The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1908-06-26
Late and the
| .Seashell.
Rv INA WRIGHT HANSON
Copyrighted, 1908, by Associated
Literary Press.

.ino ot Santa Cruz. Jeanette Wash
r.,rn had been last of the bathers to
,oovo the surf and in her usual reck-
, sa manner had started to swim to
Az raft after she was tired enough to
,aoyo the water. She made the raft all
rigbt but halfway back she went I'M
der.
patricia, on the pleasure pier, had
oron the alarm, and two men put out
:. boat Before they bore their drip
hing burden up the pier steps crowd
bod gathered from all directions. The
hooch policeman had come running to
nross them back and allow the men to
Sr,rv through with the half drowned
Then the crowd dispersed, except
po+ricia who had given the alarm.
When one walks always with crutch
q ;s better not to walk in a crowd. So
che waited till the pier was deserted
ond she had found that Jeanette
would recover. Then she went home.
Usually Patricia's slow steps were
mt wearisome to her, for the beauty
NJ the hills kept her company, the
lowers along the way were her friends,
and the voice of the ocean said to her
many things, but today she saw neither
hills nor flowers, and she heard moth
ing but her own hearts cry, Ernest
Wentworth loves Jeannette!
She had heard It yesterday, and a
glimpse Of his white face in the crowd
TODAY confirmed the rumor that he
vss going to marry Jeanette Wash
burn. She had said 1t over and over in
the night watches, waging war with
her own eager heart and telling it: to
be ashamed for giving its love IN
asked
When she saw Jeanette near to
drowning she was wild to plunge in
and swim out to her and save her, and
not for Jeannette's own sake.
Even in her impulse she recognized
her motive-not for Jeannette's sake
but for his. She would make the su-
premest sacrifice of her unreQuited
love, and she would do a heroic deed
because of it. But even this was de-
MED her.
Everything is denied cripple" she
thought with unwonted bitterness as
she reached her fathers gate. If
we're like other girls he might have
chosen me"
Late In the afternoon, in the brief
hours between dinner and the gay life
Of the evening, when she knew the ca
sine would be almost deserted, she
went back to sit ON the steps and look
silently seward.
Away to the horizon were fishing
boats and pleasure yacht, its white
sails cleaning silver In the sun. Near
er the shore showed the dark hulk of
the buoy, and nearer still the sea birds
diving and dipping.
All this was on the sea- On the sand
was lone figure, woman in faded
green dress, its skirts held ungraceful-
" up from the kelp as she walked the
damp sands gathering seashells.
Patricia, watching her drearily. saw
her pick up one, look at it carefully.
then put 1t In her jacket pocket. The
next she threw away, perhaps because
of flaw or break or lack of luster.
"Dreaming?" said a voice very pleas
ant to Patricia's ears, and Wentworth
sat down beside her.
1t only made 1t the harder to have
him kind to her. Did a crumb ever do
particle Of good when one was starv-
lng for the whole loaf? Poor Patricia
st1ll, as he was there, and as he was
not saying anything more, she must
make talk. Any kind of talk was bet.
Ter than silence, SO she spoke of wha.
She had been thinking.
Wonder is fate" She pointed to the
Shell gatherer. Choosing, rejecting;
blessing, cursing. oh, poor little thrown
away shells!"
She had tried to make her words
sound light, but the man heard the note
OF pain. He bent toward her, and his
voice was very kind.
i nave known you year." he said
ana l never saw you morbid before
But you are morbid now. You arr
ured The excitement this morning
was TOO much for you"
1es,' she acknowledged. II was or
the pleasure pier when Jeanette wen
aoWn. had wild desire to plunge IL
ana save her and have my picture II
tne paper afterward / wanted to bt
the star of the matinee, you see, an(
nis creation of board and pad would
not let me-
She smiled whimsicaliy down at the
crutch and up at him. She was glat
ne could not read her thoughts. Sht
would be very gay-if he did not stay
too long.
ferhaps Wentworth could not reai
ner thoughts, but he could see that he
eyes were tired, and he looked at then
anu at the sweet, sensitive mouth IL
Tue way that lover looks.
fatr1cia, l know of golden coun
Try IN which lives a golden lady-no
soiuen haired, for her hair is dark a!
yours but having heart of gold and {
.prit OF tried gold. Her eyes are dark
"o-iet me see how dark, Patricia"
Inc caress in his tones made he
iemole. He meant only to be kind-i
NC could have known the anguish-bu
Cue raised her eyes obediently to hi!
-ol an instant and smiled at him. Sht
was very brave Patricia, this Grip
nled girl
JUST as dark and beautiful as yours
auicla Well, this golden lady woult
d Ave gone out into the great world Il
~. ~ iots OF great things, but circum