The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-06-03

golf ball to the dog.
1T is kind of you" answered Laura sweet
ly, but Mr.. Strange has promised to get
it himself The blue eyes met the green
ones for moment then smiled confidently
at John. 7'3'+t
81 knew you meant to get it, she said
when they were alone. Il couldn't resist that
little prick at her 1adyship's pride.
John kissed her hand in silence. He felt
like fool, however, as he left the hotel
alone little later, went across the fields,
stole boat from private beach and rowed
quickly out Of sight across the bay. It was
a nasty job on such a day. Though it was
low tide, he could see the froth on the
powders at the foot of the crag. He ran
the boat between two rocks and sprang UP
the path leading to the top of the cliff,
where, reckoning out over the water, the
red silk scarf futtered tanntingly.
John laughed as he Unanswered toward It.
ut would have been more like Razzle- dazzle
to have lost it here. where no man on earth
can get it. don't see how 1 can" He drew
himself farther over the edge, clinging by
one hand to a projecting angle of rock as
he stretched forward. Il wish that girl had
kept STILL he added angrily as a gust Of
wind snatched the loose end Of the scarf
out of his reach. There, Miss Razzle-daz-
zle hope you'll be satisfied" '~'>
AS he uttered the order, clutching the silk,
the point to which he had Teen clinging loos-
ened, and with a shout of dismay he plunged
headlong over the edge and fell, slipping
struggling sliding, to the rocks below.
There was a long silence after. the loose
stones had ceased falling. Then the wounded
man stirred, groaned and fell back. For a
while he lay quiet, striving to think clearly.
All at once he started. A rill Of cold water
slid under him and out again. He had forgot
ten the tide. With infinite pain he dragged
himself to the spot where his boat should have
been. Already 1t had courtesied far beyond
his reach. Overhead the gulIs were startled
by peals of laughter that rang round the
craggy island-hystericaI laughter and shout
| ing as John, exhausted by desperate efforts
to climb above the swift rising tide, signaled
yasnly to a fishing boat that scudded past be-
| fore the increasing wind. Then night came.
| and the wind talked TO him. "
| John was not afraid of death, but there were
! some things he was sorry for, things he
| would have changed had he known. -
wished he had not been so unkind to little
| Razzle- dazzle; he hoped Laura would not
blame her now; he wished-no, after all, it
was better that he had not spoken, better that
| it had ended as it did. Laura was only anus
| ing herself after all, as he had started to do
She would regret him very Httle-not enough
to spoil her winter. How differently Razzle-
| dazzle would feel for any one she loved! He
smiled, as every one smiled when thinking Of
her. Gradually his past stood out in perspect-
i've, and he understood it. Her dark eyes
looked at him, tlue and forgi wing. She was
the real sort he said to himself. as if life
were all over for her too He sighed, lifting
himself by instinct as high as he could in
the rising water. Every wave broke over
him now The foam looked like sea faces
come up TO stare at him 81 hope little Razzle-
dazzle would think this the right sort Of
/ courage"
7 What was that? Had some one called
He stared, listening. Above the plunge and
break of water, John, joint" clear, low, as
if IN shame Of entreating him. Laura, could
it be? And yet who else? He listened, in
his tense eagerness forgetting to answer,
. fearful that a motion would dispel the
strangely sweet fancy.
John? O-o-o-o-h. John! Where are you.
John?" And Razzle- dazzle's face, eager, pas
! sionately searching and stripped of all its
scorn, glimmered out Of the darkness close
at his side.
"Dont say you love me because-just be-
Il cause IL have'-she began in a harsh,
i gasping sob when he tried to tell her. II
you knew how had wanted you to die, and
then I had to. come after you. because be
: cause-oh, you mustn't forgive me! Hate me
I deserve it!''
But John laughed even there. 'H should
hate the one who loved me enough to risk
= her life for mine. what can i give the one
who loved me only we'll enough to risk my
t life for this bit of silk?''
r And the scarf itself was the answer.