A Seaside Novel.

Otago Witness, Issue 2650, 28 December 1904, Page 79

A Seaside Novel.

— 'Chapter I. — The sun shone from a cloudless sky. From the yellow sands came the laughter of happy children, the .chorus of a minstrel melody, and the splash of the wavelets as they tumbled shoreward, white and creamy, over the pebbles. On a, seat midway down the pier sat a youth and a maiden, she leaning back in graceful ease-, he- perched on the edge of the seat in evident perturbation. Twenty yards farther on was a man with a rod, line, and basket, fishing, and between the angler and the twain on the seat a. blue-jerseyed boatman was leaning i ever the pier edgs, smoking. It was August, and Mudville was at its best. — Chapter n. — " 'Ain't fishes reg'lar sillies?" she murmured, glancing towards the angler. "IOw? Wot dyer mean, Mord?" he asked). "Bitin 1 , blind-like, at them worms. If they 'adi any sense they could see there was a 'ook in 'em.' "Fishes ain't got no brains, Mord. Me or you, now'd, take a bit o' ketchin, eh?" "Wot 'o!'' observed the lady. — Chapter 111. — The blue-jerseyed boatman took the short clay pipe from his mouth and chuckled. —Chapter IV.— He and she were still on the seat, but they w&m sitting much closer. "Givin' yer tongue a rest, ain't yer, 'Arold?" she queried. "My 'cart's too full for chatterin', Mord." She gave him a coy glsjnce. " 'Arold !' A she gasped, " 'aye my dreams, my 'opes, my ambitions oome true, then?" "Your 'opes! Oh, Mord!" "My 'Arold f" — Chapter V. — " 'Ad any luck?" a3ked the blue-jerseyed 1 ■ boatman of the angler. "Not a blessed bite." '"Gel lower down jest cotehed a beauty." J "Plaice, sole, or what?" ; "Dunno," ;ame the reply; "but it's more'n sft long, and " ; "Five feet long! Great Scot " i "And wears trousers," chuckled the man , in the blue jersey. i