Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-10-14
HALT THERE! HANDS OFF

lessor, nor yet philosopher. nor q pedes-
trian"-with gasp at each of the hard words
put it's something that begins with aP. And
he's hunting for shrlls-all sorts of queer. out
landlsh Shells rs isn't to be come across ever
day"
DO tell" said the landlords wife .'Per-
haps he's going to grind them into fertilizinp
powder. or macadamize a road with them"
No. he amt" said her husband .'Hes going
to publish book OF pictures about them"
Then he's an editor" SAID Mrs. Stubbs.
''Iain't quite that neither" said Mr. Stubs,
SLOWLY But it's something very wise and
learned. So told him he'd better 90 to Yorke's
Inc young woman there has mortal nice COL
lection of Out-of-the- shells And I've
heered of their selling shells to them as fam
cied them, once in awhile, for all they're such
high-tOned gentlefolks'
That had been Mr. Silas Stubs advice and
Mr., Cleve. the paleontologist had taken it, and
was even then walking along the shnglv beach,
where the waves CURED IN foany fringes, almost
up to his feet and the trails of blackish seaYeed
showed the high water mark
Jud re Yorke-he had been Judge nobody
knew how many years ago, OF some petty court
i'm southern city before the Yorke estate had
melted in the fiery furnace of litigation and ne
wiich never cainr-Sat out under the tumble
. ,wn veranda with the air of an exiied prince
He was VIII te-haired and rubicund-viSawed and
his slippers were down at the heels and his red
CASHMERE dr'sSlng gown was patched with
quite different pattern and his wristbands
were frayed and the lack of buttons on his
shirt front was made rood with pin But
whel he saw the stranger lift the latch Ct the
richety gate. he advanced to meet him with
patron;z M urbanity which was little short OF
Overwhelming He listened to Mr. Cleves SELF
Introduction with a royal mile: he welcomed
HIM as IT the Old house were palace, he made
haste to introduce IN to - Mrs. Yorke"
Mrs. y orke was q tall. golden haired Young
woman with her lovely tresses tucked unit
duy into a net her dress decidedly the worse
for wear, and her eXqn.s tie tace burned by the
impress of the sun and wind. But the flash of
her brilliant blue eyes was like sunshine itself
"" I'll the gentleman stay to dinner" Mrs
1Orke asked che jud 90: because we have only
some porries and samphire But if he cares for
such simple fare. he Is welcome"
Mr.. Cleve accepted the simply-given invita-
ton, The Judge was like piece of old porce-
aln-cracked and damaged 1t might be- but
still, genuine. Mrs. Yorke was a beauty, but
quite young enough. the guest decided. to be
her uSband's granddaughter; and bes DIES, he
wanted TO know what on earth porgies and
samphire could be
There was no carpet on the dining room floor
and the windows needed cleaning; but the china
was line, and they had some hiackberries early
apples and few fine apricots. in center piece
oi silver with Y engraved on the handles; and
Mr. Cieve discovered the poryies were coarse
grained fish with good deal of bone to them
also that samphire was geatinOus vegetable
not unlike grass. which was gathered on the
sea-beach and boiled with butter and vinegar
An old he LresS. WhOm Cleve mentally decided
must be at least a hundred wears of are waited
and kept off the flies with brush of peacocks'
pumes
Shells? Yes there were some fine shells
the judge believed along the coast. Mrs
IOrke knew-Mrs. YOrke could tell him Pa
technology was a study which must ALWAYS
c0m-mcnd- t>elf-"
And the jude fell hiandly and courteously
asleep, with "a smile on his face
Mrs. 1orke Tau rhed
Hes very old" said She indifferpntly; she
often does that Don't mind him. Did YOU say
you wanted to buy shells? | will try and have
some collected for you by this time Tomorrow"
Could collect them for rnyself:'' Mr. Cleve
asked. with the eagerness of a specialist
Mrs. forke's beautiful brow darkened
No. she answered. CURLY. The coast ia
ours as far as Rocky Point and our people don't
like to be interTered with. If YOU Will come
here this time tomorrow l will have ten dollars
worth OF the shells for YOU"
And. to MS amaZPment Mr. Cleye was COM
PEELED. perforce. to accede, although in his in
HerInoSt heart he dOunted whether Mrs Yorke
was judge of what would be ten dollars worth
of shells.
And then the Judge walked up and prete ded
never to have been asleep and Mrs Yorke SANG
some delicious little Louisiana ballads to the
guitar; and the old negreSS hObbled in with a
melon cut in slices and powdered over with
sdgar: and before Mr.. Cieve knew it the clock
was striking eleven.
He walked home in the moonlight with the
tumultuous rush of the rising tide in his ears
while Mrs Yorke's French ballads echoed
unsteady through his brain. and her luminous
blue eyes and FURNISHED coils Of golden hair
haunted his recollection.
1t is the strangest sweetest face I eyer
saw. he muttered. Il believe am more than
half in love with her. III only that dilapidated
old piece of southern chivalry. the jud re- woulG
de. | should like to make that woman my
wife d"
And then he smiled out there in the moon
light, ct the fantastic improbability of the
idea
BY the next mornings sunrise he was up and
out on the glorious beach Of sparkling sand
with the sea wind tanning his face and whole.
battery of electricity tingling through his
pulses.
Nothing seemed too much or too difficult to
achieve. He climbed dizzy peaks; he walked
mites; he stood on solitary pr0m0ntories where
gulls flew shrleking around his ears-until at
last he found himself on a level stretch of sand.
not far from the old YOrke mansion
EUREKA. he exclaimed TO himself as he
stoopedto pick up an exquisite she'll rose-tinted,
anu cOlyolVutatrd IN rare curves which Law
bluShlng at his feet.
At the same moment. q boat containing a tall
figure wrapped in an old black serge cloak, came
rocking around the point and voice cried
sharply:
Halt. therei" Hands Off YOu are trespass-
inc on the Yorke Beach! Put down that shell
or I'll shoot"
And the barrel Of revolver glistened in the
sunshine.
Il beg your pardoni" stammered Mr. CIeye.
promptly dropping the shell g wasn't aware
that"
The Lorel of the tides uttered cry
Its Mr.. Cleve!" said she
And it's Mrs Yorkei" retorted our hero
The golden-tressed beauty put down the re-
Volyer IN the stern of the boat sprang lightly
over its Sunwae, and came up the beach. with
ner checks all mantled with bushes
~ es. said she, lit is I. | believe Won are a
Gentleman and may as well be frank with YOU
We are genteeily poor at the house All the in
come We have is derived from the sale of these
rare shells, which pick up myself for We have
no servant but old Cardiac and she is too stiff
and old to come here. My father-in-Iaw has never
been quite himself since my husband was killed
in railroad accident three wears ago"
Your husband" repeated CIepe KILLED,
Then you are nOt-Judge Yorke's wife?"
ZIP" cried the biue-eyed enchantress-.I the
wife of that old mani"
And then with the crimson finish nj bor nm