The Camden chronicle. (Camden, Tenn.) 1890-current, 1901-09-06

ara CranshaW had done the same he
might have danced off his foolish jeal-
ousy. and saved his soul from crime
whose shadow logged him like n
bloodhound for the best years Of his
life.
But no. He watched Annie with
gloomy eyes for a few moments, then
his face set and hard he stepped out
upon the piazza which formed a gal
lery around the dancing room and
Oyerhung the sea. A wind had arisen
and the tide was coming In, foamlng
about the piers upon which the pa
Wilton was erected. The house had
been built for the use Of summer visi-
tors 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
reference to her lovers weakness,
thinking that he could not possibly be
jealous of an entire 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 NUT
tered, gnawing his moustache. zone
word or look from her. and / should
have said 4 have a right to the dance,
for we are engaged But no; any one
but me-that idiot, that Sinking
jackanapes of a tailor's sign! Here she
comes with him."
Annie and her partner were Waiting
down the room towards the long sash
door where Richard stood. Annie
looked like a glowing rose, but Mr..
Marquett, what was the matter with
him? He suddenly seemed to go to,
pieces-like a man Of shreds and tat7
tiers, his knees knocked together, his.
limbs shook. His face turned grey.
like a clay masque, he reeled and
swayed and staggered forward. Rich
ard threw open the door by which he
stood, and Annie with q strong grip
half carried her partner through the
doorway on to the piazza, where he
fell upon the floor.
ooh, what is this? Oh, what has
happenedY she cried, kneeling by him
and pushing back the hair from his
pale face. us he dead| She sprang
trembling to her feet. She chung to
her lover in a frenzy of fright. "Oh,
Richard, what shall we do? Shall
get some waterY
"There is water enough here" said
he, savagely finging her arms from
his neck, while with one touch Of his
boot he pushed the helpless Marquett
off the gallery platform into the dark
waters.
"Get him out and dance with him
some more! Goodbye" and Richard
sprang like a hunted deer, cleared the
piazza with one bound and disappeared
into the darkness. From that time on
he was seen no more in Seaport, 1t
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 accidental
ly over the railing. He recovered soon,
the incident passed from his 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 had ever wanted her. Mr.. Mar
quett proposed in vain. The rich wild
over and the classic young minister
shared the same fate.
annie will go through the woods
and take up with a crooked stick at
last" said the gossips.
1t was a long storm and q terrible
one in which many a ship met her
doom. On the blacklist night of ii
Richard Cranshaw, mate Of the Anna
Belle, stood on the deck Of his ship
with heart that defed the storm. He
was q bronzed, deep-chested man OF
action. His dark mood was upon him
and he cared not, though the brig
writhed and stranded in the torture
of the sea as if she might go to pieces
any moment; the waves roared, the
spray Kissed as it broke over him, thu
timbers beneath him We're grooming
the shrouds whistled aloft. But IL
the midst of it all and over it all there
sounded a gun, a boom. Again an
other. 1t must be. Yes, it was a shiI
in distress, the danger signal Of perish
ing souls.
II will 60" said Richard. "Give M
the life-boat, I'll go to themy'