Year: 1877

was not quite certain that I did
not love her. In fact, did, tenderly,
while was with her; but when re-
turned to my own quarters, and was no
longer 10 the mysterious atmosphere
that always surrounds true, sweet wo-
man, then I felt certain that we could
never be happy together.


And why: All, because my heart
had found another idol. l had been en-
gagged to Wilhelmina Goodspeed for a
year. Met her at school. you under
stand. where she was a bright and a
very ambitious scholar, and I an assis-
tant teacher; young yet. not through
college, but hopeful for the future, and
with great plans of fame and glory teem-
ing through my brain.


Will was pretty girl. with grey
eyes, smooth brow n hair, and red cheeks:
little prim and reserved, perhaps, but
that of course was the result of her
strict training.


And I had come from L,tchviIle down
to Gull Rocks, to spend my vacation at
this odd little village. solely for the pur-
pose of seeing my .fancee every day.


had room at the Hotel Plover, on
the cliff, and Wills father had snug
little cottage of his own just out OF sight
from my window round the point.


had been there as usual one even
ing and had fingered late, loath to leave
the bright little parlor for the lonely SOL
itude OF my room. Arrived at the no.
tel, | climbed slowly to the upper pi-
azza, and looked out over the sea.


The moon was shining, and the long,
long, golden track across the water
the 'moonglade, as the country people
called it-stretched away in its SHIN
mering, mystic beauty, like the path to
iairyland.


Suddenly as gazed, a speck of life
broke the still beauty of the scene. A
tisher-girl came out from the shadow OF
a rocky ledge, unfastened tiny boat
pushed it lightly into the surf, sprang
in and was soon rocking safely on the
tide.


A few strong, rapid strokes with the
gracefully welded oars, took her beyond
my vision, but she came again to my
dreams, 1.-THE, active, aid l was sure,
with brave, merry heart.


The next night | saw her again, and
had even a palmer glimpse than before.
She wore a short dress, Of some soft
gray material, and like Maud Muller


'Her graceful ankles were brown and bare


Judged she was about fifteen or six
teen years old, and | Immediately be-
gan to rack my brains for some way OF
becoming acquainted with her.


was shy then, and there was an air
Of romance and mystery about this wa
ter ny mph that made me idolize her.


So night after night watched for
her. Sometimes at midnight, aud some.
times in the grey twilight in the early
dawn. that same light, girlish figure
would go springing down the rock, ac-
companied always by a brown, shaggy
dog, evidently as fond Of the water as
his gay little mistress. Oh how I en-
We'd the big happy fellow, as with one
long. swinging iope, he would throw
himself into the boat, urging it on by his
own momentum, and thus helping her
my new ideal.


sent kisses out over the white foam,
hoping they might reach her rosy feet.
bought an extravagant telescope, and
then could not arrange il so that l could
see her at all, and so, casting it impa-
tiently aside, feasted my hungry ewes
on her childish grace.


What JOY it would be to call the first
blush OF conscious love into that brown
dimpled face that only the sea breeze
had kissed: and would she lie in NV
arms as tru>tfully as she had Graded
herself on the bosom of old ocean:


Meanwhile Welhelmina seemed to
grow more prudish and distant every
dav.


| tired OF herperfectly proper dresses,
and the stiff strips OF linen at her throat
and wrists, when I thought Of my Un-
dine, her plump arms, bare almost to
the shoulders, and the spray dashins
over them in a mad delirium of Joy.


She talked of books and schools, but
| heard through all the murmur of the
surf, and boat keel grating on the sand.
She brought her drawings for me TO
er'tie'se, but ] saw a CLEAN of moon
light on a careless romping figure, and
pair Of dripping oars swinging in long,
steady strokes. She sang a proper Ia.
lie song, but the echo OF short. ;oy.
Gus bark and a ringing laugh came to
me.


At first ] used TO stay At The Good.
speed cottage until Will grew uneasy.
and ! knew she wanted me to leave.
but my visits grew brief and formal a,
last. and | hurried away TO watch ior
: -Undine, to laugh with her st the merry
ANTICS OF her clumsy dog. and echoed the
wild boat song that rose without any &C.
compartment, save the winds aud waves
that fnafea x~~~sf~- A.