Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1907-07-11

NCopyright, Dy 10
Kitty came back to herself with a
little shiver. The sky that an hour
ago had glowed crimson, with all the
dazzling gold lights of an Indian.
summer afternoon in Florida, reflect
ed only the palest violet shadows,
deepening gradually to a dull drab.
AS she looked, the gray merged swift
ly into black, and one by one the stars
blinked out, shedding a CHASTITY light
over the rippleless surface of the bay.
How long she had been drifting,
Kitty could never have told, but when
she reached for her oars one was
missing, and strain her eyes as she
would, only the shining, speckless wa
ter laughed back in the starlight.
A sudden panic seized her. What
should she do? Three full miles at
least from the place she had started,
with only the barren shore of Santa
Rosa behind her-even supposing she
could be lucky enough to reach that!
There was no landing anywhere in
sight, and Is feet from the beach she
ran aground in the soft white SAND.
Mooring her skiff to the solitary post
that stood relic OF half decade ago,
she removed her shoes, and lifting her
skirts from contact with the water,
plunged in.
The moon broke suddenly round and
clear and full, hanging suspended from
the sky like a globe of liquid gold.
Kitty sat down weakly on heaped-up
bank of sand and looked out to sea.
Her lips were trembling helplessly
now and the color was quite gone from
her face.
Would they come or send for her?
1t was very likely not. She had left
word at home not to expect her before
morning, as she had intended staying
the night at a friends house. Some
how, the thought of spending alone
this, Of all nights-the' one that was
to have been her wedding eve-was
intolerable.
And now! She should not only
spend it alone, but in utter terror and
desolation. For hours she lay there
with wide-open eyes, her heart throb-
bling almost to suffocation, thousand
emotions making tumult in her weary
brain.
But by-and-by the salient breath OF
sea wind stole insidiously into her
nostrils; the moon sank gracefully be-
hind a bank of clouds; her eyes
closed-her lips parted slightly and
she slept.
Billy"
Lord" he exclaimed, I've trudged
the length, BREADTH and, l was about
to say, thickness of this island, since
midnight"
Kitty had lifted herself on one ell
bow and now sat upright, staring
stupidity into the sun-bronzed face
above her 1t was broad day, and the
yellow sunlight, falling on her tangled
hair, discovered whole nest of opals
in it,
How did you know" she asked,
wonderingly brushing her hand
across her eyes as though to clear
away a mist.
Rochester laughed heartily, but
more as an outlet TO the pent-up strain
OF the past few hours than from any
special feeling of amusement.
"D!d-did anyone send your" She
looked at him with a dawning chal-
| lenSe in her eyes.
Rochester dropped down on the
sand beside her before he answered
Not nybody-except myself" he
faid, as matter-of-fact as possible;
the fact is, ! happened to see you
leave the wharf, and-several hours
iater-learned, first by accident, that
your boat was still out The storm
signals were up, and l was afraid
well, you know" he Numbered on awk-
wardly, Il couldn't just sit by and see
you-shipwrecked, could 1? | couldn't
let anyone be that, do you Think he
added, half in apology, half in explana
ton. Had he told the truth, he might
have said: Il am watching every
movs you make; / haunt the places
you frequent; you are never out of
my thoughts or my sight minute
longer than can help" But pru-
dence forbade.
For some time after he had spoken,
Kitty sat silent, staring with wide,
somewhat angry eyes at the tiny white
caps in the distance.
You are very humane" she re-
marked shortly, after a bit.
Rochester frowned, digging his
tanned fingers clumsily in the sand.
Il hope ! am" he returned, without
looking up. The quarrel had been
very bitter; neither could forget that
bitter as only a quarrel can be be-
tween two people who love each other
foolishly and absolutely.
You might just as well have stay.
ed at home and let me alone" snap-
ped Kitty, reddening.
I'm sorry l didnt-now," was the
curt response.
Kitty tossed her yellow curls ex.
pressively, and said nothing. After
hat. an awkward period of constraint
snsued between them. Rochester was
the first to make a move.
1T being the case" he remarked,
politely, getting TO his feet. that