Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1908-07-09

burn had been last of the bathers to
leave the surf and In her usual reck-
less manner had started to swim to
the raft after she was tired enough to
leave the water. She made the raft all
right, but halfway back she went I'M
der
Patricia, on the pleasure pier. had
given the alarm, and two men put out
In a boat. Before they bore their drip
ping burden up the pier steps a crowd
had gathered from all directions. The
beach policeman had come running to
press them back and allow the men to
hurry through with the half drowned
girl.
Then the crowd dispersed, except
Patricia, who had given the alarm.
When one walks always with a crutcb
Il Is better not to walk in crowd. So
she waited till the pier was deserted
and she had found that Jeanette
would recover. Then she went home.
Usually Patricia's slow steps were
not wearisome to her, for the beauty
of the hills kept her company, the
flowers along the way were her friends,
and the voice Of the ocean said to her
many things, but today she saw neither
hills nor flowers, and she heard moth
ing but her own hearts cry, Ernest
Wentworth loves Jeannettew
She had heard 1t yesterday, and
glimpse Of his white face in the crowd
today confirmed the rumor that he
was going to marry Jeanette Wash
burn. She had said it over and over In
the night watches, wagfng war with
her own eager heart and telling 1t to
be ashamed for giving its love IN
asked.
When she saw Jeanette near to
drowning she was wild to plunge In
and swim out to her and save her, and
not for Jeannette's own sake.
Even in her impulse she recognized
her motive-not for Jeannette's sake.
but for his. She would make the SUI
premest sacrifice Of her unrequited
love, and she would do a heroic deed
because of 1t. But even this was de-
MED her.
Everything is denied a cripple" she
thought with unwonted bitterness as
she reached her fathers gate. IF |
We're like other girls he might have
chosen mer'
hours between dinner and the gay life
of the evening, when she knew the ca
sine would be almost deserted, she
went back to sit on the steps and look
silently seward
Away to the horizon were fishing
boats and pleasure yacht, its white
sails cleaning silver In the sun. Near
er the shore showed the dark hulk Of
the buoy, and nearer still the sea birds
diving and dipping.
All this was ON the sea. On the sand
was lone figure, woman In faded
green dress, it's skirts held ungraceful-
ly up from the kelp as she walked the
damp sands gathering seasheils.
Patricia, watching her drearily, saw
her pick up one, look at 1t carefully,
then put 1t In her jacket pocket The
next she threw away, perhaps because
of flaw or break or lack of luster
"Dreaming?" said a voice very pleas
sat down beside her.
1t only made 1t the harder to have
him kind to her. Did a crumb ever do
a particle of good when one was starv-
| ing for the whole loaf? Poor Patricia
Still. as he was there, and as he was
not saying anything more. she must
make talk. Any kind Of talk was bet
ter than silence, so she spoke of what
she had been thinking.
''Yonder is fate" She pointed to the
shell gatherer. Choosing, rejecting:
blessing, cursing. Oh, poor little thrown
away shellsv'
She had tried to make her words
sound light, but the man heard the note
OF pain. He bent toward her, and his
voice was very kind.
Il have known you a year." he said,
"and never saw you morbid before.
But You are morbid now. You are
tired. The excitement this morning
was too much for you"
Yes" she acknowledged. II was on
the pleasure pier when Jeanette went
down. / had a wild desire to plunge In
and save her and have my picture In
the paper afterward I wanted to be
the star of the matinee. you see, and
this creation Of board and pad would
not let me-
She smiled whimsically down at the
crutch and UP at him. She was glad
he could not read her thoughts. She
would be very gay--if he did not stay
too long.
i Perhaps Wentworth could not read
her thoughts, but he could see that her
eyes were tired. and he looked at them
and at the sweet, sensitive mouth In
the way that lover looks.
Patricia, know of a golden coun.
try In which lives golden lady-no,
golden haired, for her hair Is dark a.
yours, but having heart of gold and a
spirit Of tried gold Her eyes are dark,
too-let me see bow dark, Patricia"
The caress in his tones made her
tNmble- He meant only to be kind-if
he could have known the anguish but
she raised her eyes vpbediently to his
for an instant and smiled at him. She
was a very brave Patricia. this Grip
pied girl.
Just as dark and beautiful as yours,
Patricia. Well, this golden lady would
have gone out into the great world to
DO lots Of great things. but circum-
stances forced her to stay in her own