The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1898-08-18
keep on at this sort Of thing"

and beats 80 gloriously, In order t
recuperate from a winter of very har
and wearing work and the slight i'll
ness which followed it. could see n
just reproach In the statement tina
! was doing nothing but taking care o
myself according to the laws Of natur
and the rules Of hygiene.
| That's exactly what I'm here for,
I remarked with lazy content, looking
out with deep satisfaction at thu
magnificent panorama of the grea
ocean melting off into the distant TINT
Of the horizon, the beautiful SWEEP
and curve Of the bay and the far dis
tant spires and domes of the old city
silhouetted against the blue of the even
ing sky.
II came here to eat to drink, to
sleep and to be buffeted about by the
heavy surf on the beach, and to regain
my belief in humanity by an every
day association with two such nice and
agreeable women"-
Nice and agreeable" interrupted
Alys, with wrathful Indignation 1.-THE
idea of being called nice and agreea-
BILE! II I thought was only that I'd
60 and get myself drowned"
II was going to add, adorable and
fascinating and lovely. OF course
was going to call you lovely but you
cut me short" explained.
siTho%Ic bot&orB ,,,d A1,.
her chair to escape a long, slanting
sunbeam which came dancing to us
from over the water.
"'Adorable' is not SO bad, from a
musty old professional" said Alys,
shading her brown eyes and auburn
hair with concoction of white lace
and frills she called parasol.
I'm not DID," protested indignant
ly. Alys only laughed.
And truly the child 10 wondrously
pretty when she laughs.
Wen start out for those sand hills
before the sun sets, and we will get
back for dinner at g." Alys declared.
III we get back at ALL" l supple
mented, when she rose, and went light
ly and slowly down the broad piazza
toward her room to get ready for our
excursion.
DO you propose to walk all the way
there and back" l called out to her.
why, certainly, Dan. That's moth
ing of walk, you lazy boy"
Whorounon 7 roru I'm uor,a,, o.J
told him to have the bays hitched to
the drag and drive to the end of the
island, as near as possible to the sand
dunes, and to be there by 7, and to
wait there for us with waterproofs and
umbrellas until we appeared.
A wise precaution, as it turned out.
The tide was low, leaving a broad
path, which looked like a band of
brown velvet beach, smooth and bare,
as we started out, turning our backs
to the setting sun, with pleasurable ami
nation, ! for the walk with Alys, she !
for an exploration Of tbe distant sand |
dunes.
An hours easy walking on the firm
beach brought US sufficiently near the |
hills for plunge into the drifting !
heavy sand.
Hold on l said, as I stopped to
roll up the edge Of my trousers. Now
pick up your skirts and come on" /
added, striking out
Alys had donned dainty pair of
boots, and her light elastic step was
just the gait for tramp across to the
distant hills.
Heavens! It's deeper than /
thought" remarked Alys, after we
trudged along for some little time.
"Oh, this is nothing" remarked:
"just wait until we get closer in to
the hills. There you'll sink up to your
knees"
II don't believe It," said Alys stout.
ly.
"The exertion is giving you beau
tiful color" I said admirlngly, after a
pause, when we had stopped to take
q breathing spell.
Alys laughed.
Il suppose you mean I'm fearfully
red in the face" she said, tanning the
sand flies away with her handkerchief.
But don't mind 1t bit. Mrs. Har-
y Darlington says there's love of an
I'D house hidden away somewhere
lmong these hills, where fearful
murder was committed years ago by
ome smugglers, and I mean to find
t."
II never was In any but respecta-
lie place in MY life," said Alys, stor-
ling short and turning round to me,
Ter bright eyes dancing and her splen-
i'd hair 1ousled by the wind.
$50 you are tired of the elegancies
nd comforts Of LIE and you want some
ind Of adventure. You would not OBJ
ect to being captured and kept prisoner
that lonely horse In the sand hills ,
y some contraband smugglers and
ansomed a la Marion Crawford. Only
GU must remember that this is not .
ally, but the sesshore of the United
tates. /
However, there are all sorts OF I'M
zpected experiences in real life, so =
no knows?
There Is always the adventure Of =
cling overtaken and drenched by
eavy summer storm, if nothing else," y
added, looking up at the sky. y
The last rays OF the sun were tint G
g the broad, restless ocean behind
!, and already tie heavy clouds from :,
e southeast, coming up rapidly under d
e lash Of the wind, were throwing v
rk, lurid shadows over the waters, u
wing a sinister black look for the 7
ling pillows, which grew in height h
d volume each minute. .,
Far out to the right tn seTolving q,
hit of the tower caiEss ana vent with v,
f.sSas, and the swirling,
'sing breakers Oh the shoal of Drum al
n Dick, where sings tho sad bell 7
oy. were one mAss of foam.
Before us rose The gray sand dunes, W.
queer, irregular shapes, barren and az
], crowned here and there with the p,
nber fringe OF dark green myrtle n,
shes.
This way" I said, plotting Alys