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EPI Bp grcmerne ipa ge ren wet tt
“188° WILD MARGARET,
quaint‘old town, quite a hundred years behind the rest of
_ the world; and the people, fishermen and sailors, were sup-
-- posed to be rather rough; but they had never been rough
‘to her, had never failed in that rustic courtesy which |
springs from ‘the heart and_is much better than the imita-
‘tion which is manufactured so cleverly in towns. -
- She wandered to the beach and stood there for
self to looks, for she heard one child say to another:
_ “That be pretty maiden from London, that be.”
_ An old man was seated on an upturned boat mending 4
. net, and Margaret, feeling lonely, gave him good-evening.
_ *Good-evening, miss,” said the old man, touching the
wisp of white hair that shone like snow against his
tanned face. ‘‘Be ’ee going out for a sail?” ae
_ “No,” said Margaret, ‘‘I am only strolling about.”
He nodded approvingly. .
‘* Well, you be wise. Betteron land, miss. We're goin’
to have a shift in the weather.”? ~
Margaret looked at the cloudless sky and smiled down
pon him with gentle incredulity; the old man shook his
ead. .
‘Oh, it-be bright as a new penny now, miss, surely,” h
‘said, smiling back, ‘‘ but it bean’t going to last. Theres
a wisp in the wind as threatens a storm. It ’ull come be-
fore night; a tough un, too.”’ :
‘*Oh, Iam so sorry,’ said Margaret. . ‘‘ There are some
‘boats out at sea. Will they be safe?” a
‘There bean’t many,” said the old man.
‘““Mr. Day’s boat has gone,’ said Margaret.
_ “Ay,” he returned, slowly, and he looked steadily at
his net. ‘She'll be safe enow. She’s a stiff un, and use
_ to rough weather, miss,’ and he laughed. .‘‘ We alway
- have it rough a’most when there’s a high, strong tide, an
it’s very high to-night. You see that rock, miss?” and be
‘
awhile, —
the women looking after her with a smile, the children
_ gazing up at her, as they drew near, with-that frank ad-.
miration for her beauty which did not always confine it-
pointed to a dark mass that rose on the black line at alit-
tle distance from them. ‘Well, ‘the tide will cover that
rock to-night. People won’t allus believe it. There was? |
. gentleman and a lady washed off that rock two year agone; |
they thought themselves safe enow, and was up there to
watch the tide come in; they never saw it go out!”’ and he
- Chuckled grimly. a
_.. Margaret shuddered, .
i
‘*Do you mean that they were drowned?” she said. -
"i ’spect,”” he replied; ‘“leastways, they were never —
| seen again.”
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