Year: 1877

bul JAKE tnou8nt oil ner all the time, Oh
sea and land; dreamed of her by night
and sung about her by day-when he was
alone, and far enough from shore to be
unheard. Nor did he leave her quite at
peace; for once, as she sat on the door
step busily stitching at her gown, the sun
set gliding her FURNISHED hair, and deep
ening the hue of her bright cheeks and
lips, Jake came up from the shore, and
suddenly darkened those level western
rays with stern and sad aspect.


"llave you made up your mind, Mary
Ann ?" he asked her distinctly and sor-
rowtully.


Mary Ann was vexed this was too
much. She snapped back pertly enough,
mo. haven't! and shant never if You
are gon' to poster me so!


"Ies you WILL was the deliberate re-
ply, much in the tone of a schoolmaster to
"A naughty boy, and Jake walked away
If he had turned to took 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 as the boys; and these extempore
mermaids liked to splash about in the
fresh coolness of the water almost as 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, car
ryng an armful of fishing tackle, bait,
scoop and lines, and big basket of fish.
His way home led by Sam fuckers door,
while the rest went further down the
beach. Mary 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 a thou
sand darkly shining rings, and her white
shapely ankles betrayed by the short skirt
she wore, for the day was SO hot she had
gone barefoot to the beach. They went
along in silence, till, just as they reached
the doorsJake said, in low voice, per-
lectly audible, however. to this one hear
er:


MARY Ann have you made up your
mind P"


Mary Ann was eXssperated Who
| would not have beenP She faced Jake
with with the look of creature at bay in
her dark eyes. No, sir and / never'll
find it till you stop pesterin' there ~
Jake looked at her full-faced with de-
termined expression that almost daunted
her. Il never shall stop--till know, -
he answered gravely; and went his way
Mary Ann was angry; but she was also
scared. When q man tails back on his
masculine supremacy. the eternal fitness
| n thinnl aafs. "a that al,, II
give way. And she does. though she does
not always show it. Mary Ann began to
feel rather than to think, that Jake was,
in her fashion of speech, "the biggest.
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, beaming' as holiday weather should
be--and at nine O'Clock Mary AIMS fire
was out her house was in order; her big
basket of bread. butter. cold coife and
pickles neatly packed. her father sitting
| on the doorstep. aud she beside him, wait
ing for the boat. A pretty picture they
made-Sam in his Sunday clothes, with
his coat over his arm, his spotless shirt
sleeves scarce whittier than the silvery hair
that showed under his brown felt hat, and
his wrinkled, 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 full, soft
rutlle, clear and snowy, and her old black
hat smartened up with a white muslin
scarf about the crown, and bunch of
pinks from the posy-bed fastened in the
bow, their clean, spicy breath perfuming
The air about he.


Jack Hazard looked at her with adoring
eyes. His mind was made up even more
than usual, if that were possible; for he
had devised plan, to be carried out that
very day, which should, once for all, end
his suspense; since he too had concluded,
in the spirit OF the old distieh;
lie either fears his fate too much
Or his desert is small,


Who fears to put it to the touch.
10 win or loose it all.


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


The journey over to Point Peter was de-
lightiul. A light breeze filled the sail, and
tapped the long red pennant above it.
There was plenty of fun and laughter :;
Jake himself seemed as gay as the rest !;
and Mary Ann owned to herself, as she
looked at him surtively from under her
broad hat, that he was lawful cookbook
ing?' And less prejudced observers might
agree with her. Jake's simple costume oil
white duck trousers and dark blue fan
mel shirt. wide-brmmed straw hat
set well on the thick curls of his
fine head, and the keen animation of his
clear-cut, honest face below it, were GER
| tainly picturesque.


They landed at Point Peter In the best
of humors; and Immediately the prepa-
rations for the clam-bake began, for the
rest of the company We're there before
them. For wonder all went right there
was no mishaps, no vexations. The sim
pie lisher-folk. in their primitive fashion,
enjoyed the rare holiday to the top of their
bent. After dinner, Jake proposed to
Mary Ann that they should take row.
boat and go up Natick Bay to BIueberry
Island, where the low blueberres already
dotted the tUrt with dwarf brush loaded
with turquois spheres.


"lt H0sy and Amy viii go" said Mary
Ann.