The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1906-05-11

was pronounced, | leaned owe TO speak
to the Millers, but Rolfe was ahead Of
me-he already had Elizabeth by the
hand.
DO you remember the morning !
went away" | heard him ask.
Yes" answered Elizabeth, and she
colored beautifully. 81 stood at the
gate and waved you good-by as you
walked down the street"
You did" said he; and you wished
me good luck-you, a little thing, win
your curly head hardly above the pickets
of the fence, And good luck followed
me throughout the voyage. Elizabeth
| think | owe it all to you"
Cindy was bursting with wrath and
envy.
Did you ever see the beat OF that?
said she, as we pursued Il home
ward way together. And Elizabeth
Miller was the only girl in church who
didn't wear a new bonnet"
And who didn't need one | an
swered, gloomily. THE rest Of you
can't hold a tallow dip to Elizabeth"
That night Cindy returned from
prayer meeting, and told us that Rolfe
had been sitting again in the Miller
pew, and that he had gone home
through the moonlight with Elizabeth.
My heart burned like a hot coal. For
hours | tossed sleeplessly, thinking OF
that whaleman. The next morning he
walked into our store, and laid a white
bearskin on the counter before Cindy.
II promised you a present from
Greenland, you remember" said he,
land here it is"
| bore my torment for awhile, then
I took the old gun that | had offered
Cindy as part payment for her bonnet,
and started for the beach, where the
sea-faring folk were usually to be
found.
AS l went ~plunging through the
wood, | stumbled against a man wno
was cutting letters on the trunk of a
tree and singing softly to himself as
he worked.
IlGllu, JOty NC IuilSui soy a q
lark. Looking for squirrels?"
At once | felt like a fool, l tried to
slip the old gun into the bushes.
"Of course" l answered, glibly:
have you seen any hereabouts?'
NO" said the captain. He finished
the last letter with a flourish, shut
his jackknife and put it in his pocket.
| sided up to the tree, and 10! he had
hacked Elizabeth's initials in the green
bark.
Come down to the beach, Joey" said
Capt. Jack, "and have a sail with me.
There's no wind stirring, but I'll whis-
tie for a capful."
And whistle he did, as we strobe
down the path-the sweetest, c~learest
notes | ever heard. And presently
something rutfled the water, the little
waves began to leap; a cool murmur
came up, as it seemed, from the heart
of the sea; the captain made the boat
ready and we jumped in.
AS he trimmed the sail he fell to
telling me about his voyages in the
South Pacific and the awful white
North; of doubling the black preci-
pieces of Cape Horn, with floating ice
bergs threatening the ship on every
side. | forgot 'Lizbeth and the old
gun, and when | trudged home my
head was full of whaling stations, and
blubber, and big fish, and sharp, elm
ker-buiit boats, and | acknowledged in
my heart that Jack Rolfe was the fin
est fellow in the world.
But presently the spell which he had
thrown upon me passed away, and my
jealousy revived. Though l no longer
wished to harm the captain, | saw that
| must steal~a march upon him. AT
nightfall | went to E~lizabeth's house,
and found her leaning on the gate.
She wore a muslin gown that looked
like a white cloud, and some blush
roses were dying in her bosom.
WAS it here you Stood" | asked,
sulkily, when you wished Capt. Rolfe
good luck, as he started on his voy-
age?"
Yes, Joey" she answered, in a
dreamy voice; Just here"
Elizabeth" | said, 81 want you to
promise to marry mi when | grow up"
She opened wide her beautiful eyes.
THAT is a long time ahead, Joey"
"only five years." l urged. "You
and | are of the same age. You ought
to be willing to wait for me five years,
for I love you tremendously, Eliza
beth"
Somebody came up to us on the
other side of the gate and, leaning
over, put an arm around my compan-
ion.
Here is another person that loves
Elizabeth Tremendously" said Capt.
Rolfe, with laughter in his voice, land
hs he is already grown up, she need
not wait to marry him, Joey. All, my
lad, you are too late-Elizabeth is
promised to me. But, cheer up! you
shall dance at her wedding"
There is no more to tell. He wasn't
the man to let grass grow under his
shoes. He married Elizabeth, and car
ried her off to the other side of the
world. And the morning they left the
village l wished Cindy had never
fished me out of the old well. Even
to this far day my heart thrills 10 the
name of Elizabeth.
THE DISTINCTION OF DASHER. |