New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-06-05

NO." he thought, :" can't tie rope to my
neck as long as my little girl lives. She
might need me- Though it's precious little can
| do. Perhaps, though, Just knowing I'm alive is
comfort TO her. God knows want TO be a
comfort to her. It's all there is in the world"
| When Katharine rose the next morning at five
o'clock, Joanna who shared the bed with her,
groaned that it was not time to get up yet.
Il know it. But can't sleep I'm going TO
the beach"
| She dressed herself carefully TO be ready in
! case that lady should remember that she had said
she would call
| Then she hurried out to the shore. 1t was
| low tide. In ten minutes the waves would expert
cnce that mysterious change which should put
| life in them.
Now the ocean had withdrawn itself it was
sobbins little in an undertone. The water rolled
lakily, like OIL smashing family upon the sand and
falling back lanenidly.
There was not a human being in sight as Katha-
| rine walked down the slope
Some sandpipers ran in their peculiar gliding
| way on before her When she came too near they
| flew, then settled again on the sand
There was no blue sky Everything softly
gray. There was no wind only faint breath of
air came from the east il full of the odor
Of salt as it touched Katharne's cheeks il she
her face
The girl liked such days as these. They soothcd
her, without her knowing what it was that was
80 comforting. One Of these gray. salt days was
| like the presence Of friend who likes you and
| approves OF you. So Katharine felt IL.
She need not be back at the cafe before half
past six. She strolled on, and on. The space she
had passed was just like the space that lay ahead
OF her. Sometimes there was a little stronger
puff from the ocean
She could not see the water, save the line
where il touched the shore But occasionally
there came the soundt Of oars in rowlocks. Of
mans voice giving some order, Of the splash OF
water on boats side far of in the bay.
Katherine already knew how early the perchers
and coddcrs sometimes went out TO catch for the
hotel tables. On clear days she saw them start
from the stony beach which curved between two
bluffs off AZ the right. sho stood in from; Of the
cafe and ga1ed shout her when there lull
in the ordasS
Everything was very different from Feeding
Hills. 1t was like beng in another world.
She almost thought that It might be possible
that che herself was another girl. That would
be SO lovely-to be another girl--and to begin
life free.
Not that she was particularly conscious Of not
being free. chair may be 50 light and loose
that 1t seems not to fetter.
And Katharines spirits were now unusually
high; she was so young and healthy and busy,
and in new place. There was only Joanna TO
remind her of anything disagrceable and Joanna
had penty of subjects Of her own for Thought. the
chief among them being the travelling salesman.
Besides, Joanna was fond Of Kate in that super
fetal. thouchtless kind of a way in which a girl
who has a travelling salesman may be fend Of one
who is not so fortunate
This morning Joanna tired, she told
herself, that Kate should have taken a notion 70
get up in this way And she could not go 10
sleep again because she happened 10 ask herself If
| nything were the matter. Kate was so different
That was the most provoking thing. She was
different, and yet
Having come, after many yawns, 70 this last
phrase, Joanna sat up ia bed.
1t was room only few feet larger than the
bed which stood In it. 1t had a window in the
roof which tilted up on an iron support
Joanna put her head 20 this window and shifted.
She looked out upon the ocean.
ITS Just 40 cloudy as 1t can be-" she said
petuantly. And I wonder where Kate has gone
10. don't know what she can want TO walk on
such beach as that for. l wonder II that is
her." as hcr eyes lighted on one figure moving
slowly toward Point Allertcn. Il shouldn't
wonder II she walked coan over to Hull"
Joanna dressed. She twisted her hair back and
set her hat firmly down over the small wads OF
hair that were confined w her crimpcrs. 1t was
terrible hard to keep ones hair in crmps at the
shore"
She thought she should buy of those little
fringes of hair such some Of the other girls
wore She could lay it across her forehead and
the dampness didn't seem To affect it.
She hurried down over the heavy. clogging sand
until she came to the hard. wet floor of the beach
1t was lonesome to her without any people round,
and no band playing And how disagrecable that
kind Of moaning noise the water made sounded
She wished that she hadn't come out She
kept going on
Yes, certainly, that must be Kate; she was just
turning up TO that old, half-buried wreck. She
would probably, sit down there and II Joanna did
not 20 and call her she might keep sitting
there and not be on hand" 10 wait upon the
| folks between seven and eight There were some
people who always came 70 breakfast then and
Kate was one Of the walters. Joanna herself
didn't 90 on until an hour later.
IL was Katharine who was sitting on the wreck
And she was In a mood by this time which fully
justified her friend in thinking that she might
forget to come back to wait upon the seven
o'clock mealers."
If hadn't got her here spose l shouldn't
feel SO kind Of responsible, said Joanna as she
walked squarely on, not looking at water or land,
and wishing as she went that this kind Of air did
not take the curl out. OF her hair quick
| 1t was rather a long walk. and it was many
minutes before the wreck seemed TO grow any
nearer. and Katharincs figure TO become more de-
fined and recognizable
| When Joanna was within few rods OF her
friend, horse cantcred into sight from behind one
| NJ the hills The horse bore man on his back
and was coming rapidly.
| Joanna half paused. glow OF anger mingled
with the glow of exercise Oh her face.
- =, ...oa oorto;nlv verr ouoor Had she