Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1880-02-20
Behind a Panel.

A wide, white forehead above,
braids knotted with white aster;
pansy-dark eyes under cuiled black
lashes. The lovely woman's face look
ing out of the oriel window held Capt.
Gordon Somers captive.
"Come, captain u called q voice
from the water below.
He made no response to startle the
girl, for she had not seen him. The
cool, oval face rested on the slender
hand, and she was looking dreamily
over the water.
9" say, cap. what keeps you? What
have you found?'
He could have strangled Low, with
his impatient believing, for now the
fair face started and flushed, and, turn
ing, Adelaide Westerly saw the intru-
der in her garden.
Capt. Somers stepped forth, but
without his usual ease and grace, and
lifted his hat.
81 beg pardon. Could we get some
water here"
Eyes, certainly. Knock at the south
door, and my man will give you all you
want"
She seemed startled ont of an ha-
bitual serenity, yet her voice had q
strange sof.ness and sweetness.
"I-we," continued the captain,
are in search of strange boat which
got adrift from the yacht Mermaid last
night. We have been about here for
three hours. 1t must have got over the
bar and gone out to sea-"
Low, lifting himself to look over the
bank, saw how things were, and settled
back resignedly in the dory.
"a small boat called the Dolphin ?"
asked Adelaide.
eyes,"
with book and spyglass in it?"
" Yes" confessed Somers, ashamed
of his seamanship. 81 let it get away
from me. I have charge of the yacht.
There she is yonder," pointing to the
ofing.
"You will find your boat fast
ened to a post just inside the break.
water. My man, Stephen, picked it
up last night. He is in the garden.
Stay, I will call him."
q beautiful young creature all in white
and found Capt. Somers awaiting
her, cap in hand. They went together
down the overgrown paths, he holding
the rose-vines aside to let her pass.
Z" I'm not giving you too much trou-
ble."
"No. There is my man. Stephen !"
The old man came up with his spade.
He began telling how he Lad found the
boat-for which the young gentleman
did not care two straws, casting des-
perately about in his mind to learn
how he was to meet Adelaide again.
She had already withdrawn to the
terrace, and stood awaiting his final
bow. She little dreamed the truth -
sweet Lady of Shalot She was look
ing tixedly at the fine, strong figure,
the cool, sensitive blonde face, the
picturesque yachtman's dress; she had
inhaled the faint fragrance of cigars,
felt the magnetism of this strangers
gentle touch as he put her dress aside
from the thorns; and feeling of pain
she could not express visited her pure
heart as she realized that in q minute
he would be gone from her gaze.
And he went. With one backward
glace from the fine blue eyes. with a
gay and graceful salutation and q final
call OF thanks to the young lady, Capt.
Somers turned bend of the rose path
and disappeared, followed by old Ste
phen.
"A desperate venture" he muttered,
"but my only chance
II, while unmooring the boat, he
deity questioned the old servitor of the
Westerlys, old Stephen never told. But
when he saw the two boats floating off
shore. he chuckled over the bit of sill
yer in his hand aud muttered,-
Good luck to you, cir I"
The fair Lady of Shalot went slowly
back to her bower. Perhaps the pretty
chamber did not then look quite beau
tiful. Perhaps she, too, murmured,
II am half sick Of shadows" It
would not be at all strange.
This girl Of twenty lived a strangely
isolated life. She was the last of her
race. living on the estate bequeathed to
her In infancy by her dying father. A
half. sister of her mothers, an aged
woman called Aunt Resolve, IVES her
only companion. She had never en-
tered society. She knew little OF the
world outside the beautiful gardens and
shores Of the jumpers.
But for old Aunt Resolve, the girl
seemed to be wasting her sweetness on
the desert air. The devoted old woman
1doiized her. From her babyhood she
bad dressed, watched md tended her.
Perhaps it was q mistaken fondness
that relieved the heiress of all care of
her estate. for it required some man
agement to make it yield an income for
the family, and Adelaide suffered from
snnui, Perhaps 4 little care vonld