Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-25
THE STORY OLA SUMMER MAN
BY VIRGINIA NILES LEEDS.
Copyright by the Irving Syndicate.

Copyright by the Irving Syndicate.
Continued from last week)
The Summer Mans heart began to act as
though he were out of breath.
He stole closer
The girl suddenly arose to her feet, but
still with her back toward Garland. There
was not a shadow of doubt left in his
mind No other girl ever had such a waist.
She bent slightly over the man, and, to
Walters destruction of mind held out a
little hand, which looked very white and
slender in the moonlight The man seized
the little hand in both of his and held it
fast, then raised his face into the light to
gaze up into hers.
1t was Percy Montant.
The girl was Constance.
The Summer Man turned rapidly away
He had seen enough.
He sped down the hotel steps and out
upon the asphalt pavement and went walk
ing OF at a great rate. Presently he found
himself at the curve leading to the I'M
picturesque coal elevator AMI wharf. He
kept straight on along the cliffs, and trav-
ersed a quarter of the distance to Point
Judith. He turned suddenly and trudged
| back as he had come. When he again
reached the coal elN tor his opinion of
women had not changed in the least They
-
| h".riig lot, fearing, he supposed, not God
I --cc-..-lnly rot man.
| He mae ~ his mind to avoid Constance
q next dag. lie stayed in the writing
room until it was bathing hour. and when
| &c mad got into his jersey he plunged head
| FIRST into wave, and began swimming
| vigorously, hand over hanu, slashing the
| raves the way he felt like slashing some
people.
Instead of the conventional footsteps
| which the hero at a critical moment always
/ hp1. h.a ind ~sry, Nan h.a.v
| :pdshing.
lie took wave: sc~-
80 - .-..-,s, an fresh voice. some =.
49, .r....I..Ss. and blowing the way the
l. ntiest and most maidenly of whales
.s.ght blow, said behind him.
| I've alw avs been taugn. that no-sood
| little girls ever ran-after men, bat I've
never heard that it was wrong to-swi:n-
! after them"
va, you were swimming after me?'
ne asked taking slower strokes.
She caught UP with him. Her wet hair
and face were clarm:ngiy unconventional
oi course l was l don't deny it. Here
! toi-rt you have always beca -'nri.s after
! ine. T"rn 2ss.rs Is fc!r play. isn't it,"
walter lookc. he. $. arlly in the eyes
| 'rfce ], that was tbs only way in which he
"a look at the little siren just then, FOR
only he pretty head was visible, and even
| Ell along 1T his side.
Mss Ogden, will You kindly tell me
Wy You have Come after me-what you
| want OF me?''
'"eil AIR Garland, both of those might
/ Dc called leading questions. but since we are
! -tf-It, Snd as 4 watery grave is yawning
! in readiness right under my nose in case 1
/ should need it, l think 1 shall answer them
/ b~th. In the FIRST place. l came after you
| because you did not come after me. What
/ do l want of you? Let me see. What =, r
/ want OF you? Oh. a great marv ,n;nss- So
many tllnss that l 60. pesin t., ,.iI you.
B
purs. 80. %"-..,. you to DO all the
! f"'H-.ng IN the future. 1t is SO much more
contenabie. don't you known?
%, on. wat is your object in desiring me
, - IN AFTER you. as You put it?" And
! he De5an again to lash the waves.
! Please don't splash SOL l can't open
my eyes Thank you, that's better Wen,
Mr. Garland, considering that you have
| been running after me ever since we met
l think l should be the one to ask that
q astirn."
She was striking strongly out at his side
! Il ran after You because | considered
you a frank, sincere. warm-hearted little
girl, AMI 1 was beginning to fall in love
| with you"
! And You don't think SO any more and
are 1T going to fail in love with me? Then
| don't want TO live. Goodbye, Mr.. Gar
| land
/ Before he realized what she was doing,
] he saw her throw her hands up out OF the
water. The next thing he knew she had
disappeared beneath the waves.
lie was hOrror-StricHen.
Keeping himself afloat with one hand, he
waited until her head appeared upon the
surface. when ii did i'm a moment directly
In front of him. He clutched her sailor
| Collar.
No! Nor she gasped. chokiagly. Don't
save me. Let me drown"
why, Constance, Constance, For
heaven s sake what are you doing? Don't
strugsl? So youll drown us both. Darling.
don't. Keep Your chin up. If you don't feel
aoie to swim Just put your hand on my
shoulder and IN tow you in. There's a
POOL little girl"
The little hand stole silently to his Shout,
der, AMI she began to assist in the pro-
| pellirs.
In this way they returned to shore Until
they. could touch bottom no word was
spoken between them.
/ When. they were dragging themselves
through the breakers and the bathers
Waitsr said to her:
Come for run up the beach"
She stepped a moment to wiring out her
dripping skirt; then they started on an
easy trot..
When they were some distance out he
called a, halt, and they stood facing one
another.
Constance" he said, tell me what on
earth made you do such a dangerous such
terrible thing?' a.
Because you seemed to have lost your
faith in me-
Tell me. on your honor. are you a per-
fectiy frank, sincere, Straightforward little
girl?' And placing his hands on her damp
shoulders. he sazed earnestly into her eyes.
She met his gaze squarely. standing with
her hands on her hips. and her broad sailor
collar Tapping in the breeze.
Il am" was all she said.
And somehow, in spite of what expert
ence taught him, in spite of what he had
seen with his own eyes, he could not help
thinking she was.
Il believe you, dear" he said in return
keeping his hands still on her shoulders.
Now, tell me- Mr.. Garland, as frankly
as have told you, what made you think
me other than an honest, straightforward
little girl? l have never, since L was born,
been anything else, 1 assure you"
oh nothing. nothing" hastily returned
the Summer Man, I've quite forgotten it."
And SO he had.
VERY well. then, If the clouds have rolled
away let's have a race"
And off she started
CHAPTER III.
Another week flew by.
Garland was ready to swear that the
frolicsome little sprite loved him, for she
allowed him to duck her whenever he
wanted to, and told him her age
Her papa and mamma treated him gra-
ciously and Evelyn displayed toward him