The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1880-06-10
= aolis' ))ort,ollo.
Behind a Panel.

ONE, captain. called a 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 dreanliy over the water.
L say, Cap, what keeps you? What
have You found?'
He could have st~angled with his com
"a lie for his Impatient believing, for now
the fair face started and flushed. and turn
ing, Adelaide Westerly saw the intruder IN
her garden. =,
Captain Somers stopped forth, but with
out his usual case AMI grace, and lifted his
hat.
i beg your pardon, Could we get some
water here|
Yes. certainly. Knock at the South
door, and nv man will give you all you
want 4,
She seemed startled out of habitual
serenity, yet her voice had a strange soft,
mess. .
I've continued the captain, are in
search ola s range boat which got adrltt
from the Yacht Mermaid last night We
have been about here for three hours. 1t
must have got over the blr AMI gone out to
sea.
Low, lifting himself to look over the bank.
saw now thing were and settled back re-
signeily in the dory.
"A small boat called the Dolphin asked
A.lo'a:le.
'Yes.'
~ IN a book and spy glass in it?
yes confessed Somers, a>ha ued OF his
seamanship, | left it get away from me |
have charge of the yacht. There she is
.yonder,' pointing to the ofhng.
You will find your boat fastened to a
post just inside of the breakwatcr. Ny
man, Stephen. picked 1t up last night:
He is in the garden. Stay. will call him.
She came down to the garden door-a
beautiful young creature all IN white and
found Captain Somers awaiting her. cap in
hand. They went together down the over
grown paths, he holding the rose vines to
let her pass.
L am giving you too much trouble.
No. There is my man. Stephen !!
The old man came up with his spade. lie
beg an telling how he had found the boat
for which the young geatlem IN did not
care two straws, casting desperately about
in his mind 70 learn how he was to meet
Adelaide again
She hal already withdrawn to the ter
sace, and stood awaiting the final bow.
She little Dire med the ttuth-swret -
OF thaloti She was looking hxcdly al the
fine. strong figure, the cool. sensitive blonde
face. picturesque yachtman's dress, she
had inhaled the faint fragrance Of cigars,
felt The magnetism of this sIraI gers gen
tle touch as be pu' her dress aside from the
thornS, and > feeling of pain she COULD not
express visited her pure heart as she real
1zrd that in a minute he would be gone
from her gaZt.
And he went: With ore backward
glance from the fine blue eyes, with IA gray
and Oracpful Calntatinn and n final cal of
thanks to the young lady, Captain som
ers turned a bend of the rose path and dis
appeared ollowed 10y old stephen. A
desperate venture be muitcrcd. but my
only chance
IF. while unmooring the boat. he deity
questioned The servitor of the Wcsterlvs,
old Stephen never told. But when he SAW
she b ats floating off shore. he chuckled
over the Tit of silver IN his hand, and NUT
tered, "'iood luck to you, sir !!
The fair Lady of Shalot went back to
her bower. Perhaps the pretty chamber
did not then look quite beautiful. Perhaps
she, ico, %murmured, Il AN half sick OF
shadow. 1t would not he at all strange.
Tins girl Of 20 lived a strange, isel itcd
life. She was the last of her race living on
The estate beaucathed to her in infancy by
her dying father. A half sister of heI
mother's, an aged woman called Aunt Re
solve, was her only companion. She neyet
entered society. She know little cf tn
world outside the beautiful gardens an,
shore of the Jnipers.
But for old Aunt Resolve, the girl seem
ed to be wasting her sweetness on tn,
desert air. The devoted old woman idol
led her. From her babyhood she ha'
dressed, watched and tended her. PEI
maps 1t was q mistaken fondness that re
%leved the hciress of all care of her estate
Tor 1t required some management to max
st'yleld an income for the family, and AZ
Glade suffered from ennui. Perhaps ali
tie care would have been good for her. b.
Aunt Resolve thought difft rently, and tt
girl knew nothing Of the oysters beds an
the crops that were hers.
The girl stood in the rose path again u
sn the following evening, her garden b
IA Der hand, her eyes unconsciously fix,
upon the yacht Mermaid in the offing. s.
WAS in an unusually thoughtful moo