Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-10-08
OTTUMWA COURIER

! Island fulfilled the geographical definl
ton and were entirely surrounded by
water. But from half-ebb to half-flood
most OF them were separated from
each other by ravines, dry, inasmuch
| as the water had flowed out of them
but impossible owing to the deep Ii.
quid mud which lined them to depth
| of several feet.
! In summer the whole land was made
pleasant by a mauve carpet of sea
lavender, and In autumn the glass,
| wort splaShed the scene with crimson
But there was nothing beautiful in the
winter. nothing but dreary waste OF
green and brown.
In less than an hour the boat had
travelled nearly eight miles, and its
bow was dripping in the green waves
of the sea- The yellow tinge had faded
from the water, for the creek was
more than a mile wide at the point,
and there were eight fathoms OF
water under the boats keel John
Shil altered his course to the north,
| and the little craft moved crab-wise
across the estuary, sagging eastward
with the strong sweep of the tide, and
making so much leeway. that she
went two feet sideways, TO every one
that she forged ahead
He mad judged his distance cor
rectly, however, and he just fetched
the mouth of a smaller creek which
joined the main estuary on the other
side. Then he dropped tiny anchor,
! SO as to lose on ground for the tide
was sluicing past him like mill-race
When ne had done this, he stepped
forward and touched Laura gently on
the shoulder. The time had come to
row against the wind and tide and he
could not do it while she lay full
length in The boat
She did not stir. though the noise of
the sail Tapping in the wind might
nave reused Rip Van Wrinkle himself
from sleep. John Snil lowered the
iluttering canvas, and slowed it away
by her side Then he unstepped the
mast and laid it on the top of the sail.
Then he looked down at Laura, who
still slumbered peacefully.
And as he looked, he could no long
er restrain the passion that was in his
heart. He knelt down by her side, and
kissed her gently on the lips. And
then Laura Tankerlane awoke.
He rose sharply to his feet, and
busted himself with a rope.
I'm afraid l must disturb you.' he
said. without looking at her. Il have
to row now, and I can't do it, unless
you move"
She sat up and pressed her hands to
her eyes. Her cheeks were crimson.
and her heart beat like a hammer
Il have been dreaming, she said
family She knew we'll enough that
1t had been no dream. but she did
not wish her lover to think that she
knew.
ut will take us an hour TO get
there he said, "but you can see the
house from here
Laura rose to her feet. and. looking
up the narrow creek, saw low black
building, Just showing it's first floor
windows above a high bank.
1T looks very close" she said
Couldn't we land here and walk along
the banl?"
Impossible" he replied; 81 am not
an Essex man, but have lived here
long enough to know that much. There
81 y iiS>il q hoLSl HUE creeks 10 De
crossed before you get there and it
is impossible to cross even the first
of them. No, l must pull you up. The
exercise will do me good. Will you
please sit in the stern?"
When she had obeyed his instruc-
lions, he got the anchor on board, and
moving quickly on the thwart. ship
ped the SOULS. But quick though he
had been, the boat had slipped a doz-
Ell yards down the stream before the
blades of his oars gripped the water.
Then he set to work in grim earnest,
and exerted all his great strength to
force the punt through the sluicing
tide.
In less than an hour he reached a
small "hard''-a firm path of shingle
running out from the bank through
the soft deep mud on either side. AS
the bow of the punt grated on the
stones. a dog parked furiously, and
Pat sprang to his feet with the hair
ruffling on his back
A second later black and tan col
lie sprang over the edge of the bank.
and showed his white teeth. Then
the bulky figure of a man appeared,
and, as he saw John Shil. he touched
his hat, gave the dog a kick, and hur-
ried down the narrow causeway.
"You are early, s'mornin.' sir he
said, as he laid hold of the boat and
pulled 1t farther up the "hard.' His
brown weather-beaten face betrayed
no surprise at Laura's presence. He
helped her out Of the punt, as though
he had been expecting her arrival
walk straight up" said John Shil
to Laura; "I'll be with you in min
ute"
She took the hint, and, strolling
quitely up the path. climbed to the
top Of the bank and. surveyed the
dreary stretch of marshland around
her From that point Of vantage she
could see that she was ON large
island. Eight feet below her there
was small black house, built of tar
red wood. A woman stood at the
doorway scattering grain to a crowd
Of hungry fowls. The collie sat few
yards away from her and snarled at
Pat. who regarded him with well-bred