The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1906-02-27
Che Blsque
CoRet1
By JOHN ERIC VIRCINI
Copyright, 1905, by Mcclure, Phflsps 4 O.

The long sand beach seemed to be
deserted-not a single soul In view.
Suddenly from the gray timbers Of
wrecked vessels stern rose Dickie
Boys head Half kneeling In his worn
and scanty garments, he rested hand
ON the Jagged edge of a beam and.
craning his neck, looked up and down
the beach.
For a second he knelt there, facing
the cleaning sea. The sun was In the
west, but 1t was still bright. Well, 1t
was early yet She usually came a bit
nearer sunset time. He hastily Owed
into one of his pockets and from the
tangle that crammed it extracted three
marbles, a f1shhook and-his dearly
bought treasure. The salesgirl had
wrapped it daintily for him with mar
row white ribbon, and he held it care
fully, almost reverently, in both brown
little hands.
"Jiminee, I'm glad I've got some
thin to give her before she goes away
somethin' to remember me BY"
For quarter hour more the sun
marched toward the western horinon,
and then she came. But, alas, she was
not alone! A man was with her-not
one of her numerous summer admirers,
but a man whom Dickie never had
seen. He was young and vigorous, but
there was something about him that
bespoke age-a sternness, even a hard
ness, as of one who had fought battles
They passed the corner Of the wreck
whence Dickie Boys head had risen
just before and went down to the other
end Of the vessel, where some fallen
timbers made q sheltered seat They
were both looking away from the dis
mantled stern, and through a conven-
lent opening in its joints pair Of blue
eyes watched them eagerly. It was not
in Dickie's character of youthful ira
ditions to sneak or hide, even less to be
an eayesdropper, but somehow a CD
nous shyness had invaded him at sight
Of the stranger, and he found himself
unable to go forward or speak, but of
the conversation which reached his ears
he understood little or nothlng-he was
still such a child.
"How plainly we hear the buoyr
said the girl, arranging the border Of
her blue serge skirt close to her russell
shoes. She was intent upon speaking
Of Representatives. The man looked
out to sea, whence came the fitful tone
at disconcerting intervals.
winds in our direction" he remark
ed briefly.
what makes 1t so sadr she specu-
lated idly, picking up pebble and
throwing it into the SURF THE ir~
regularity of the sound, do you think 2"
"Irregularity Is not necessarily sad"
the man objected. l think perhaps
It's the aimlessness, the futility Of it,
dear. A bell ought to call people to-
gether, and this one warns them OF.
Therefore it's lonely. 1t must ever be
lonely. That's why It's sad, little girl"
The bell swung at the mercy Of the
wind and water. Its sound came to
them In the pauses of the surf
Keep away, keep awayp chanted
the girl, with the same measured inter-
walls. Eyes, don't know but you're
right. It's rather doleful burden"
While the girl looked silently out to
sea he reverently studied her face, with
its somewhat pale beauty-the effects
Of the gold hair under the yachting
cap and that Of the Christening indif-
ference Of her eyes.
Grddo0Iu ho r0co onA cfoO1 hof0rn
her, his broad shoulders silhouetted
against the growing pink Of the west
ern sky.
"I'm going away again, Eleanor" he
said. I'm going tonight. / thought
when l came back that you might love
me. Perhaps you do. don't know.
You don't know yourself But I've lost
my old boyish faith, you see. dis
trust you, and you distrust yourself
and-so-it is hopeless"
He spoke with a bitterness that
seemed involuntary. Then for one brief
second he stopped and laid his face
against the soft hair on her forehead.
She could not see the yearning tender
ness Of his expression, but there was a
flush on her cheeks and light In her
eyes.
you see, Blair" she said slowly, '.it's
SO hard for me to know my own
mind, r.
"Yes," he threw in, a little frown on
bis forehead, land it wasn't so very diff
ferent five years ago"
you mean to reproach me, BlairT
The flush on the girls face was deeper
now, but the light had died out The
note of trouble In her voice melted
him. Unconsciously he sat down again
on the timbers.
II mean that have lost i've good
years out of my life because you didn't
know your own mind, little girl. II
you had known
She held out her slim hand to stop
him. Then his eye fell on a tiny ring
on the third finger-a ring with bit Of
red stone like a drop of blood He
reached over and took the outseretched
hand
poor little ring" he said musingiy
you would not take 1t, you remember,
Eleanor, till 1 promised that It should
bind you to nothing. 1t was to be
reminder merely Of our friendship. But
In these five years all my thought, all
my labor, has been for you. I've never
been wholly hopeful, but now the last
shred Of hope Is gone" he relinQuish-
ed her hand gently. "And tomorrow
well, the years that stretch before me
seem bit black and long"
blair, I don't think it's kind Of you
10 talk like that" the girl broke in,
with a nervous little laugh that was
half sob. "It makes me feel-it
makes me feel positively guilty. e. II
l had purposeIy broken your heart
You wouldn't want ms to marry you
If hadn't surely made up my mind.
would you? And l can't help 1t II ma
ture deliberately made me coquette-
so therei' She tossed a handful Of
sand into space. She was angry with
herself for the foolish tears that had
started.
Then there came a startled little cry
Of pain Some of the sand had blown
directly into Dickie Boys blue eyes.
A few moments later, when he had