The Washington times., 1894-10-21

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nothing for me TO do"
IN wait for you at Mrs. Rikers landing.
| I'll be there at u. Now change places with
me again. for it's long row back. !"
He took of his coat to make her better
! seat aud then bent his back to the oars In
| stead of the jerky Jersey dip he pulled long,
/ strong sweep that sent the little boat shudder-
1 ing through the water like creature OF life.
/ The sun had gone down unmissed in the bold
! twilight and the breezy stiffness OF evening
was settling down over the rising river. The
! scene was a study In green. The only Varla-
| ton was some white daisies, still awake, q
| few tagging clusters OF locust, and once a rare
mass of real mountain laurel that, perfectly at
] home, bent It's sticky white disks almost into
/ the salt water Both man and girl looked at
/ il with an instant appreciation OF Its pres
| ence
"Do YOU want it?' he asked.
ooh. no; leave il where it is" she answered.
They were the only words spoken during
! the long row home. Over the two had fallen
/ a silencing realization of their somewhat Pc
/ cuIiar position. AT last Locust Point landing
was reached, and Hettie May volunteered to
! get out.
This is where you STOP" she said. II can
walk home"
IF you will allow me I'll row up TO Mrs.
! Riker's.' said Theodore. pulling with steady
vigor that needed no permission.
Most Of the Locust Point homesteads bor-
dered upon the river, but the descent to the
water was so wooded and steep that all the
! houses were hidden from sight. so that,
although voices came now and then to the
/ ears of the two in the boat. no sight OF una
miable human beings marred the perfection
/ of the scene. An exception must be made IN
! favor Of Mrs. Riker, who was found to be
watching their approach from the top OF her
bank.
THERE'S Aunt Emma" said Hattie May,
/ guiltily. I've been grabbing. Aunt Emman
Aunt Emma preserved stony silence that
/ remained unbrokcn even when Theodore
slightly raised his hat in recognition of her
indis1utable presence. He ran the boat well
TO land and Hettie May stepped ashore.
Good evening, said Theodore, pushing
himself reluctantly from Shore as she sped up
the bank before he could remind her OF their
next days engagement.
But on the morrow he found that she had
not forgotten it, On the contrary, she was at
the landing before him. She had on the same
calico dress and straw nat of yesterday, but
to his pleased eyes she looked vastly prettier.
and he felt a most unwarrantable thrill OF
pleasure in seeing her.
mo Aunt Emmay " he hazarded.
''No Aunt Emma" she responded gayly,
but IN an undertone. 'She was wild last
night at my escapade, but l got up at this
morning aud weeded all the strawberries. so
!
more.
'.Whv. I was up at this morning, too!' he
cried. with blissful sense OF companionshlp
Il should think you would be up at that
hour every morning" she said.
why" asked Theodore biankly.
"Does not your occupation call for itY''
"Oh. yes, Of course he answered.
He had wanted her to ask the reason Of
his early rising in order that he might ex-
plain that he had risen hetimes TO clean the
boat for her greater comfort. Now be would
explain nothing. so he rowed silently down
toward the bridge. The heat was blistering,
the water was warm oil, and the wind like
fire. and neither party felt talkative.
do YOU think We can stand very much OF
thisy' she asked.
..Wait till we reach the bridge; it will be
cooler there" he said.
.'Oh. If we could only stay under un'
That's Just what we are going to DO"
''Are we going to Ilsh under there!'
THAT E j..
He gave backward glance 10 gauge his
distance. and alter one more strong sweep
he gathered in the oars and the boat shot
itself into the cool. seaweedy shade OF the
bridge piles. Here he moored by means Of
slack ropes fore and aft, so that the current
merely struck the boat with cool-sounding
smashes. and was poWerless to carry them out
into the merciless sunlight.
i We Drought my own Ldthie uiDLS, ut-
clared Hettie May. drawing some hooks and
a line out Of her pocket.
what for?' demanded Theodore, sur
prised.
"Didn't you say We were going to fish for
crabsyn she asked, with her delicious and
ready blush.
ave are indeed" he responded, "but we
don't use hooks; we use this"
He produced two unsayory hunks of raw
meat
THAT is its special recommendation. he
announced gruesomely.
"Oh. is it better that way?"
"Much. You take 1t like this, YOU see. and
round il into a tIgnt ball. and then YOU fasten
il to the end of this string as firmly as you
know how. Next yoE tie on q small stone for
a sinker. and the trick is done. Would you
like to fix your own, or would you rather 1
did it?'
I'D far rather you did it, +" she rejoined.
"All YOU do is to throw the bait out. feel
when it touches bottom. and then draw it up
about a foot and wait till you feel quiet tug
Then tell me. -
They both lowered their bait and fell into
period Of breathless waiting. Soon Theodore
cast a glance of smiling intelligence at his
companion and began to pull his line inch by
inch To his anxious companion his crawling
cautiousness was feverish excitinglv When the
lump of meat appeared in dim outline to their
sight Hettie May perceived that huge crab
was huGging it.
Please hand me the net whispered Theo-
dore.
She rendered him the short-handled net.
and be soon dumped the unwary prey into the
boat, with the hollow, rafting sound that had
grown so familiar to the girls ears.
Don't he clash his legs horribly" she
questioned.
~
crab on it," he declared. Draw it up very
quietly or you'll frighten him loose. That's
the way"
isn't he beautiful big one?'' she breathed
delghtedly as she watched it through the
water tugging Gt the meat.
Don't experiment any longer; take the
net" advised Theodore.
"Oh. can haul him into the boat without
any net. she protested. Theodore set his
teeth together and let her Try it. The crab
let 90 Immediately he felt air.
''They always do that" he observed. 'fIt's
only once in fifty times that you can Jerk
them into the boat" As he spoke he was
hauling in one of his own; then another and
another. At last Hettle May felt the mantle
Of success fall upon her, and she, too, began
to land crabs without number. Theodore
put his into one wet sack, and hers into an
other.
In such hot weather they would all die If
they were left exposed, he explained.
Thus two hours sped away until Hettie
May, stated with capture, began to grow
hungry.
II must 90 home now. Please let me off
at the end of the bridge or up at Aunt Emma's,
whichever is most convenient for you
He decided that Aunt Emma's was by far
the most convenient for him. and began TO
unmoor the boat. All the while he was rack
ing his brain for some excuse TO make an
other engagement with her. Was there moth
fv,fr ole ha +aaah bar9