The Washington herald., 1907-07-06

/ az the long French windows rustled and
swung inward and out on the lawn the
palms and willows bent before il with a
1.-THE, swift obciSance.
Tennarl jammed his hat low over his
eyes, and started on "a run for the pier
+ The rain splashed in his face, and glare
or dazzling light shot across the north
west heavens. He ran faster II he could
MAKE the boathouse before the storm
/ broke. be could take the steamer. Just
/ as the thunder burst in "a low report from
the gray edged black clouds. he passed
cutters boathouse. and as the next flare
OF quick lightning came ho saw that /.
was empty The Mike was gone from its
place.
The pier was deserted except for q
sleepy boy az the baggage shed Tennanr
called for a boat f1r anything that could
ride through the black. rolling waves that
hched along the pliing by the dock There
was no time % get back % the hotel. or
to give the alarm Tor tile Ufe-savers
hurial was out there out fro the storm,
and the peril of the night, alone. and he
must go 20 her
Shaking the boy. gripping him until he
sQueaied with pain. Teunant wrung from
MIN somehow that the only boat % be
had was cutters electric m0tor-boat
small low affair that only carried one
and that I'm fair weather.
You amt going out on Michigan with
her, are you2' asked the boy Tenant
smiled Erimly, and sprang into the boat
as the next wave lifted IL 10. II wgs "a
mere silver OF "a thing built on the lines
ot a racing shell BE had owned one of
his own the previous summer and under
stood the mechanism. With the wind cut
ting sharply across his face. De whlpuad
cleanly out into the bay. Somewhere he
would find her, hc told himself. bending
low over the little pilot wheel and hold
ing his breath Hs the boat took the water
fairly. Cutters boat He laughed % him
self. There was certain fitness about
the proceeding that pleased him
MUr.el had headed the Mike due west
straight out through the narrow channel
from little Lake Gleuora into Lake AIfchi-
gan. Two arms Of land and rock stretch
"a out % meet Michigan. On one. Rock
Point, stood the bis summer resort hotel.
The other was a long. barren waste Of
rocks that seemed endless when The lake
was calm. One 10y one overlaprirg esrh
other. they lay from the beach far ont
into the bay like some gigantic necklace
The windstorm would catch the rsfIa
launch before She could possibly reach
the open channel Tennant reasoned. and
blow 10 over on the reef
Look out for the Chicago bn7t o..
shouted the dock boy after him. she's
coming down the lake now"
Tenant hardly heard him. The storm
had broken I'm full force and the tfnv
shell of a boat shlvered and tremllad
like frightened animal as ne turned il
into the channel. Straight for the reef he I
headed, but the waves were so high he
could not even catch a glimpse Of the
chain Of rocks, and suddenly a path of
clear white light swung leisurely across
the sky, and flashed directly on the reef.
IL was the searchlight on the White CITY
TWO things it showed Tennant in that
single wave Of light Just ahead of him
was Cutters boat. riding the waves like
e gun dipping with every lurching swell
and showing the next instant on the ton
most crest And u was directly in The
course Of the White City. And cIinvfng
10 the little pilot wheel. striving 10 .yYide
the launch back safely, was Murioi her
long dark hair loose and whipped by tho
wind across her face. Just for an instant
he saw her. then the great arc Of light
had swept back 20 the far end OF the lit /
tie lake and all was blackness ahead.
Blindly Tenant drove the little motor
boat forward. and suddenly side bv side
Il crashed into the launch. For one in .
stant the two touched. but I'm ;hat in /
stant. Tenant had made the lean safely /
Before he could recover his balance the 1
motor boat had vanished like a leaf in
the storm and he was in the launch.
Give me the wheel" he said, hoarselv. 1
and. as the White CITY swung by tba /
Mike rose on her swell. waveswept and
battered. but secure. with a strong hand
on her little brass-tipped pilot wheel /
Phil Phil, listen 10 me- Down be- /
side him in the boat knelt Muriel. 4yybite
to her lips. but happy, happy in spite OF .
the fact that they two had faced death
together but an instant before Did we /
smash his old boat?'
Absolutely" Tenants arms tightened
about her The pilot wheel was very
much in the way.
i knew that you would come" she
went on. Il saw you on the pier but 7 /
thought you would come right away-tbat /
was why | went ont alone"
And a light daWncd slowly on Tenant
1t was his first lesson in the contradic-
tiOns Of Muriel.
And ] was going back on that boat to-
night he said.
Muriel laughed, and pushed her wet hair
from her face.
Mr.. Cutler took that boat, Phil" she
said
Copyright, 1907. by P. c. Eastmentj