Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1892-02-09


D'owihS the conch or her hrot her Dick,
she said. though she was not much afraid
o. his being out in the fog: he was over at
MS wening weir, at the Wolves. and he
must nave seen the log coming in. Dick
always knew she would rather he staid
on at the Wolves than try to get back mt
night III log. For it was night, wasn't
II: She couldn't he sure. rs her clock had
run down ana would not strike.
Then for the frs. time we were quite
sure those blue eyes were blind.
NO she was not afraid, she told us. to be
left alone on the island. 1t WIS lonesome
sometimes. though Dick was seldom, off AT
night. 1t would be less lonesome before
long she added, with n little telltale culver
az her voice. Dick was go;ng to bring a
VIE home. But what was there that
could hurt herr She had never been afraid
Dut once IN her iif', and thGt was in the
great oaNby gale, ages ago, when it so han.
peheu she was lef5 by accident in sole
charge oil Head Harbor light, and the great
"HEe'' pfeailIng Owe the lighthouse I'll the
Whhe, a she could ;ell from sound ard
jar But all that was long AFRO. when She
was 4 mere child She must not keen TN.
ladies' waiting now o listen to old worreu's
tales. Would they walk into the par.lor
presently:
Then she stopped with a quick CATCHING
Of her breath as Macleod stepped back
irom The gravel path onto the eyrsss
lherc - So.ae CGe with Won, ladies' OF
course, she said, hastily.
Joan referred the question TO Macleod
with her eyes, hut =aeins how strangely he
was staring At Or little hostess. as If all
his soul had passed into his eyes, and il was
who anwerrd it.
Our 5oatmAn," [ said.
Will he come il too? TIE kitchen j.
pleasant " she said simply
He started. ! could see how ne shufTled
nervousiy on those great feet OF his before
he growied ont something hoarsely about
having to make the boat fast
As if he had not lone that already.
Vt the sound Of lis voice, indistinct rs it
was. that change came over the little crea-
ture again.
Hercolor fled AMI then it came back with
an added glow, a, if She blushed 1t ncrown
thoughts. She was no: past the az. of
blushing, cvid Etlr. Was it her blindness
that had kept her soul 50 young?
Il must be dire: ming" she said simply.
when | ought To De wide awake and do
ing. But won be long. ladies, and |
hOpc"-turEing h,r face toward III. side
whence Macleod's unwilling voice had pro
cceded-''i hope WHOM YOU are ready you'll,
come in and make II comfortable tea"
Il wished she had asked Us, TOO, into the
| kitchen" said Joan presently, When she
| had finished her inventory of the parlor
| furniture from the depths of ono Of the BIC
! split rocking chairs we too, possession III.
! The hooked rag mats covering the floor.
| clipped almost into the semblance Of warm
OF the yoIug queen III coronation robes, the
| portrait Of a brig. nil sailed upon the vivid
| est OF green and white capped seas; the big
! red covered center table, with rs huge
| antlered branch # white coral. peri! aI,s
! brought home in nat very brig from south
! crn seas, ~ = companion piece TO which,
/ under tall glass case. stood huge bon
| quct of wool flowers dahlas, white and
red and yellow. and crimson princes fcath-
| er, knitted, rs ( aftcrwari learned by the
| blind girl.
Il wished she had asked us too. into her
| Kitchen said joan. Il think, Miss
| Alethea, If you don't mind I'll go and ask
myself. am sure | could help her get
! tea"
| DO you think She requires any help" !
asked dryly, glauc!ng around on the trim,
| quaint rooms.
But it would take more than that to
stop Joan in fancy Of hers And TO tell
! the truth, did not care to stop her. i
! confess to a fair share of Mother Ewes be
quest to her dan "hters. and as Joan had
not noticed Maclcod's face and the bit OF
unconscious hyplly on the blind woman's
! part, Joan might go and crafty my curl
osity in seeing what was happening
For that something was happening ] was
| rather sure | hId seen one boatman pass
the window, stepping gingerly on the turf
| Ill the direction Of the kitchen.
| could not hear voices where ! sat, but
heard Just then he long wall of the conch
| giving forth again its guiding warning tc
| the befogged Dick. If perchance he might
| be sailing sOmew here within sound of it.
| Joan told me afterward how it ali hap
pened, giving mo scolding at the same
time for making her, rs she said, play
! gocseberry fool.
She was standing in the kitchen door
way waiting for the blind woman who
| had passed out Just before her and was
| sounding her shrll from the rising ground
Joan stood waite hing the gliding figure re
turing, and would have called to her, but
that just then Macleod came walking bold,
" on the gravel around the corner of thl
| house.
The little creature started, Joan said
! SO violently that the shell fell from hei
| hands.
Who is it," she said breathlessly, turn
| ing her blind face from side to side.
Joan was about to answer, she tells me
but Macleod brushed past her making her
a constraining gesture almost fierce in it,
| vehemence.
She felt small. she told me afterward
like IA troubleso ne child who had gotten il
the way. but understood she was not sc
much as to stir. to betray here eayesdrop
| ping presence there.
Macleod passed her with a contemplation:
disregard of that presence, bat she saw at
once that he feared Margery's taking ad
vantage of it TO elude a scene apart witt
| him.
For when he stepped boldly on toward
her still without speaking, and she sait
breathlessy:
who is it? Not-not Angus Macleod?'
Yes he said firmly. stop, Margery
| The ladies car wait just where they are
I Let them have their tea afterward''- She