think of you, my little Derelict, and
so often as I can l shall send you o
message. Should any great length
of time elapse without word from
me, do not doubt my constancy; rath'
err think of me as dead, for death
alone can Danish from my heart the
image of my blue-eyed Derelct."
He kissed her then, and she brave.
" stifled sob in her throat and bid
him God-speed.
And when the Nancy sailed out OF
Fairport harbor on that bright June
morning, Miss Nancy stood on the
beach and waved handkerchief so
long as bit of the black hull could
be discerned against the horizon that
stretched across the sea like deep
blue ribbon. Then she walked slowly
back to her cottage and sank into a
chair with her face in her hands.
And the schooner Nancy never
more sailed into Fairport harbor.
During the many years Miss Nancy
divided her time between cheering
the sorrowing hearts, nursing the
sick or assisting the poor of the vii
lage and gazing out to sea. And
every night light burned brightly
in her window.
No direct word came from John
after his first two letters, but one
day sailor drifted into the village
who said the Nancy had gone down
off the Indian coast, and that John
Cragston had died with his face to
the west and far-away look in his
eyes.
Miss Nancy nourished her sorrow
in silence, and the story the ole
sailor told was balm to her wounds
| Tn the twilight hour she loved tc
walk along the beach where John had
led her that June day, and seating
herself in the shelter of the great
bowlder, gaze out to sea.
There it was that big, broad
shouldered man, coming swiftly along
the beach one evening, found her. III
threw himself on the sand at her feet
and she uttered sudden, sharp cry
and covered her face with her hands
And then he told her that thu
Nancy had indeed been wrecked of
the coast of India, but he had beer
picked up by passing steamer ant
carried to Calcutta. There he hat
fallen under the influence OF won
ans dark eyes, and upon her he hat
lavished all his fortune and his at
lection. When his money was squan
dered, she had scorned him, ant
ashamed, repentant, and still lovinl
he had returned to Fairport to bel
Nancy's forgiveness.
81 have brought the jewels and TIL
silks, my little Derelict," he said.
Miss Nancy gave herself up to bit
ter tears, which finally she conquered
and gazed at him with never smil
on her face. Rising to her feet at last
she said, in strange voice:
"It was your love ] wanted, no
your Jewels or your silks. Why hav
YOU broken my heart with this cen