The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-03-03
BEHIND A PANEL.

eyes uQOor Cdrleu DluCk lhSuoS. Inc
lovely woman's face looking out of the
oriel windows held Captain Gordon
Somers captive.
Come, Captain" called 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.
II 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 turning,
Adelaide Westerly saw the intruder in
the garden.
Captain Somers stepped forth, but
without his usual grace and ease, and
lifted his hat.
II beg your 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 out of an habitual
serenity, yet her voice had strange soft
ness and sweetness.
"I-we," continued the captain, are in
search of a 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
back, saw how things were and settled
back resignedly.
"a small boat named the Dolphin"
asked Adelaide.
eyes"
with book and spy glass in it?" she
continued.
eyes," confessed Somers, ashamed of
his seamanship. II let it get away from
me. have charge Of the yacht. There
she is yonder," pointing to the offing.
"You will find your boat fastened to a
post Just inside the breakwater. My
man Stephen picked it up last night.
He is in the garden. Stay, l will call
him."
She came down to the garden door-a
beautiful young creature in white, found
Captain Somers awaiting her.
They went together down the over
grown paths, he holding the roses aside
to let her pass.
II am giving You too much trouble"
said he.
"No. There is my man. Stephen"
she called.
The old man came up with his spade.
He began telling how he had found the
boat-for which the young gentleman
did not care two straws, casting desper-
ately about in his mimi to learn how he
was to meet Adelaide again.
She had already withdrawn to the ter
race and stood awaiting his final bow.
She little dreamed the truth-sweet
Lady of Shalot! She was looking fixed
" at the fine strong figure, the cool, sem
sitive blond face, the picturesque yacht
mans dress; she had inhaled the faint
fragrance of 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 min
ute he would be gone from her gaze.
And he went With one backward
glance from the fine blue eyes. with a
gay and graceful salutation and final call
OF thanks to the young lady, Captain
Somers turned bend of the rose path
and disappeared, followed by old Ste
phen.
"A desperate venture! he muttered,
''but my only chance y
WHIlc thC oO"e, .A~ W
questioned the old servator of the West
erley's, old Stephen never told. But
when he saw the two boats floating off
shore he chuckled over the bit of silver
in his hand and muttered: GOOD luck
TO you, sir!'
The Fair Lady of Shalot went slowly
back to her bower. Perhaps the pretty
chamber did not then look quite beauti-
tful; perhaps she, too, murmured, II am
half sick OF shadows 1t 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 wo-
man called Aunt Resolve, was her only
companion. She had never entered So
ciety. She knew little OF the world out
side 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
idolized her. From her babyhood she
Ind dressed, washed and tended her.
Perhaps it was mistaken fondness that
relieved the heiress of all care OF her es-
tate. for it required some management to
make il Weld an income for the family,
and Adelaide suffered from enui. Per-
hsps a little care would have been good
for her. But Aunt Resolve thought diff
ferently, and the girl knew nothing Of
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