The Delta independent. [volume] (Delta, Colo.) 1886-19??, 1897-07-07

"he is more comfortable now than
| when he came here"
/ knew that she WAS studying my
face, but kept my eyes averted.
ut is strange that in this gossip
loving village SO little is known OF
him." she went on. zone hears that he
is n retired brewer from the south; but
that seems to be the limit Of know ledge
| Of his antecedents."
1T is the accepted version" aid I.
"Really, 1 know little of his history be-
fore he retained me-"
Our craft was nearing the mouth of
the tidal stream, and q few more Wig
orous strokes shot il out upon the
smooth waters of the bay, hardly rip
| pied by the gentle breeze. To the
north were two sloops crawling along
| on their way to the village. To the
south and east curved the long tongue
, of land which formed the boundary Of
| the bay on two sides and sheltered it
| from the ocean swell. Not more than
half q mile from where we were, a cat
boat lay at anchor, with a solitary fig
| ure lolling over her side. The whole
scene was full of the restfulncss Of the
summer afternoon, aud the spell of it
stole upon us, as If we left behind with
the land it's anxieties, sorrows and
fears. For n time the boat drifted on,
propelled more by current of the
hay than by the occasional strokes of
the oar. The girl was half reclining,
trailing one of her hands in the water
and with the other toying with the
handle of her parasol, the shaft OF
"hieh rested on her shoulder. We
were ooth day-dreaming' when q hail
came 10 rouse US from our re'eries
Lookihg up round that we were Close
10 'ne anenoreo crait' ana thnt John
soh' ns oec"Pah', had given US warning
none 100 soon In moment we were
aiohgsiue the eatooat' ana MS hand had
caught the gunwaie OF the skin.
"Halloo, Johnson" said /, "what
sort of fishing are you doing here T
Business or fun?"
PUN mostly, SIR" he answered.
pointing to a hand-line hanging over
the side. Nothing of a bigness to be
caught here. How does the lady like
the boat?"
"Very much indeed said Miss GRAY.
You'll find she works easy, ma'am, {"
said he.
I'VE discovered lot of dried mud on
the thwarts." said 1. You can see some
of it vet"
"The boat was as clean ax q whistle
yesterday. Somebody must have been
out in her tween then and now.-
81 believe she was in use this morn
ing" I admitted.
"Wen, whoever il was" johnson de-
clared, after u survey of the skifY, ..hc
must have landed somewhere ON the
flats, where there was mud. and
tracked it in when he came aboard
ag'in. Here's another of his mark"
And he sent long arm into the bow
of our little vessel and picked nm sb.
stump of q cigarette from the pi1nk-
ipR. Al he held Il ont for iusnectiou
tbs paper unrolled, showing the dark
1rains of the tobacco.
1--WE seen that sorter ciearetAe be.
fore, Doc, and guess you have, <slp1s
not round these parts" he said. DO
goes fancy 'em."
"And you don't, ch? Well, I'm OF
your way of thinking, but the gentle.
man who was out in the boat this morn
ing wasn't. Come up to the house to-
morrow, will YOU, and give Misg t;rnv n
sailing lesson?"
"Ay, ay. sir" said johnson. The
boats very clever under xail. ri t,s
glad to show her any little p'ints she
needs to nick up."
"Your colonel can't he called n v.rx
virtues may he said L N. w. rcco,er-.l
a. IT,.