Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1903-05-07

The fresh sea breeze gave Acton
Davis n saucy good morning" as he
sauntered out on the porch. 1t blew
Betty Fagan's yellow curls auriole wise
round her face. She looked up joy
ously.
"Lazybones, are you here at last"
she cried merrily. Il have been wait
ing for you for ever so long"
Davis sat down beside her on the
step and looked at her with good hu-
mored tolerance as he said lightly,
what do you want this morning,
childT
The girl detected the superiority in
his tone. A flush rose to her cheeks,
and her voice had a plaintiye ring as
she said, Children are SO unreasonable
and want so many things, don't they"
Then, with swift return to her former
bantering: 'These are my commands;
so read, mark, learn and inwardly di-
gest, as the prayer book puts 1t.
want you to promise to take me to
Hazard rocks this afternoon"
A shade fell on the mans face. She
went on hastily: I've wanted to go all
summer, and now summer is almost
over You promised you would take
me If l was very, very good, and, oh,
il will be so lovely to scramble along
the shore and find long strands of
strange seaweed and come upon un-
expected pools full Of jelly and star
fish, Please take me. l will be good"
Her eyes were shining and her cheeks
pink with excitement as she bent to-
ward him pleadingly.
The man hesitated as If fearful of
paining her by a refusal. He seemed
solely intent in watching the white
caps in their mad race for the shore.
Then he said brusquely: mo, | won't
take you. ought never to have prom
ised, and 30 l take 1t back. You are
quite too foolhardy to venture in so
dangerous a place. You would be sure
to fall on those treacherous, Shiny
rocks, and then there would be the
devil to pay. If the tide should catch
us, there would be no hope"
Betty's chin quivered like a child's,
and the tears were shining through her
long lashes.
Davis felt swift compunction for his
hasty words. 81 honestly don't think
it's safe to take you, Betty, or I would.
Promise to forget about 1t, and we will
go for sail on the Petrol or anywhere
else at your pleasure. Come, show me
that you can be reasonable little
girl"
Betty might not have resented his
fatherly tone If gay voice had not
rung out behind her:
"what are you two fighting about, as
usual? Give me an explanation" And
she laughed rather maliciously. 1t was
Mrs. Neville, the source Of Betty's
heartaches for the last weeks.
The girl rose impetuousiy. 81 have
nothing to explain" she said icily.
"Mr. Davis can tell you what he
pleases. 1t is nothing to me-"
Davis looked after her with frown
of annoyance. 1t was really unpardon-
She was too old for such childishness.
1t was quite true that they had quar-
relied almost constantly for the last
weeks; he forgot that 1t was only since
Mrs. Neville had appeared at the hotel.
The young widow sank back in
rocking chair with little laugh. She
looked unusually pretty this morning,
and as the man looked at her admiring
ly his frown faded. The full blown
rose was certainly more satisfying than
the thorny bud.
Mrs. Neville met his glance by a well
executed droop Of her lashes. Tell me
all about it," she commanded play
fully.
"Betty wanted me to take her to
Hazard rocks" Davis explained. "And
I would not take her because it is SO
dangerous trip"
Mrs. Neville was all interest. The
Hazard rocksI She had heard about
them. Did people ever go there? And
was it all very romantic and exciting?
A look Of daring flashed across her
face. She bent forward and gazed
straight into his eyes. "Will you take
me there?" she asked softly.
Perhaps it was the glamour of her
dark eyes, the intoxication of her warm
breath on his cheek. The man grew
white. His voice was low and tense
as he answered, "Yes; will take you"
Betty did not appear at lunch. Again
Davis felt the strange pang Of COM
junction as he missed her laughing
chatter. He did not know that Mrs.
Neville had met her in the hall and ex-
planned that, though the Hazard rocks
were much too dangerous a place for
children, it was quite permissible for
grownups, and Acton had promised to
take her.
The girl had drawn herself up to all
the slim height Of her eighteen years
and turned away without word.
Nor did he guess that when the two
strolled away an hour later a pair of
blue eyes watched them from behind
the half shut blinds, while slow tears
rolled down the pale cheeks.
The rest of the guests shortly depart
ed for an afternoons sail. So present
ly Betty crept down, a forlorn little
figure. AS the afternoon waned, bring
ing no signs of the two, a vague fear
began to take possession Of her. The
tide had begun to turn. Could 1t be
that they had failed to notice it2 She
recalled Acton's words with u thrill Of
fear, 'If the tide should catch us, there
would be no hope"
Mr.. Acton Davis was not enjoying
lis afternoon. The two had scrambled
along the foot of the cliffs until they
reached the half submerged pile of
rocks bearing the name OF Hazard
The man was gazing ut the sea. He
could not forget the CLINT Of tears in
Betty's eyes.
He turned suddenly to his companion
with reckless resolve to make the
best Of the matter. Something in the
languorous depths of the dark eyes
seemed to- fire his blood. With swift
movement he caught her to him.
But as his lips met hers a wave of re-
pulsion, sudden as unexplainable, made
him start back. AS he did so he heard
the splash of water. A tiny wave was
breaking at his very feet. The tide
had risen.
With cry of horror he sprang to a
higher point of rock and looked des-
perately toward the path over which
they had come The waves were lick
ing hungrily at the base of the cliff.
Above the rock lowered dark and
trackless. They were caught in a
deathtrap.
But he would not give up hope. Some
fisher boat might be near. Again and