The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1889-06-01
pleasure renewed its own soft hunger upon
the food that nourished 1t.

place Tor Alice. The ocean moan; the
lonely barrenness OF scrub and lagoah, cftcA
filled her with rasteaSable longings for
things Indefinite and unutterablc. Tom
Fred had never seem; d more inappropriate
and commonplace than when he "a 3
accompanied her there Soon alter the
lattes's departure, Brent found her there,
seated in sheltered angle Of the old fort
her eyes Upon the sea, and volume Of
Oscar Wild's latest vagaries in her lap.
He took up the book and read rahd6ni
selections, limiting hastily at sensuous al
lufemehts OF thought ard passion. Amid
the unrestful flow of her own fancics at
such moments, the aesthetic gloss Of senti-
mept yelled tie lack sf Truth aid bdfity
beneath Could not the realities of life re-
ally be lifted above their prosa.c enviro on.
ments: When his dark eyes upon her,
with deftly-turned thoughts ripping from
his lips, aud the brief pressure Of his hand
kindling an ANSWERING fife Id hsf 6wh
veins-was 1t strange to believe that her
indefinite longings might, after ALL fore
shadow some kind OF fieh fufllmeht-
with him. With hihi-perhaps-but not
with poor, plain, prosy Tom Frel.
Al ce was also fond of rowing. On still
days she would drift with the tide in mere
shell of dory, down through the inlet hear
to the greehish surges boiling oh the bar
without Then, with steady stroke, she
would pull leisurely back, by mangroye
islets and cleaning banks of sand, by
screaming pelican and curlew, and through
ruffiing schools OF niullet, to the admiration
ahd terror of her less athletic sisters. The
Minorcan fishermen would iabber and ges-
| ticulate over their nets at sight of her, fer
she had Teen trained from gifihood oh the
Schuylkili, where stood her Aunt Niobe's
| co.. ntry house amid fiver-sloping lawns.
Brent also occasionally went down to the
bal In safe, substlnt' al yard boat to fish.
On favorable days ne would anchor his boat
near the edge of the breakers, throw out his
line. then, lying back with cigar, resign
| himself to leyerie and the hauling III Of an
occasional bass, 0, skipiack, favenous and
struggling from the sw.rling depths
| around.
He lay thus one. day, with white caps
| breaking seward before brisk northern
and his yawl pitching rather riofe than
usual. A cry-seemngly a woman's, yet
more likely CULTS -foated through the in:
termittent roar Of the surf. It was repeat.
cd, shrillcr and more unn,istskabie than be-
| fore.
He raised his head and saw small toat
drifting rapidly outward through tn, south
channel. A woman sat therein, palling
! frantically with one oar, yet a;mlessly, in.
eFoesually. He sprang to his halya rds,
hoistcd his single sail, rails ed his anchor
! and lore down toward her. The wind that
aggravated her danger supp lied the power
Of rescue. With one leg over the tiller and
the main sheet held stiff1y, he lufrel sharp.
ly around to leeward Of the dory within
thirty yards Of the greenly gaping surges
, reaching forth to engulf them. .As the sides
of the boats touched, he stretched out one
disengaged hand.
Don't hesitat," he said. "Yel must
leap for 1t, at ense.''
As he sptang, he clutchei her around the
waist and drew her over the gunwales.
| While she lay painting upon the thwart, his
yawl fell off upon the other tack. He climb
ed UP to wiudward and, inch by inch, the
bellyiug sail drew them away from destruc
ton, Will, the dory dr;fted on to its de-
struction.
Then Miss Waldrop feebly strove to thanh
him, In broken tones. He searched In the
locker, fished out flask and o glass, anG
made her swallow some of the stronges
liquor she had ever tasted.
Don't spelk Of thanks" said he "Wha
would my life be to me now, had failed t
save yours?'
During the settlement of this interesting
| problem, 1t appeared that Alice had lost on;
of her oars overheard, and the rushing tide
had swiftly brought her into peril.
After this, Brent became the almost daily
companion of her walks and rides, though
Aunt Niobe, rather deaf and near-sightet
old lady, was supposed to be keeping up the
proprieties somewhere in the near back
ground. But Aunt Niobe was a paragon
among chaperons, viewed from sentimen
tai standpoint. Having told Brent tina
Alice was to marry Tom Fred, she left then
mostly TO their own devices, and divides
her time between her Bible, her poodle, he
dinner and her nap. From her Brent foun'
that Alice, besides fifteen thousand o yea
of her own, was also Aunt Niobe's intende
heir, still more flattering prospect in
pecuniary sense.
The breezy February days lapsed int
| nidICl, WuO uOuAiuS bAC IOUCo VI CuiAe
swathed the ancient city in adolce. far-nie'st
atmosphere of its own. One evening unde
full moon, dewy breath barely rufflin
the lagoon, Brent pulled slowly toward tn
sea wall, while Alice, from the stern sheet
of the boat, idly watched the phosphorescen
flashes from the oars. At last he pause
and said, abruptly:
81 hate to tell you, but must leave thi
place to. morrow for home. My father
very ILL.,"
Alice did not reply, but looking dowr
trailed one hand gently through the wate'
Have you nothing to say, Alice."
Her head dropped lower, but she remain
ed silent.
"Oh, these partings!" he exclaimed bi
terly. "Alice, cannot stay, yet woul
. love to have you bid me stay
She raised her moist, glistening eyes
his. The power Of passion is often the mo:
eloquent in silence He leaned toward he
''Do you, will you miss mel"
"You know will, ;" was all she could ute
as her head sank upon his shoulder.
But, before there was time for many {
the usual vows and protestations, AuI
Niobe's voice from chair upon the sc
wall summoned Alice to her side. A fe'
moments later, at the boat stairs, they we,
met by short, square shouldered man, WI
placed himself boldly between Brent an
the lady, and assisted the latter the step
saying:
s'Don't be surprised, Ally; it's only To-
Fred back again on a little business. Con
to Aunt Niobe at once; you can make
cuses to Mr. Brent later on"
Alice could only exclaim, II wonder wins
: brings you back! and conceal, with guilt
haste, ring which had gfittered on h
finger just six minutes But she sufere
Tom to hurry her after Aunt Niobe's retrea
ing form to the Egmont
Meanwhile, before Brent could find WORD
toexpress his amazement, two men confron
. ed him as he stepped from the boat.
"Well," said one, you're wanted, Dempi
Cain, alias Brent. alias Charley the XII
: We've been looking for you good while.
Brent stopped, as though paralyzed. A
il by magic two circlets Of steel were sna
ped over his wrists. The sound infuriatt
him.
r ON you'll" said he, fercely. "Whi
does all this meanl'
) ssNothing much,n replied the detectiv
s'only we've got your trunk and Il
j diamonds. Careless trick Of you, my DO
{ TO carry the swag round with you like