The Topeka state journal., 1908-08-12
THE EVENING STORY
High Time.
(By Constance DARCY Mackay.)

argue?"
mot the slightest When Millard
makes UP her mind it stays made up,
| and l made up my mind yesterday,
Bobbie."
'You mean your Aunt Isobel made
| it up for you," Robert Ashton an
swered. looking at Katherine Millard
as she perched beside him in the bow
of the boat. The wind blew her hair
| into distracting ripples; she put back
a strand Of it as she faced him, frank
ly replying:
"She did have a good deal to do
has lived much longer in this world
than l have. and has gained more wis.,
DOM
Eyes, worldly wisdom
"Isn't that often another name for
common sense? Besides. there are
| moments when feel that she knows
me better than I know myself. i do
love the ct cetereas of life so. Bobby!
Love in a Harlem fiat would never do
for me. / want all the pate de fois
bread! And you know from the first
for hope. I've always been perfectly
frank with you. haven't II"
always"
"Then I can't see why you should
protest so much.
"Well, for one reason. I hate to see
you fling yourself away on old Senator
Rathbone.'
"And for anotheri What man gives
up the girl he loves without strug-
gle? 1t isn't human nature to forego
a thing simply because it's beyond
your reach. And then there's third
reason: We could be so gloriously
happy!"
The girl averted her eyes.
Couldn't we?" he persisted.
II don't know" she faltered.
we're one in everything. That's why
dare to persist so much We like the
same things. We like the same peo-
pie. We have the same sense Of hui
mor--except in the case Of Senator
Rath oone!"
"8obbie. if you make fun of my
friends I won't take you sailing
again!"
"But Katherine"
"Now, Bobbie." For a second time
you my minds made up, and 1 mean
what I say. You've been a good
friend to me, and I've enjoyed the
times we've had together. But If
we're to be good friends still. this kind
of thing can't keep going on. Don't
you see how hard you are making it
for me? Either you must promise me
not to mention it again, or I'll have to
give up seeing you entirely"
"All right" he replied with that
always found so adorable in him. I'll
be good"
He nodded at her smilingly, and she
told herself that after all he was only
and not yet grown up! But that was
because she was looking at his smile
and not at what lay in his eyes.
She let out the main sheet of the
White Lady until the spray dashed
across the bow of the trim little craft.
1t was gray day, with hint of rain
in the air. and the seaguirs novering
inland-such a day as sends the usual
summer resorter to a cozy chair by
pickering logs with a novel close at
hand, and the fisher folk out to open
sea with the promise of a heavy.
catch. -
Between gray-green water and slate
gray sky the White Lady seemed the
only thing af1oat as she SKINNED and
tackled and lifted on the crest of the
waves. They We're racing to wind
ward now, and the homes of the
shore dwellers faded in the distance.
Here and there stood the solitary
houses Of fishermen; then these. too,
became fewer.
The shore rose to bare, rocky head
lands capped with stunted pines;
gaunt, jagged rocks with the water
creaming at their base. Islands rose,
mere specks in the distance, only dis
cernible because of the surf that play
ed about them, or the dwelling or two
that reclaimed them from utter lone
liness. The White Lady throbbed
and flew, so tense, so alive, so SEEM
ingly a part of the elements, that it was
hard to believe her a thing of wood
and canvas.
Look out sang Ashton. as the
boat came suddenly about "That
was pretty close shave
"Who sails with me holds life in
fee" laughed Katherine. intoxicated
with wave and wind and foam.
There is such a thing as common
sense" quoted Ashton.
But the wine of the sea was in
other fiat rock triumphantly.
Careful" cautioned Ashton.
Afraid" she taunted, with uplift-
ed chin, and then laughed, as scarlet
surged across his keen young face.
sail where you like! 1 don't care!"
he cried.
You think" she scoffed recklessly,
that just because I'm a girl l can't
manage my own boat! Why, rounding
these rocks is a perfect game for mel
I've done it lots of times. OF course
l know the summer people are warn
ed against 1t. But I'm not summer
person at heart. I'm what Captain
Davy calls a regular salt, and I allow
no mutiny on the part of my crew.
So there, And whoever accepts my in
vitation to sail accepts the risks that
accompany it. Sing no. sing no. for a
sailors life. sing no. sing no. for "a"
They both knew what had happen
ed when the boat Jared from bow to
stern, knew it before the bitter sea
water dashed in their faces as they
struggled toward a fiat rock that up
rose from the sea- When they reach
ed it, it was the girl who spoke first.
"Well?" she said gamely. and then
hYaQfh. "If had had
sense enough to obey!"
"If 1 had only jerked the tiller from
you!" he said in answer. But neither
of them spoke what was upermost In
their minds.
No hope to try for the shore with