Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-05-23
anger, nor diu ne; save 10 say sUi.,

tun,,er, nor diu ne, save TO say sUir~
tously. Miss Atnsley. you're soaking
wet.'
80 are you! But the suns strong
and hot on this little beach, and Wen
soon dry. When do you think they'll
come for usp'
"Tm afraid we won't be missed till
nightfall, and it's only o'clock now.
Thank heaven my matches aren't
damp, and we can build fire."
"Crusoe the secondF' laughed Miss
Ainsley. "Do you think the wreck will
yield us anything? 1t should, accord
ing to the best story books"
Nothing but the bailing pail and a
coffeepot and two tin cups in the
stern locker"
Get them,' she besought We'll
use them to cook with"
Cook what"
Miss Ainsley's eyes danced. ''Oh,
Crusoe, Crusoe Haven't you any i'm
ways food on desert island-sea
gulls' eggs and things like that? Come
along and let's explore"
THERE | told you!" she exclaimed
as their wanderings brought them to
a little spring Isn't that pretty, the
way it bubbles up between the moss
and ferns? And | do believe there S
been picnic here Look at that bit
of orange peel
Yes. and see thisr' cried Peyton,
emerging from a thicket with a brown
paper parcel in his hand.
Something the picnickers forgot"'
cried Miss Ainsley ecstatically. "Open
1t, quick"
Peyton caught the fire of her en-,
thuslasm. "Tea and sugar and a loaf
of bread" he laughed.
Bread exclaimed Miss Ainsley
DO you think that it's stale?" She
pulled bit from the heel of the Loaf
and nibbled it furtively. mo! It's
fresh. There must have been n picnic
here this morning. Wen have a feast
Il regular feast"
Time went swiftly in preparing it
Peyton found some blackberries, and
Miss Ainslie made plates of leaves
They built a fire of driftwood on the
beach. and over a pile of stones the
coffeepot sang pleasantly. 1t was
sunset when they seated themselves
luxuriously on the sand and ate what
Viola Ainslie called the fruits of theil
toll
This tea is the best ever tasted,
Peyton declared.
s.Nn,, didn't lnAyY- I yt-ac cnah q cynni
cook. did you?" Miss Ainslie inquired
as she sat opposite him poking at tn,
fire.
They will be coming for us soon,
said Peyton, land then our day will b,
over"
yes" said Miss Ainslie with some
thing strangely like sigh
Behind them the woods of the little
island were deepening into the shad
ow; the waves broke softly on tn,
beach: the rosy flames of the fire shon,
brightly out into the gathering dusk.
Listen" she added. In the distanc,
could be heard the faint, steady pun
ing of steam launch. They've seer
the fire." she exclaimed shielding he
eyes with her hand.
"Thcre's McNuggct," cried Peytol
almost savagely, land l suppose your
glad" He was kneeling on the sane
picking up the tin cups.
Miss Ainsley smiled. "Oh, Robinson
Crusoe," she said softly, how yer.
blind you are"'
Peyton dropped the cups and stare'
nj her You mean he breathed.
Il mean this afternoon when
thought that perhaps we've wouldn'
reach the shore-it didn't seem as
the other things mattered ut all.
knew then what really counted most
l knew that wealth was nothing an,
that | only wanted you - you - you!
The last words were almost inaudible
and peyton had to lean very near {
catch them. Then the voice of the mil
lionaire McNugget reached then
through the megaphone.
Coming" cried Miss Ainslie in an
swer. Hurry up, Crusoe. Why ol
earth are you carrying that old coffee
pot under your armf"
ITS a trophy" said Peyton. "of
shipwreck that has made me the hap
piest man on earth"