294 CONFESSIONS OF A BEACHCOMBER 



Tom that Charley, her boy, raged furiously. Tom — never 

 demonstrative, always cool and deep — obtaining an advance 

 from his captain, bought, among a few other attractive 

 trifles, an extremely gaudy dress, and having artlessly dis- 

 played the finery, took it all on board the schooner, which 

 was to sail the following morning at daylight. 



During the evening Dolly strolled casually from the 

 camp and the society of the fuming Charley, and dis- 

 appeared. Tom had quite a trousseau, new and bright, for 

 his sweetheart, when she clambered on board, naked, wet, 

 and with shining eyes. Next morning Charley tracked her 

 along the beach. An old and soiled dress — his gift — on a 

 little promontory of rocks about a mile from the anchorage 

 of the schooner completed the love-story. 



This intrigue took place many years ago, but Charley 

 was so deeply mortified that he hates Tom to this day, and 

 Tom is an uncomfortable fellow for anyone disposed to 

 resentfulness. 



We know, because he says so, that Tom fought for her, 

 and that Nelly gladly accepted the protection of the 

 staunchest man of the district. Tom, in his surly moments, 

 is exquisitely cruel ; but Nelly's devotion is unaffected. 

 Her vanity led her to flaunt her gaudy hat in the hut. Tom 

 reproved such flashness — he invariably selects the gayest 

 shirts himself — by burning the hat and all the newly- 

 acquired finery. Nelly struck back, and Tom, as her eyes 

 were big and ablaze with fury, threw — at the cost of burnt 

 fingers — a handful of hot sand and ashes into her face. 

 From Tom's point of view it was a splendid feat — one of 

 those bold and effective master-strokes that only a ready 

 and determined sportsman could conceive and on the 

 instant carry into effect. Nelly's eyes were closed for 

 weeks — well-nigh for ever — and the skin peeled off her 

 face ; but she consented to the cruel punishment without a 

 murmur after the first shriek of agony, and won Tom to 

 good temper and tolerance of her vanity by all sorts of 

 happy concessions. 



How many such tiffs — tough and smart — has poor 



