Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-02-16
Bess, Queen of
Strategists
By RUTH sANTELLE
Cep,nxh.. 1904. By T. c. MecLue

Tue Idllllly WOTu pdlu, lhHuIlS Will Il
light spring on the narrow strip Of peb-
bly, beach. Without breath Of hesita-
ton she seized the PROV of the little
steel boat, gave a vigorous push, a
practiced leap and stood polling swiftly
over the shadows with one oar. The
blue line of deep water reached, she
dropped into the seat and rowed with
long, strong strokes. Half across the
arm of the lake, that lay between the
mainland and the little island toward
which she was pulling, she rested on
her oars.
Hmm This in a tone of mild
surprise "The bloodthirsty pursuer
doesn't seem to be gaining very rapid
ly. Not a sign of him yet. Guess I'll
give him little chance. I've excuse
enough for wanting to remodel myself.
goodness knows"
And she raised her arms, barred to
the elbow and brown against the white
of her gown, to a mass Of tawny hair,
very bewitchingly disheveled from the
precipitousness of her launching.
I'm morally certain he saw me, too,"
she reflected, braiding the heavy coils
into a shining rope that more than
reached the floor of the boat as she sat,
''for he came around the corner of the
piazza just as l crossed the road into
the thicket. 1 should think he'd want
to say goodby r-after-everything
But l don't care! l said I'd never
speak to him again, and 1 shan'tr' She
seized the oars and pulled the remain
ing half mile with vicious, snappy
strokes.
1t would have been much cooler back
in the evergreens, but she disposed
herself on the open sand with the pill
lows, book and parasol which formed
part Of the boats furnishings. The
bright scarlet sunshade was thus un-
/, mistakably visible from the mainland.
The warm discomfort Of her vigil
was at length rewarded by the output
ting of q boat with a single white Ham
neled occupant. The scarlet parasol
swung around and presented broad
side view to the water. When the on
coming boat was half across, the girl,
her back persistently toward 1t, gath
cred up her belongings and betook her
self calmly to the friendly shadows
few yards away.
The novel must have been intensely
interesting, for she had apparently not
taken her eyes from its pages during
all the time that an athletic looking
fellow was Bleaching boat, crossing
the sand and throwing himself on the
ground at her feet.
'I came over to say goodby, Bess,"
be volunteered to the back of the book.
No answer.
"And to ask you to forgive me-"
Continued silence.
won't you forgive me, Bess?" with
quiet earnestness.
Over the top CT the book he was
given an instant's burning glance OF
scornful eyes.
"Oh, / know you told me never to
speak to you again, and l don't sup
pose you'll answer me either. L was
fool not to get at least your forgiveness
last night, but some way l was too
too stunned, guess. But whether
you'll speak to me or not / must have
the privilege Of saying a few things
that 1 want you to know. If-if you'd
just put the book down and let me
know that you're hearing, Bess!" he
pleaded.
The leaves of the novel only turned
the faster.
"Pm going ON the o'clock train," he
said tentatively. 1T seemed the only
thing to do to make it easier for-for
both of us er-after-everything
But probably you heard that am go
ing. l was simply thinking that as
we'll presumably never see each other
again it wouldn't do any harm and
would be SO much more satisfactory II
you'd just let me explain"
Explain she flashed, unaware,
then bit her lip and turned another
page.
He smiled In spite of himself, though
her anger was far from being an
amusing thing to him.
"Yes, explain" he continued, evident
ly encouraged "The first thing /
should want to do If knew had your
permission" (he paused for the re-
Spouse that was not vouchsafed), ''is
to tell you that so far this has been
the happiest summer of my life and to
thank you for it. I've had such a good
time, Bess. I'm working pretty hard,
you know, since they made me a part
ner, and wasn't intending to take any
vacation. But when your aunt's note
came asking me for the house party |
was too deliriously glad to care rap
for the consequences. Because l knew
what 1t meant you see-that you had
suggested it and wanted me to come"
She stirred uneasily, pumped up q
cushion behind her back, shipped an
ant from her skirt, then took up the
book again, not seeming to notice that
a score of pages had futtered over.
81 suppose you'll hardly realize what
1t has meant to me-" He was on his
back, hands under head, and might
have been addressing the tiny patches
of blue that shone between the green
boughs overhead. 81 went into the
business so very young and have been
about so little. 1t was especially hard
after l met you at the pier to know
that / was so different from the 9TH
ers"
The soft end of the heavy braid lay
near him and he fell to caressing it abb
sently. As he still gazed overhead he
could not see that the book was lower
ed and two shining eyes were regard
ing him stealthily.
"And then when l came you were so
good, better than to the rest, Bess.
You gave me the most time and the
most favors. It-well, l guess it turned
my head, that's all. And when / came
upon you unexpectedly in the shadowy
hall last night
Don't speak of it again, Arthur
Mortonr' she cried so vehemently that
it brought him to a sitting posture.
Everything was lovely, and we did
have good time, and then you had to
; spoil it all by t-trying to k-k-kiss me.
n-never was $50 d-disg- graced in my
lifev' Her voice choked with angry
sobs.
please, Bess, I can't bear to have
you cry. Anyway, as long as we are
! having final Strengthening up I'm go
ing to finish the nasty business. When
told you last night that l made mis-