Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-07-20

morning after their arrival Captain Cole
perner announced that h" would give
Dolly and the undergraduate n rowing
commission to explore, while the others
busted themselves in repairing the
breaches which the tornado had made
in their craft.
The young man made no secret Of
the satisfaction with which he heard
this decision. Int Dolly did not seem to
be quite so sure of the advantages of
the plan She remembered the episode
which had occurred during the storm
Of IA day or two ago. and as she had not
yet made mp her mind upon the prob
lem which that incident had set her to
solve she was doubtful about the wis
dom of spending whole day just now
in Guthrie's company
81 wonder what we shall find " said
the young man TO her as they stood on
the deck together after breakfast. ~ IN.
prepared for anything, so long as it's
romantic. Piper's cay looks as if it
ought to bristle with romance, doesn't
it,
Tho girl kept silence for a moment,
and then, without raising her eyes, an
,wcred quietly, IL don't think | shall
go
Dolly" cried her companion in as
ton;shment. why ever not p
well, You see, y" began Miss Cole
pepper hesitatingly, there are-rea-
sons"
edo You mean You d rather not spend
whole day with mer' he asked
bluntly.
mo, Alan; not that. But
"Wcll, what?' persisted Guthrie, rs
she did not seem to be inclined to finish
her sentence.
ooh. cant you see? Imean of course
that we were silly the other night in
the storm and -
You think might be tempted TO be
what you call silly again"
The girl nodded and blushed
"And if | were You would he angry :"
"Nes, Alan, think | should You
see, we re both very young.
"Umrh I'm 9 and you're 17-both
old enough to know our own minds, |
should Think"
"Now, Alan, You know we're MOI!
AT least other people would say we'r
not, she corrected herself. And in
any case don t choose that there should
he any more of that SOFT of thing just
low.
"All right Dolly well let it stand
at that-fCr the present, said Guthrie.
And then with some hesitation he add
ed Il wouldn' have said anything the
other night if hadn't thought we were
in really great danger and that |
mightn't ever have apother chance of
of telling you-well, of telling you
/ that | loved vOu, yOu know You be-
lieve that, Dolly, don't you:'
YES " said the girl "You said so
at the time, and, of course. | believed
you.
Then you II trust yourself with me
todayy''
Eyes"
"Thank you, Dolly" said the young
man, and then he added earnestly II II
stick to our bargain fer the present, of
course; but, mind, | don't mean to
give you up for all that When we've
got all the Spanish dollars on board
from the Santa Catarina, | shall speak
to Captain Colepepper if you will let
me "
"When we have got the Spanish dol
lars on boardl' said the girl mische-
vously Every well; I'll agree to that
We may both of us be good deal older
when that day comes.
Guthrie laughed. "Ive better be-
lief in our luck than that, Dolly, " said
he. "Anyway it's Il bargain And now
we'd better start, hadn't wcG"
They tumbled into the boat. which
had been left lying in the water along
side since the night before Tom Jelly
rowed them ashore. and then returned
with the boat to the Eureka.
"Whcre do you want to go!' asked
Guthrie
Not having the guidebook of Piper,
cay, cant say precisely, laughed the
girl. "Whore would YOU suggest
LET walk straight ahead and see
where il leads us "
THE bush mp yonder is terribly thick
shall be torn To ribbons!
".Jove, yes, so you would. might
perhaps manage to clear it bit for yoU
if | went first But there 5 no need fol
rs to go that way ut all unless you like
We may Just as well keep along the
shore. If we 90 on long enough, W,
shall come round again at the other side
and if we get tired of it, we can Away
take ii bee line across country for tn
Eureka. What You say to that p
l "All right that il dc nicely. Besides
} we shall stand the best chance that wa.
} of finding the place where the fresl
water runs into the sea, and then W
can track it up to the spring, Lett &c
: off at once before it gets hotter,
They started along the white blind
ing beach. The little wavelets swishe,
= and whispered at their feet, throwing
up and drawing back again their hand
fuls Of coral single in a rhythm o
never ceasing effort. The sand flies
which the doctor had predicted, wer
there in swarms, though his estimat
D of their size proved to be, fortunately
little bit exaggerated There wer
mosquitoes, too, booming away like
regiment Of drummers, but the large
I insects were quicter and SO more insidi
n Gus in their attack, and, as in additiO
t to all this the suns heat was like tn
I draft from a blast furnace, the wal
was not quite the picnic ramble whic
hu1 aH no hn