Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1902-08-13

SIS in manner that might have 5cor
considered attractive in girl.
"Oh, dear me, l do hope it's not go
ing to be rough!" he exclaimed, with
funny little giggle. 81 am not at al
good sailor, anG it would be so NOR.
tifying to be i'll, wouldn't it, Willie?"
Again the girls exchanged eloquent
glances: What manher of man was
this who pronounced "at all''=that
touchstone Of pedantfy-as if lie We're
a sch0olma am, and who dared address
the manly William by the name he had
put away with other childish things
ten years Sgo?
"Ot, you needn't be scared!" Grace
announced, scornfuliy. "If this wind
holds there can't be squalls, and they're
the only thing the boats afraid of-or
l, either, for that matter"
The young men seated themselves
as passengers, and watched the vigor-
ols young crew haul up the anchor
and get under way.
For about an hour all went smooth!
iy; both with the weather and the COM
versation: They all talked about indif-
ferent subjects, and although once or
twice conditions seemed threatening
no rocks were struck till Thomas
Barker made tactless remark:
He had been watching Grace Hodges
brown arms skilfully manipulating the
tiller, and he said, with the smart air
of pert young miss:
"If tan gloves are the fashion next
winter you WON'T have to wear any,
will YOU, Miss HodgesT He
smoothed his own fingers, neatly en-
cased in kid; as he spoke:
81 never wear gloves. anyway shD
replied, shortly. They're fit only for
sisses who care about their looks.
"If there's anything l don't like, it
is 8 feminine mani" Frances added,
vehemehtly:
William cane to the rescue Of his
friend.
why worse than a masculine girl?"
he inquired, affably. Aren't both
trying to be something they can't pos
sibly BET"
II do despise a melly-eoddlel" Fran
ees insisted, with great spirit:
YES" agreed Barker, with a little
less mincing utterance, "but even
worse, think, is the girl who tries to
be a tomboy; and worst of all is the
young lady who tries to be-what
ehall we call it?-a 'tom-man.'
William laughed ihdulgently at his
friends jest, bit his eyes were cleuded
with apprehension. His sisters voice
had taken. on an unmistakably shrill
quality in her scorn, and Thomas
Barker's minciag enunciation had sud
denly relapsed into something much
less affected With this returnstosna-
ture, peace-loving William began to be
conscious of a storm brewing.
There's no use arguing about the
matter" he proclaimed, decisively. "As
soon as girls find out that a masculine
woman is unpopular with men, just as
surely as the feminine man is. despised
by girls, there will be an end of this
masquerade.
Perhaps some good may even come
out of it all" he added, judicially
Its certainly fine 10 see girls as
strong and athletic as some of them
are nowadays
While the others were talking. Grace
Hodges had beer preoccupicd. Her ST.
lence seemed to show that there was
something in the wind,-a squall. pre-
sumably,-for she was working hard
at the helm, and could give but slight
attention to the irrelevant conversa-
ton of the others.
Finally she said, with a tinge of irri-
tation in her voice.
'You don't any of you seem to rea-
lize that the wind has shifted to north
east, and that we are in for a good
deal of blow. That cloud over there
has been following us ever since we
started, and it. means rain and wind.
I'm not afraid in the least, Of course,
but guess we may as well come
about and make toward the harbor
again. 1t would be a pity for Mr..
Barker to spoil his hat"
This last remark was presumably a
safety-valve to let off her irritation at
the prospect that her qualities OF sea-
manship might be put to an unexpected
test before the young men.
Although she had been quick to take
in every extravagant touch Of Barker's
aJuire, she had failed to detect the
keen, comprehending glances which
he bestowed on the clouds, the sea
and her own slight, boyish figure. He
seemed to have added up these separ-
ate items and found a result not
wholly satisfactory, for there were
anxious lines under the offending hat
brim
well, Grace, guess we can weather
a little storm. We've don't it before,
haven't we, old girl?" cried Frances,
attacking a streaming lock OF hair with
. savage thrust of side comb.
At that moment the ominous cloud
opened and with crash let out its
weapons Of war. 1t spread it's vast
shadow over the waters, and .ae black
ensd waves became the victims of con-
tending winds. The boat swung this
way and that, obeying by turns the
conflicting orders of the elements and
those of the girls weak hand.
For a minute the boat, although
sorely buffeted, seemed to hold it's own
against the tempest. Then came an
other burst Of thunder, fairly tearing
open the heavens and letting loose
all that remained of wind and rain.
The little craft reeled and staggered
before the blow. A drenching wave
came aboard--then another. Grace
was fast losing all control of the boat
and the question of capsizing became
a mere question Of minutes.
AS the next great wave came rush
inc down tho "mon at the helm" gave