The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-12-24

I ~
certain of his identity in the winte,
twilight.
Merry Christmasr she gave back
with quick uplift OF spirits. It was
to be Merry Christmas after all, her
pride declared defiantly. She was turn
ing the tables on them all.
Give us your bundle" the captain
| told her, swinging It under his left arm
while his right went skillfully out to
encircle her cloak-shrouded figure.
And now, lass, for the earnest mon
ey,' he whispered. dragging her toward
him.
Furiously she tried to wrench herself
away, but dropping the bundle the cap
tain held her fast and pressed one hand
over her mouth.
Nay. like not screams, though
these VIII do me no HARM" he chuckled,
reused to incaution by his additional
supply OF rum. Body of the dragon,
girl, stop strugglingl 1 mean you no
harm. Where are your manners? A
kiss is small thing--a small thing"
he repeated, with tipsy laugh, "and
KISS mean to havel Come; stop
A sudden hand at the captains coll
lar 1erked him good four feet away,
and a blow under his chin added an
other foot to that distance. Surprised,
but sobered, by the attack, Breresford
stood a moment blinking at his an
| tagonist, then with a rush he made
fiercely at him. The captain was the
heavier man and infiamed with rage
and rum, but the other had the longer
reach and the quicker sight.
Suddenly there was a rush, a thud Of
blows and gasp of laboring breath.
For second both figures were indis-
tinguishable in a lightning give and
take; then, one on top the other, they
went down.
II was Westcott who first arose, and
lar.
Take yourself off unless you want
more ne commanded, breathing
The captain shook his dizzy head,
holdlng his mantle to his ingloriously
bleeding nose. Body of the dragon,
but you are sledge hammerw he
grunted, cycling his conqueror with
something between a lighters admira-
ton ana q mans resentment. II meant
no harm; the lass agreed to come with
me and was but claiming my passage
money. A kiss is a small thing"
other.
"You agreed IN oo9u ba .ot5 "vx,,.h
him? ?"
ITO England" the girl answered. 1T
wanted to go back to England"
And I'll take her back now, and she
still wants to CO." the captain thrust
In, with no more talk of kissing either.
she's good little lass, and your folk
made vile show of her."
Aye" said Westcott, but never
again. Zellah. do you want to go
now?' he cried out passionately, his
race deathly pale in the dim light but
Tor the livid bruise on one cheek "Do
you want to go--now?"
mo, oh, no; not nowv' she answered
him. breathlessly, her eyes held and
confused by that new brilliance in his,
Why, it's the chap that stood beside
her to-day" the captain muttered
whistle sounded from the shore; he re-
piled with another and held out his
hand to Westcott.
NO offense, SIR" he said. ''I know
When a games DONE" and he melted
away In the darkness.
Westcott took one quick step 10 the
girl and drew her close. There were no
questions, no replies. All had been
asked ana answered between them In
that breathless moment. She Law still
IN his clasp like an exhausted bird. and
under the weight of her light form HIS
heart throbbed with an almost terrify-
ing Joy
"Zellah," he whispered brokenly.
"Zellah, love you. oh, how / love
you! You will live on. here,
Tenderly he pressed the little hooded
mead back against his arm to read her
race. His first kiss was salt with the
tears she shed. She did not know why,
put In her eyes, when she shyly raised
them TO his, was q light so glad a
piness so divinely radiant that
and pain seemed only far-away .ninss
whose memories could not even dark a
the newborn glory Of their dream.