Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-08-25
AS THE BREEZE DIED AWAY
Herbert d. Gallaudet in Romance.


1t WIS hot midsummer afternoon. The
wind still blew steadily from the south.
Now and then team ratified along the
bluff, and the faint whistle of a steamer
echoed across the water. Many schooners
and sloops, and smaller boats of every sort,
dotted the sound
About mile from shore a little two-mast-
ed sharpe was beating close up into the
wind. Its sails drew full, and the waves
rippled under it's bow. Tom Lockarby sat
in the stern, with one hand on the tiller and
the other braced behind him, his duck
trousers shining in the sunlight and his blue
tennis shirt setting off tanned and hand
some face and big, brown hands. Tom had
learned to sail nearly as soon as he took off
kits, and used to tip over almost daily, to
the perpetual terror of his dea- mother and
the great disgust of the old sailors whose
boats he borrowed His capsizing days
were long since over. but Tom still loved
this quiet, do-it-all- yourself sailing. He
would tack about for hours in his neat lit
tie sha pie, alone with his pipe and his
thoughts and his castles in Spain, soothed
by the sound Of the waves beating against
the beat, tn soft wind blowing in his face.
and the beautiful things around him. He
loved it all; 1t was so restful, so quiet, SO
beautiful.
And today he sat stretched over the seat
enjoying this beauty and quiet. He seemed
to have forgotten the girl opposite him.
But she did not mind his apparent indiffer-
ence, and was looking out over the water,
quite contented and happy as Tom. They
had known each other for years; so there
was silence. Tom watched the tops of his
sails as ii he saw his Spanish castles there.
and RoSalind gazed out over the water at
the schoone-s dotting the horizon. 1 Won
der-and you would have done so, too. IL You
had seen them-L-wonder how Tom kept his
eyes fastened so intently on the tips OF his
sails. wheE almost without turning his
head, he might have looked at such an ex-
tremely pretty girl as Rosalind Lorne; a
tall girl, with soft brown hair and a face
that was attractive not only because beau
tiful to look at, being regular In feature and
charming in complexion, but because there
seemed to be so much beneath the surface,
such meaning depth to those gray eyes. and
such strength and tenderness of character
in every curve and lire. Her white duck
dress and white straw hat We're rather be-
coming to her. though her face and hands
were SO brown. Her white pa-asol kept Off
the Sun.
But Tom still watched his sails as they
tackled back and forth.
At last the canvas began to futter a little.
Then Lockarby look ed out over the water.
Near by the waves still danced merrily. but
out by the horizon Tom could see a calm
stretch.
THE wind is dying away" he said; well
make one more tack out toward the reef and
then go in. hate to scull. you know"
RosaliHd looked ove- at him. This is
your last sail. isn't 1t? I'm sorry you have
to go back to the city tomorrow. How hot
1t must be there, l shall miss you.'' she
added: You are pretty good company, af-
ter all, though we always do disagree So"
Tom looked up, or rather down. from his
sail-erds. Miss me! oh, l guess not.
There are plenty of men here" he said.
with smile.
And 1 adore them all. suppesey" she
ask 3D. dragging her hand through the wa
We'll. there's Bildon. the lawyer" Tom
suggested.
WHO has a celfish old cgress of a moth
er, and who thinks he is going to be a
added. He is welcome to be, I'm sure.
You know l can't bear him."
Young Gotrox, then" Tom suggested
again.
who can't do anything. and doesn't pre-
tend to, and doesn't want to, except spend
his money" Rosalind put in.
well. then, how about the young COL
legian. Shadford?' he persisted.
who tries to wife poetry and tells us
six times day how near he came TO get
ting on the crew last spring and how well
he knows Caruthers the great pitcher.
Tom" Rosalind said. you know 1 can't
bear any of these men," Tom knew, of
course
TN only mention one more" he said.
your friend, the professor.
ION, do you mean Mr.. Dundee?' the girl
asked, rather hurriedly.
Tom had taken his eyes off his interesting
sail-tops and was looking at her very in
tertly. ''Oh, he might be bearable If he
were not so frightfuly bashful. You know
don't like him, either
DO L? Dundee was a great friend of mine
in college, and is a much finer fellow than
you seem to want to think" Tom remarked.
Rosalind said no more, but gazed out over
the water. The wind was growing lighter;
the sun hung low in the sky; it was
o'clock.
Locka-by turned his sharpe toward the
shore. hundred yards away a rowboat
was gliding over the water. Its sole occu-
pant was a large, Observation-Disclosures young
man, with light mustache and heavy
coat OF tan, who managed his oars well.
There goes Dundee now" Tom said He
looks as II he had had a long. hot pull;
probably been over to Pirate Island to see
that lovely Miss Dockrane" he added with
a sly glance at his companion. IF 1 take
won't you, Rosalind?"
Rosalnd smiled. She looked anything but
a cannbal. So they hailed the oarsman; and
Dundee's skiff was soon bobbing along be-
hind the boat, and Dundee perched on the
side of the sharpe carrying on a rather
dsSultory conversation with Rosalind. Tom
cid not seem disposed to help them out any.
He still stared at those weather-beaten sails
Of his. but he was thinking of something
wind freshened little, yet 1t was only a
dying gasp; Tom could easily see that. But
he swung the boat slowly around neverthe-
less, and started out toward the reef once
more
Enough wind for another tack" he ex-
planned.
The waves still rippled under the bow:
the boat bent slightly before the breeze 1t
was very pleasant.
Sam, take the tiller a minute" Tom said
when they were almost mile from Shore
Il want to fix that foremost spirit"
Dundee took Toms seat. and the latter
clambered forward to the bow of the boat
where the sails hid him from view Sudden
ly splash was heard. 1t is a simple thing
to fall into the water. Lockarby found no
trouble in doing it most naturally.
Rosalind and Dundee laughed unsuspect-
ingly as Toms shining head appeared above
the surface several yards astern, like Nep-
tune shilling the tumultuous seas, as Sam
suggested, only the "tumultuous seas were
as level as a field and the fleet of Aeneas
was wholly lacking. Tom climbed into Dun
dees boat and sat there dripping, with his
clothes clinging to him in a most ludicrous
manner.
You poor. wet. clumsy fellow" Rosalind
cried, laughing. Tom laughed. too. "wen,
sit STILL" the girl went on, land We will
take you right in
But Tom objected: he wanted to row in,
to keep from catching cold, he said. The
others. very naturally. scoffed at such an
idea, and Rosalind signaled shyly to Tom