THE LOVERS OF TANGLE ISLAND.

Dunstan Times, Issue 615, 30 January 1874, Page 3

THE LOVERS OF TANGLE ISLAND.

BY ALBANY BE FONBLANQUB.

t ( From the Belgravia Annual. ) I Lad brain fever, from over-work they said. It had been creeping over me for j some time, and at last struck me down. ! For days I bad raved about some crime! T had com mil ted. For weeks my life was in danger. Just before I sank, weak and tortured, on a blessed little isle, I fancied I heard some one say, “Thank God !” I

had awakened from a natural sleep, and it was ray dear sis’er’s yoice. When cmr poor mother died, 1 was a strong boy of ten, and Mary was “the baity,” often left in my charge while our father, a hard-woiking barrister, attended to bis business. Before she was fourteen , our position was reversed. I wasn hope- , less cripple, ami she was my nurse,' ray

friend, my comforter, my second mother. I have heard that cripples are envious of health and beauty in others. For myself, 1 can only say that, if I were to describe Mary, you would think that I was a lover painting his mistress. Well, she is ray only love, my ideal, and concentration of all that is beautiful and winning in a woman—my patient, tender sister. She floats, rattier than walks, about the house; and the very air around Leris charged with peace. There is music in her voic", hope in her soft brown eye, and pain s nks deadened under the touch of her gentle hand. My father was a learned and laborious, but. in worldly matters, a careless man. Mary and I had little more to live on than we could earn. 1 got ■ thirty shillings a week in the office of Bradley and Tin-, ami she gave lessons in drawing and

music. Mr. Bradley was very kind. Thorn'll it was nearly three months before I could return to my duty, he never tilled up my place ; and the, parents of Mary's pupils were just as considerate to her 'during the time she could not leave my bedside, It was all do"e for her sake—every one loved her, We often talked about my sensations during that frightful illness --especially about that imaginary isle "on which my fever-tossed mind had been flung, and where 1 had found such

exquisite rearc and repose. We called it Tangle Island, and .made quite a little romance out of it. One Saturday afternoon, when I was nominally well, hat woefully weak and spoilt, Sam. Payne, cno of my brother clerks and a very pood fellow in his way, cams and proposed to give ns a row on die river. It freshened me tip, and was pleasant at first; hut there was no support for my buck, and I got tired. Mary—who reads me like a hook—found this out, and

; proposed that Sam should land us where 1 there some willow trees and a nice grassy | bank, upon which 1 could rest while Sam went on to a mill, about a mile and a half | lower down, where lie had to transact some I business for his father. ! “ Oh, Charley,” she cried, when I was settled, “look about you! Would not this do for 1 angle Island.” i “It would indeed, dear, if it wore an j island at all.” “I think it is,” she said ; “I think a ; branch of the river runs" on the other side. | Let me go and see ; I will he back in a 1 moment.”

j She went, and returned with a hunch of forgot-me-nots in her hand. “It is an island, sir, and just as pretty and wild as the one you described,” said | she, as she resumed her seat by my side. “ 1 must make a sketch of it, and, when you arc a little more rested, you shall go to the other side and judge for yourself.” She took her sketch-book—she was so quick and happy with her pencil-and. supported by her dear arm, I crawled to the other bank, where we found another nook as nice as the one wo had left. “Now, is it your island ?” asked Mary. ‘■Yes, dear,” I said, “itis my island.” “The deuce it is!” growled a harsh voice behind ns ; “1 thought it was mine.” Wo turned, and saw a man -a hardfeatured man—about thirty-five years of age, in a common brown shooting dress and a straw hat, standing on a hillock in our rear. We wore both so innocent ef doing any harm, that, after a momentary motion of surprise, we took no notice of the interruption, and Mary wont on putting some touches to her sketch. “ What are you doing here !” demanded the stranger, in a gruffer manner than before. “ My brother is an invalid, sir,” Mary' replied, moving a little nearer to mo. “A friend took us out for a row ; hut ho could not endure the fatigue of sitting up in the boat, so we landed here.” “ On my property." “ We did not think it was the property of any one in particular. It looks wild enough.” “The old idle excuse for trespass,” ho cried passionately. “ What is it to you,” he continued, “how I chose to keep my land !” “We have been here but a short lime, ■ and will go directly the boat comes back,” said' Mary. “ Do you know who I am ?” he asked, after a pause. He was rather taken aback by my sister's. coolnesss It takes 1i good deal to convince a woman she is in the wrong, especially’ when she is acting for one she loves. ‘ ‘ I mice 11 do not,” Bile replied, “andl—- “ Well, go on,” he said. “ Excuse me. I was going to say something which I prefer to leave unsaid.” " . “ Why!’’ “In the .first place, because it would have been rude; and in the next place, because—”,. “Yon are checking yourself again.” “ Do yon really wish to know my second "reason ?” j “ Out with it.” “Well, it is no nso trying to punish a fish by throwing water on it.” i •* Meaning that I am so rude myself sh*t

I could not feel an lie observed, with a grim smile. .

1 “ You can draw your own conclusion,” she replied, carelessly ; “but excuse ray remarking that a}l this agitates ray poor brother, who is only just out of lushed from brain fever. We are sorry we came ; we will leave as soon as we can. Will not that satisfy, you ? .Wo have spoiled nothing; taken nothing that jsyours.” “You have,” j he. answered; and as he spoke, a strong change .came over him. The hard lines of his face seyined to melt away, and Lis voice became almost, rrnntle. “Von

havy,-, You have robbed me of my solitude. Can you not imagine a fever h?n- and here —he touched his forehead and. Lis breast—which what you Lave named can assuage, apd,which any presence that breaks the charm sets raging ?” For the first time during the discussion

Mary looked frightened. She rose quickly and asked, “May 1 take my brother to land in your boat v “ And who is to bring it Lack aeain for me ?” “I will.” , “ Then how are you to join him ?” “It is not tnoie than knee-deep at thr.l point, lean wade across. Is would be death to him to get wet., or we wool I Loti go that way. Let mo have ybfcj boat.”

“ That channel is riot so 'shallow as you think. There is a place in the middle v.-Leie the water would be up to your waist.” “No matter.” “And the current is strong.” “No matter. I would do anything to getaway.” y “From me?” ■ “ From this p’aee. 0, sir, let me have the boat! I can manage it, and will bring it back again in ten minutes.” “No,” he said, after looking straight into her eager face for a mioupo or two ;

“you shall net have the boat. What is that you’ve diopped ?” It was her sketching.hook. He picked it up. “Another robbery ! You draw well, young lady.”

“ Well or 111, at is my business ” “Do you mean that you sell youi sketches a ’ “ 1 sell the drawings I make from them. ” “Good again? So my island, which 1 prize for its loneliness, is to he made public property? A"picture of it ,j hung up in a gaudy frame is some cheesem nigm’s parlor, to suggest a good-spot ior picnics.” “lean easily dispel that fear,” taking

out her knife, and proceeding to cut the sketch off the block. “ You are going to tear it up ?” “I am,” “ Nothing of the sort; I claim it."’ And before she jhad the least idea What lie was about, ho snatched the now separated paper from her hand. I was furious. Ah me ! what it is to be a cripple ! I said some angry words, backing up Mary 's indignant demand lor the restoration of the sketch ; but he took no notice of me. I “ Give me this,” ho said to her, “and we will c-y quits about the trespassing.” “On tbatcondition, and if you will lend i me the boat.” “ Yon shall not have the ’ oat. ” “ Then you shall not have" the sketch.” “You want two idlings for one. You area sharp bargainer.” “ One is asked in your own interests. Oar presence hero is offensive to you. Ido hut ask tho means of relieving you of it.” “Supposing you were drowned w.vliig across, what would people say of me ?"’ “I don’t think you care what people s.iy of you.” “Isn’t that rather rule ?” “ is it polite to snatch thin.s out of a lady’s hand? ” “ What is this you have written under it?” he asked, examining the sketch. “Tangle Island, Why Tangle Islann ?” ‘lt would not interest you to know.” “ Tell me why, and you dia l have the boat.” There was something so droli in this bargaining that Mary could not help smiling. He smiled too. Then between ns for nfier a little time he pon leseinded to listen to me—we told him about my ihness. my dream, and its na.isation. We had got about half through, when be sat 'down on the grass beside ns. An las 1 told him that I did not often, oven v. hj n well get a glimpse of green leav. s, an i what a fe is of healing and peace I had enjoyd in chut quiet spot, he took my hand and said, “ Boor fellow !” quite kindly. “Tangle Island," he repeated, when all was told ; “ Tangle Island ! A good main ; a better one than you think. Th re are more things connected with it in a tangle than its creepers and shrubs ; more things growing rank than its weeds. Tangle Island ! Tell me, would you like to see it over-run by a herd of vulgar picnicers, scattering about gresy scraps of newspaper and empty hitter-bear bottles, aid trampling down the flowers playing kiss-in-the-ring. ?” Somehow we did not answer, and he went on : “If you were at war with yourself, and everything around you souse 1, di-pirbed, unhinged, would you not like to have such a place, where yon eouhl com;' sometimes alone and think : Think, perhaps, of some time when— Did Is ty you mi o ht have tho boat.?” , “o,sir,” sail .Mary, .“do hj liftve mo when 1 say how sorry wo are that we came.” ■ - “Look here,” he replied, “ Dt us make another bargain. Finish that sketch for me in colors, and you shall come here whenever you like. I wnn’t disturb you. “It shall be yours. Call f>rit in a week at Mr. Brownlow’s/ the ■ stationer's, at Hiilford.” “ Why mayn’t I call for it at your own house?” (To bo coalimwh)

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