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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Record, 1881-08-12, Page 2YU RUNDE FITT& 111" ..Mpll C:IL, HAY, Author' o "Old 414.ddletan'a Ifroneg " 4cliiddee ;" " fico $9utre'x £apace,' " Vafor and. Va,t,tuished;" "Yarm's Lose Feet,;' "A Sfcidoca an the Tliretrhai ;"Back,to,tlte Qlt$ flame; eta., etc. CHAPTER, XM. —Good/weed, Hester looked up with a wonderful .light in her eyes, not to the spot where Le:1halrne had cliappeared on the. level .ground ,above, but Tar higher, piercing with: •ra(liant gratitude. the deep blue vault above him. And lie—he stood Larellee4led there one minute, though he ;knew they Gould not see him, and his slips stirred with a tremulousness ,which rio eyes hadever seen own the airur, proud mouth before in all itis :four-ancl-thirty years. The time had draggeol on wearily— oli, so wearily 1— to the cramped watchers on the rock, when a boat came round the •earner in sight, manned :hurriedly by an incongruous crew, but riding cheerily and steadily over, the waves, and making'atraight toward tiee one preeminent mass of rising rook, And heifer one of the crew, rising from his .ear, waved his handker;hief for a moment,.the signal was:anewered by a dozen of eager bands', ' A couple of sturdy fellows jumped, -ant upon the rock pulled the boat close 1iy its chain, and Leabolnee, dropping his. oar, stood upright and kicked up at the watchers, leis face grand looking iia pus siwple tithaxikfudness, ", Now, Lane, we must reverse • our first order. Help our lady passengers clown to nae." ".14,nd 1 wonder,': struck U11,04101010 with a comic mockery, "what: they thtedr at my home, lathe ;(ueen',s._do ainians, where nobody cares one farth- ing whether >„ ane present or absent. Axe you ready' to. resign, Platt i" "When he does;" spoke up Toxo, heartily, "I am ready to take his plaice. We Cambridge rowers don't carte to ,hide our talent, Come, Sir Randal, 1 want to allow off." But the baronet declined to "come," and pulled away as steadily .and sturd- ily as any of the men. "Lord :Leallohne,' said Wattle, pres- ently, watching him as he leaned his elbow on the side of the boat and his head on his band "are you thinking, how dreadful it was 1" "No;" be answered, with a amilee into the little,earnest. face, "I was thinking something much more incom- prehensible' ."What was lel" asked Hester, gently, as he looked up suddenly . to meet her eyes. . "I was 'musing on the little lives of .men, andhow they marthat by their little geode i' tt . "We. forget," she. said slowly, "'batt they are such little lives--exoe,po at such times as fio,day." Though it was a muoli more difficult matter than the other . had been; and even more dangerous, it was much more easily accomplished. Sir. Banda, and Tout were cool and quiet, thinking lit- tle of themselves dust now, carefully. .and acting in the spirit in which' they had seers Leaholine act. Even Bella -•was subdued and silent, and ,only recalled her ,od'cl spirit in time, to smilingly ;congratulate and thank Sir Randal, -as he carefully held. her areas itouna her with one hand, ande guided her and helped her with the other;"~ro " Now, • Heade," called..Tom at last ,Si> ..Randal • is --waieinb_. far: you. • '"<Al'ways last!" fie muttered,, throating': Alfy's pap after him into the boat.' - ie• Bendel was waitilng--both liar's hese out, an unusual crimson shish Ripon his. sleep-liiedface ;• a flush• so eager and •so• :pleading that Hester,' iii leer gentle,:. 'ample mood; geVeaye him: one• hand . with . her bright pretty •senile.. And as he clasped the little steady Ate- ' "ger s closely, iz the gladness and • grate-. fulue a of that hour; be loved,' for once, purely and :unselfishly. " Haire yon been very .much. . fright- ened?" right-ened2r, "It is a pity., is'it not V' • "At times they seem so • long, and full. of wrong. Oh, do - not talk of this today." Ie'gazed, astonished, into lier pained face, but slid rat say a word more, and presently the keel of the boat grated on the pebbly ,shore, and it was'surrounded by eager .spectators. A perfect crowd had ,collected .to see the return of the boat which had •been sent for in such haste, and to see, too, the Earl of Leaholme, who had acts ually, it was a ;aid, *!limbed the awful eliir beyond Beuldr Pointand rescued` all his party . - Afr. and, Mi.'s. Bruce were there 1r1 an agony of suspense, havingreturned from their drive to be greeted, with the wild -and varied story which was then going through its . most exaggerated edition. The servants were there, Ruth and Jane especially crushed itt tibe crowd, beeorsoling, she inconsola- ble. And not•only were • the .,.waiters _from_tlte.L„1usel:'s-the> a .idth, ninumera- ble liainger's-on; lint the landlord, •'too, who .had run • down to see how much of this was fact about th'e'eai'l, and 'who,' it was. observed, of his ova accord, ` or- iginated the cheer _which' swelled so jovially along the shore when the boat landed him • Leaholnee in :lata white shirt -sleeves, had put her safely down into the boat but held her still as 'he rifled the-ques-. tion, hooking down into : her beautiful, brave, eyes. "Just once I was :very. frightened ; all the time a little." „ "I see," he answered,.: with a :smile •of perfect comprehension. - ".Let nae take your. oar, Leaholme," , insisted the baronet. , . " Youe arms.. meet ache no little," . "Will you 1 : Thank you.". • And Hester saw that, now the .ne- 'cessity for exertion was over, he was ,glad to resign his seat and lean back in a .corner' of the boat 1, "Oh, ,Lorcl Leaholme," chirped Bella, "'you have made''yourself ill, and all for our sakes. Cannot you lie down comfortably n the boat 1 We will make ream." i "To keep still and silent 'would be this best thing you could do," said Tole, as she. began to bustle about. "'T will keep very still, Toni," she re, turued,•plaintively;•but 1 cermet stand Lord L(a9,h,oltne being ill." "1 am glad you' can't," saki Tom, sharply "Sit it, please:", " W.e can easily prove and give .Bin room," began Lydia; . at a• sign' from ..cella. - ' "We are' doing nithiug for him," went on .Bella, he a dill more Moline, choly key, `"and yet he- preserved us "Please don't talk of preeeeatitg, ]1T'I.e% '":ane," said Leaholnie, starting up; "think of the sii'fierings of poor little Wattle when you reminded linin. of the tea Lor which he was ready two hours ago. ; Whitt :lees Ruth think of .year al,.krncae'I wonder, old fellow 1" "Thee we rite /drowned !" replied Wattie diving under the pull the, • earl gave :ass beth. "Browned f" "''What do they thinlc at home, 1 wonder 1" said Bella. "And et niy home V' added Marian, consequentially, 4i.,- • hex.) Thera was solus look in it today that kept her thoughts strangely 'busy; a 1oolt-that made her wildly and. wick- edly wish that it had not beenhe who llad,saved her; a look that made her feel powerlesa tapecho his ready laugh- ter, bemuse she seemed (ay, and againet bee will, too 1) to read more than others could of the deep, grave. thoughts below it. • "What else, Lord Leaked/mei" asked Marian, still. laughing. I wish I might eat my +desert in peace. Breve, 'clo come to One rescue. I have not had a single course in unin- terrupted ,enjoyment. I feel mad with jealo asy when I see how cunningly Miss Hester withdraws herself from the oanversation in order to do justice to an enormous dinner. "Gan you apare me a peach from the dish before you V' said Hester, mer- rily ignoring the consciousness that he had been noticing how impossible she found it to elo more than taste the rich, abundant dinner, and trying to convey to him the false idea that she fancied. he had enjoyed his, 'Tou are evidently in a hurry to slip away and 'parade," he remarked quaintly. "Not to=night, I thintc," "Suppose we•all stay at .home," put in Tom, who was really very tired. Tile. • news had penetrated' clown' among':the' elms: _in • Old street,:., and Pollie, too; ;