Daily camera., 1901-10-24

sHoulc Dc his Wl1e.
These stories usuilly ended with a
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 andyears later when
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 a
matter of do>bt OF which he was the
| prouder. For Miss Nancy was the
recognized beauty of the village, and
many q 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-
lating at a most satisfactory ratio.
| 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 seaward during the
long days and keep 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 a great
bowlder. Then, stretching himself on
the sand at her feet, he outlined a
plan to which she finally half-heart-
edly consented, with a tear in her eye
and sigh in her heart.
MY little Derelict," he said, hold
ing her hand in his, II shall make
but one more voyage before we are
married. am going long distance
Nancy-to the far-or shores of In
| dia. But when I 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
tsge 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 ! can I shall send you
message. Should any great length
of time elapse without word from
me, do not doubt my constaney; rath-
er think OF me as dead, for death
alone can banish from my heart the
image of my blue-eyed Dereliet."
He kissed her then, and she brave
ly stif,ed sob in her throat and bid
him God-speed.
And when the Nancy sailed out OF
FairpoFt 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 discerncd against the horizon that
stretched across the sea like deep
blue ribbon. Then she walked slowly
back TO her cottage and sank into
chair with her face in her hands.
| And the schooner Nancy never
mare sailed into Falrport harbor.
During the many years Miss Nancy
divided her time between cheering
sick or sisting the poor of the vii
lage and gazing out to sea. And
every night ligh. 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 faraway look in his
eyes.
Miss Nancy nourished her sorrow
in silence. and the story the old
sailor told was balm to her wounds.
| In the twilight hour she loved TO
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
.houldered man. coming swiftly along
the beach one evening. found her. He
threw himself on the sand at her feet,
and she uttered a sudden, sharp cry,
and covered her face with her hands.
And then he told her that the
I Nancy had indeed been wrecked off
the coast of India, but he had been
picked up by a passing steamer and
carried to Calcutta. There he had
fallen under the influence Of a wom-
ans dark eyes, and upon her he had
lavished all his fortune and his af-
fection. When his money was squan-
Gered, Sne hlu ECOTfeu nun, anu
ashamed. repentnnt, and still loving
he had returned to Fairport to beg
Nancy's forgiveness.
81 have brought the jewels and the
silks, my little Derelict." he said.
| Miss NAN gave herself up to bit
ter tears, wAich finally she conquered
and gazed at him with never a smile
on her face. Rising to her feet at last,
she said, in strange voice:
"It was your love I wanted, not
your Jewels or your silks. Why have
you broken my heart with this con-
fession of your deceit? 'Twere sweet
er to have always thought of you as
dying with your face to the west and
a far-away look in your eyes"
| Then she left him lying on the
sand and walked sadly along the
beach to her home. John Cragston
staggered to his feet. finally, and
turned his face again to the east. He
was never more seen in Fairport, and
Miss Nancy remained a derelict