Ballou's Monthly Magazine, Vol. XXVII, No. 1 — page 19: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

: So as by Fire. warranted. They looked off as though seeing, not the waters, but something that lay be- yond them, and there was an anxious and Shrinking expectation in their gaze. Once she shivered as he watched her, and, closing her eyes, half turned to cling to her sable friend. ! As she sat there, a young man who had been for some time hovering about her, drew nearer and stood so close to her side that she could not help noticing him. Her eyes lighted, her face flushed, and she gnawed her under- lip with white and glistening teeth. Evidently humility and patience were not among Miss: Cora Ware’s more Salient virtues. “Madam,” the intruder began, suavely, after having satisfied himself that he had attracted her attention, “we are having a very fine sunset.” Without making the slightest reply to this indisputable assertion, the lady stared at the speaker with that expression of cold surprise which is more repelling than any words can be; and when he had fully recognized her meaning, turned her face from him and looked off over the water again. The young man’s face flamed with anger and mortification. “An impudent slave-owner!” he muttered, in a sufficiently audible voice. Juno’s black eyes snapped round at him. “T wish you joy of your mistress, Dinah,” he said, insolently. “She’s got a fine temper.” : “My name aint Dinah,” retorted Juno, wrathfully. “An’ you’re no great, goin’ round talkin’ to ladies you aint interduced to.’’ “Hush, Juno!” said her mistress, looking after the retreating puppy with an expression that showed more of incredulous wonder than any other feeling. “Why, if my father, or Uncle Frank, or Cousin Albert had been here that—person would have been caned for his impertinence.” “T will take charge of him if he speaks to you again,” said a voice at her elbow. Looking up with a quick glance of surprise, Miss Ware saw Mr. Burkmar standing by her. He was not looking at her, but off to where the discomfited candidate for her acquaint- ance stood trying to hide his mortification under an appearance of laughing indifference. Mr. Burkmar persisted in that steady gaze till the young man, at first resenting it by an effort to outstare him, finally cowed down entirely and left the deck. The lady looked earnestly at her stalwart 23 defender till he turned towards her again. Then she said, quietly and rather coldly: “Thank you! but perhaps I had better re- turn to my stateroom. I supposed that it would be quite safe for me to come out with my servant to take the air.” “Tt is safe,” he replied, promptly, even a little sharply. “There is no reason why you should go in unless you have staid out as long as you wish. That fellow wont trouble you again.” “I need the air,” she said, hesitatingly. “I have been very sick. But I had rather suffer anything else than intrusion or impertinence.” “No one shall be impertinent to you while I am near, madam,” he said, with cold state- liness, “ and I will not myself intrude.” “T did not mean—” she began, hastily, then stopped. Her pride was as quick as his own. She could not speak conciliatingly to one who curled his lip that way. The gentleman seeming to take for granted that she would stay, brought his arm-chair for her use, placing it so that her servant could stand between her and the company. She hesitated about taking the chair, seem- ing half inclined to resent his bringing it, but, after a glance in his face, relented. He was perfectly matter-of-fact, but also perfectly respectful. * “You will find that chair easier,” he said, waiting to see her take it. With a quiet word of thanks she seated herself, and he crossed the deck to a place from whence he could see her, or any one who should approach her. Juno smiled and nodded to him, doing her best to atone for her mistress’s frigidity by her own beaming looks of thankfulness and admiration. Miss Ware sat about fifteen minutes longer, letting the fresh breeze play over her face, and the flecks of sunlighted foam from the shattered waves gem her hair. Then she rose languidly to go in, seeming as entirely oblivious of the presence of others as she had been at first, till she reached the door of the saloon. Then she glanced toward Mr. Burk- mar With a faint, graceful acknowledgment of his politeness. Faint as it was, this greeting changed for an instant the whole character of her face. There was no smile, but a softening of the mouth and eyes that was sweeter than a. smile; and at the almost imperceptible droop of the head and the eyelids the hauteur melted to a modesty, almost a GQ DOO