A LOOSE END AND OTHER STORIES

by

S. ELIZABETH HALL

Author of _The Interloper_

London: Simpkin, Marshall Hamilton, Kent & Co., Ltd. London: Truslove and Bray, Printers, West Norwood, S.E.

CONTENTS.

A LOOSE END

IN A BRETON VILLAGE

TWICE A CHILD

THE ROAD BY THE SEA

THE HALTING STEP

TABITHA'S AUNT

A LOOSE END.

CHAPTER I.

One September morning, many years ago, when the Channel Islands seemed further off than they do now, and for some of them communication with the outer world hardly existed, some two hours after the sun had risen out of the sea, and while the grass and the low-growing bushes were still fresh with the morning dew, a young girl tripped lightly along the ridge of a headland which formed the south side of a cove on the coast of one of the smaller islands in the group. The ridge ascended gradually till it reached a point on which stood a ruined building, that was said to have been once a mill, and from which on the right-hand side the path began to descend to a narrow landing-place in the cove. The girl stood still for a moment when she reached the highest point, and shading her eyes looked out to sea. On the opposite side of the cove a huge rock, formed into an island by a narrow shaft of water, which in the strife of ages had cleared its way between it and the rocky coast, frowned dark and solemn in the shadow, its steep and clear-cut sides giving it a character of power and imperturbability that crowned it a king among islands. The sea beyond was glittering in the morning sun, but there was deep purple shadow in the cove, and under the rocks of the projecting headlands, which in fantastic succession on either side threw out their weird arms into the sea; while just around the edge of the shore, where the water was shallow over rocks and weed, was a girdle of lightest, loveliest green. Guernsey, idealized in the morning mist, lay like a dream on the horizon. Here and there a fishing-boat, whose sail flashed orange when the sun touched it, was tossing on the waves; nearer in a boat with furled sail was cautiously making for the narrow passage--the Devil's Drift, as the fishermen called it--between the island and the mainland, a passage only traversed with oars, the oarsmen facing forwards; while the two occupants of another were just taking down their sail preparatory to rowing direct for the landing-place.

Table of contents (by pages)

• 1: A Loose End and Other Stories by S. Elizabeth Hall
• 2: Waiting for him to begin the ascent the younger man
• 3: And then drops a word that poor Andre he's gettin' old
• 4: Nevin could not see her pass swiftly by her own cottage
• 5: Nor try to intimidate him into takin' you back
• 6: Old Andre slowly dragged himself on to his feet
• 7: What'll your father do to keep hisself
• 8: With the dried gorse blazing beneath it
• 9: The day before Antoine was born
• 10: Geoffroi was quicker of speech than Antoine
• 11: Cluck of the sabots was heard again
• 12: Old Aimee was bending over the cauldron
• 13: Geoffroi was the first to speak
• 14: And Antoine thrust the throng aside
• 15: The old sorceress dwells alone
• 16: Chestnuts and black bread grew scantier and scantier
• 17: That a letter at length arrived for Antoine from Cherbourg
• 18: He grasped Geoffroi by both shoulders
• 19: Whirling across the squares of sunlight
• 20: The tottering feet feeling their unknown way
• 21: Drove the spade into the hard ground
• 22: Shovelled out the earth from the hole
• 23: Should the expected deluge descend
• 24: On either side of it were barren dunes
• 25: Paul and Annette were kin on her mother's side
• 26: As Annette was busy with her distaff
• 27: Annette always avoided Jean of Kerdual
• 28: Le Geant brule Le Geant brule
• 29: And set off for the auberge with what haste he might
• 30: Victorine approached the group
• 31: Victorine and the other women shook their heads
• 32: Being nearly cut off from the sea by a rocky headland
• 33: Called Josef to lie down at the foot of the bed
• 34: And Josef heard it too and barked
• 35: Mackerel are caught by lines in those parts
• 36: Mesurier had glanced at his face
• 37: Inquired for a certain auberge
• 38: Fauchon considered for a moment
• 39: Louise was sitting by the hearth
• 40: But the climax came when Aunt Rennie sent Tabitha a bicycle
• 41: When Tabitha burst into the room
• 42: And as Aunt Rennie turned away