Year: 1877

49, itf . W LUZ totNliI ttll't Ntttl GtSI)tCl.


"Havc YOU made up your mind, Mary
Ann Z" he asked her distinctly and sor-
rowtully.


Mary Ann was vexed; this was too
much. She snapped back perrly enough,
"No, L haven't, and | shant never if YOU
are going to poster me so :"


Eyes you will was the deliberate re-
ply, much in the tone Of a schoOlmaster
to naughty boy and Jake walked away.
II he had turned to look back he would
have seen her crying bitterly, half with
rage, it is true, but at least half because
he walked away.


Another week went by, and one hot
afternoon Mary Ann and three or four of
her friends had gone down to bathe The
girls at Sandy Creek knew how to swim,
as well rs the boys and these extern
pore mermaids liked to splash about in
the fresh c0Olness of the water almost us
well as if they had been the genuine kind,
though there was nothing siren in their
aspect. They had bathed and dressed,
and were going home from the retired
little cove which was set apart for their
Use, when Jake Hazard appeared, carry
ING an armtul of fishing tackle, bait,
scoop and lines, and a big basket of fish.
His way home led by sam fuckers door,
while the rest went further down the
beach. Mar Ann walked on little be
fore him, her long, dripping tresses hang
ing to her knees, coiling and curling, as
the salt breeze blew them about her, in Il
thousand dally shining rings, and her
white shapely ankles betrayed by the
short skirt she Wore, for the day was 50
hot she had gone barefoot to the beach
They went along in silence, till Just as
they reached the door, Jake said, in
loW voice, perfectly audible, however, to
this one hearcr:


MARY Ann, have you made up your
mind ?"


Mary Ann was eNasperated. Who
would not have been! She faced Jake
with the look Of creature at bay in her
it till YOU stop pesterin there


Jake looked at her full faced, with
determined expression that almost daunt-
ed her II never shall stop-til know
he answered graveIy; and went his way.


Mary Ann was angry: but she was also
scared. When a man falls back on his
mas2 ulino supremacy, tho eternal fitness
OF things demands that woman shall
give way. And she does, though she
does not always show it, Mary Ann be-
gan to feel rather than to think that Jake
was, in her fashion OF speech, ''the big
gest," and from that moment began to
find out that she loved him. But do YOU
think she told him so


The Fourth of July came at last
bright, hot, heaming, rs holiday weather
should be and at nine O'clock Mary
AIMS fire was out; her house was in or
der: her BIG basket Of bread, butter. cold
coffee and pickles neatly packed, her ia
ther sitting on the doorstep, and she be
side him, waiting for the boat a pretty
picture they made sam in his Sunday
clothes, with his coat over his arm, his
spotleSs shirt sleeves scarcely whittier than
the silvery hair that showed under his
brown felt hat, and his Wrinlllcd, kindly
face and keen, dark eye pleasant as the
day itself; and Mary Ann, in the new
pink and white calico, her pretty head
rising from a full, soft rut1ie; clear and
snowy, and her old black hat smartened
up with a white muslin scarf about the
crown. and Il bunch of pinks from the
posy-bcds fastened in the bow, their clean
spicy breath periuming the air about her.


Jake Hazard looked at her with ador-
ing eyes. His mind WAS made up even
more than usual, if that were possible
for he had devised Il plan, to be carried
out that day, which should, once fer all,
end his SUSPENSE since he too had con
cludcd in the spirit of the old distich:


He either fears his fate too much
Or his desert is small,


Who fears to put it to the touch.


TO win or lose all


Certainly Mary Ann would not have
gone toward her fate-as well as the
boat-Wlth such a happy smiling face,
had she known what was before her.


The journey over to Point Peter was
delightful. a light breeze filed the sail,
| and tlapped the long read pennant above
it. There was plenty Of fun and laughter
Jake himself seemed rs gay as the rest
and Mary Ann owned to herself, as
she looked at him furtively from under
her broad hat, that he was lawful good
looking" And less prcjudiced observers
might agree with her. ,Iake's simple
costume OF white duck trousers and a
dark blue flannel shirt, a wide brimmcd
straw hat set well on the thick curls of
his fine head, and the keen animation of
his clear-cut, honest face below it, We're
certainly picturesque.


They landed at Point Peter in the best
Of humors and Immediately the prepara-
ti0nS were made for the clam bake begun,
for the rest of the company We're there
before them. For Il wonder all went
right there We're no mishaps, no VcXa-
tions The simple tisher-f folk, in their
primitive fashion, enjoyed the rare holi-
day to the top Of their bent. After din
ner, Jake proposed to Mary Ann that
they should take a row-boat and go up
Natick Bay to Blucberry Island, where
the low blueberrics already dotted the
turf with dwarf brush loaded with tur-
quoise spheres.


'If Hosy and Amy will 60" said Mary
Ann


50 Hosy was sent for. Amy, and Mary
Ann walked down to the boat with Jake,
and sitting down on one Of the seats, with
her face shorewerd to watch the others,
Jake, being behind her, silently put the
oars in place, and with ore sudden sweep
Of his powerful arms drove it Oft, Mary
Ann cried ont.


"Well" TRANQUILITY replied Jake, eve
might as we'll be roWin' round till they
come


Mary Ann observed that instead OF
CROWN round" the boat was headed
straight for the mouth Of the bay, and re-
monstrated accordingly.


''Well, well, Mary Ann, I'll Just put We
ashore on the Rock, nd go back and fetch
'em along ef you say SO. You've always
hankered to go onto the Rock, you said,
when we was comm over"


The rock was a little bare islet, with
one dwarf cedar on it, stunted and spread
by driving rain and furious winds into
the rough shape Of an umbrella, and com
monty reputed to be a wonderful place
for pretty pebbles. Mary Ann cared less
for the pebbles than for getting out Of q
tete-a-tete with Jake, so she jumped at
the proposition. Now the Rock was
quite out of sight of Point Peter, and full
a mile away. Jake drew his prov close
to the abrupt edge of the islet, where one
upward step safely landed his passenger,