Year: 1877

The small sloop Heron. with crew OF
three men, went on pleasure trip down
the coast. There were half dozen in
the party-Kate Meadows and her father
and a cousin of his, Mrs. Brook, Kate's
cousin, Louise Larch, Richard Fleming,
and finally Dan Field of the new law-frm
of Colman q Field. Their plan was to
90 where will and wind prompted, and
stay as long as they could unless they got
tired beforehand. They spent week or
two sailing in still water, and In water
that was anything but still making har-
Dor at splendid sunsets, and lying at an
chor till morning, or sleeping with the
roll of the waves in their brain and the
wash against the planks close to their
ears; fishing, lying becalmed or stealing
ghostlike through radiant golden haze.
with the fog-horn sounding far away; GO
ing ashore in strange places; lying cab
ined till the rain should pass over, or walk
ing the deck close-wrapped and futtering,
while the bare rigging creaked and the
bow pointed up stubbornly to the tautened
hawser, and the wind careered sturdily
out of the south.


Fleming, whom they called "Rieh,'
was quick, clever, quiet little fellow.
and an old friend of Hates, whom she
liked very much in way. Field. too,
she had long known in general way:
they two were always chatting one
another when together he being
anything but a serious fellow, as most
people saw him, and finding very pleas
ant acid flavor in her sharp chatter. for
which he somehow always gave occasion.
Their banter was the merriment OF the
whole party. All of the company were
more or less acquainted beforehand. and
every one knows how rapidly persons be-
come intimate who are together all day
long and dependent on one another.
All the morning of the second Friday
they had been trolling for blueish, and
went into Flowers Island Harbor early in
the afternoon. Some of them went ashore
in the yawl and took look at the Curl
Gus settlement and the wild looking island
ers. As Mr. Meadow and two or three
of the party passed by one of the houses,
Captain Shore came out and asked for
money to pay for milk and eggs, and
Field took out roll of bills while two
or three of the rough natives stood by.
Kate had not gone ashore she was in
perplexity, and wanted chance to think
| by herself. So she sat and listened to
the bubbling of the water, and watched
the fisherman's boats glide and CLEAN in
the sunlight. The perplexing situation
was briefly this Fleming, Kate knew,
had been getting to think a good deal of
Louise, who on her part had found him a
| very clever and pleasant little fellow;
and since they began this cruise Field had
been coming between them. and one of
| them had not enjoyed It. Field did not
appear to know anything about it, but
amused himself and Miss Larch and every
| one else more or less. Rich did not NOPE
or scowl; he was active and friendly with
all. and appeared to take a good deal OF
pleasure in his quiet way; but Kate knew
him better than the rest, and how sensi-
tive he was, and she knew that he was
hurt, and was very sorry. He was proud
with all his gentleness, and would be sec
ond to none and when Field walked and
chatted and lay on the deck beside Louise,
| reading out of Mark Twain or doing tricks
with cards, or what not. and laughing al


ways, Rich only kept away and let him
| have it all his own way. He had no rea-
son to find fault with Field who took no
| advantage and showed liking for the
| trim little fellow more than once, indeed,


he had put Fleming in charge of Louise,
| saying that he must have a skirmish with
| the enemy. meaning Kate, whose tongue
| always had sharp edge ready for him.
| But even then he was SO much bigger
every way than Rich that he unconscious
ly gave the feeling of parcelng out the
| favor of Miss Larch's company, for which
| Rich did not wish TO be indebted to any
one.


The worst of il was that, underneath all
Fields banter and flippancy and evident
| cleverness, Kate had known him too long


not to have found out that he was true


and generous to an unusual degree. His
partner. Philip, had often spoken to her of


his faithiuness and sincerity, and her


father had acquired high opinion of his
ability and honor in business relations.


She could not help liking and admlring
him. with certain reserves to be set to the


account of his own apparent contentment
with himself; and on these accounts she


was very angry at him. If he was so


scrupulous in business matters, promises


and appointments, could he not see how


mean and cruel it was to rob one of what
he held above all price? and was he so


large in his own eyes that he could see


no one but his own great person?


Kate was quite distressed and out of


patience-angry with Fleming for not


showing more spirit. with Field as blum


dering dolt-with Louise more than all.


because, forsooth she took both their


comings and goings very coolly indeed.


and did not seem to care which came or


went. She ought, indeed, to see that she


was hurting her very good friend Flem-
ing, but how was she to make light of


such handsome and every way superb


or fellow as Field


Kate and Fleming had taken row by
themselves in the skiff that morning. He


had left of rowing while, and let the


boat rock while Kate leaned over the


stern and looked into the waves.


kate he had said suddenly, 81 think


J shall leave you when we get to New
Dublin.


And she had sat up and said. ''Why


Rich, you'll do nothing of the kind"


Yes, | think So" he continued. II


had a letter from Lancey at Seaport say


ing VIII was sick"


The frank girl looked at him minute


and then said. Erich, You know that's