Arizona republican., 1898-07-11

Our craft was nearing the mouth of the tidal stream, and a few more wig orous strokes shot it 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 i half a mile from where we were, cat boat lay at anchor. with a solitary fig ure lolling over her side. The whole scene was full of the restfulness of the summer afternoon, and the spell of it stole upon us, as if we left behind with the land it's anXieties, sorrows and fears. For time the boat drifted on, propelled more by a current Of the 1 bay 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 which rested on her shoulder. We were both day-dreaming, when a hail came to rouse us from our reveries. Looking up, I found that we were close to the anchored craft, and that John son, its occupant, had given us warning none too soon. In a moment we were alongside the catboat, and his hand had caught the gunwale of the skiff.
 'sHalloo, Johnson!" said I, what sort of fishing are you doing here? Business or fun?"
 Fun mostly, sir,'' he answered, pointing to a hand-line hanging over the side. Nothing of bigness to be caught here. How does the lady like the boat?"
 ''Very much indeed " said Miss Gray.
 ''You'l find she works easy, ma 'am, 5 said he.
 eve discovered lot of dried mud on | the thwarts," "said I. 'sYou can see some of it yet"
 ''The boat was as clean as whistle yesterday. Somebody must have been out in her tween then and now.''
 ''I believe she was in use this morn ing" I admitted.
 Well, whoever it was" Johnson de clared, after survey of the skiff, 'he | flats, where there was mud, and tracked it in when he came aboard ag'in. Here's another of his marks 2 | And he sent a long arm into the bow of our little vessel and picked up the stump of cigarette from the plank ing. As he held it out for inspection the paper unrolled, showing the dark l grains of the tobacco
 'I've seen that sorter cigarette be- fore, Doc, and guess you have, tco, but not round these parts,' he said. "Da- goes fancy 'em."
 And you don't, eh? 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 Miss Gray q sailing lesson?"
 "Ay, ay, sir," said Johnson. 'The boats very clever under sail. I'll be glad to show her any little p'ints she needs to pick up.'
 sYour colonel can't be called a very tidy mariner, no matter wkat his other virtues may be" said I, as we recntered the inlet.
 "Nhy do you call him my colonel?'' the girl asked, and it seemed to ne that l detected a slight increase in her color. 'He is friend of my aunt's, hardly of mine, though I've always found h1m very agreeable"
 And attentive?" I hazarded under the spur of revived jealousy.
 Scarcely that" she said, quietly, though he was always most kind to me-
 The spur went deeper.
 ''Oh, of course,'' said I, rashly: "and he must have had such delightful op- rorturities."
 ''He is charming man, she an swered, with smile which filed me with misery. I dare say she read me easily. and was quite prepared to pro- long the teasing had the chance been given her. But. looking over my shoul- der, my glance fell upon Lamar's somber abode. The sight of it made me silent, and, sullenly settling down to the oars, I sent the light craft swift ly on toward it's mooring-place.