Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1908-03-25

again where tiny clcNctnt bcd'A
gllmmered white hot in the sun.
From his bedroom window Mortimer
peeped forth. following her progress
with leer.
AS she descended. noticing the riffs
OF bronzing seaweed piled along the
tide mark, her foot dislodged a tiny
Triangle OF rock. which rolled clatter-
ing and ringing below, and as she
sprang lightly 10 the sand man. ~
ing full length and motionless as the
heaped seaweed. raised himself on one
arm. turning his sun dazzled eyes on
her.
The dull shock Of surprise halted her
the sand running from his brown
shooting clothes over his tightly strap
ped puttees.
"Have you the faintest idea that !
supposed you were hereT she asked
briefly. Then, frank In her disap-
pointment. she looked up at the cliffs
overhead, where her line OF retreat lay
"Why did you not 20 with the
othersY' she added, unsmiling.
"T-don't know. | will, II you wish"
He had colored slowly, the frank dis
appointment In her face penetrating
his surprise. aud now he turned around
instinctively. also looking for the path
of retreat.
"Wait." she said, aware of her own
crude attitude and confused by It..
"Wait a moment. Mr.. Siward. don't
mean to drive you away"
ats self exile" he said quietly
"quite voluntary. assure you"
"Mr. Siwardv'
And, as he looked up coolly: "Have
you nothing more friendly to say TO
me? Is your friendship for me so
limited that my first caprice oversteps
the boundsT'
IL meant no criticism
"Wait, Mr.. Siwardv' as he moved
slowly toward the path. You force
me to say other things which you have
no right to hear. After last night
the vivid tint grew In her face-''after
such a night is II not natural for a girl
to creep off somewhere by herself and
try TO think little?'
He had turned full on her. The an
swering color crept to his forehead.
''Is that wbyT he asked slowly.
'Is il not reason?"
at was my reason for being here"
She bit her bright lip. This trend to
the conversation was ominous, and she
had meant to DO her drifting alone in
still sun dreams, fearing no witness,
no testimony, no judgment save her
own self In court with herself.
IL suppose you cannot go now
she reflected innocently.
Indeed | can and must"
"And leave me here to dig in the
sand with my heels? Merci"
do you mean
81 certainly do, Mr.. Siward. ! don't
want to dream now. / don't care to
reflect. You see what you've done.
don't you-saved me from an entire
morning wasted In sentimental rev
erie over what might have been? Now
you can appreciate it, can't you-your
wisdom in appearing In the flesh to
save silly girl the effort OF evokins
you in the spirit? All, Mr.. Siward,
am vastly obliged to you! Pray sit
here beside me In the flesh for fear
that in your absence | might commit
the folly that tempted me here"
His low running laughter accompa-
nying her voice had stimulated her TO
gay audacity which for the instant
extinguished IN her the little fear OF
him she had been barely conscious Of.
do you know" he said. that you
also aroused me from my sun dreamsT'
Ibid I? And can't you resume
them -
"You save me the necessity"
"Oh, that Is a secondhand compli.
ment," she said disdainfully-"a weak
plagiarism on what | conveyed very
wittily. You were probably really
asleep and dreaming of bird murder"
He waited for her to finish, then,
amused eyes searching. he roamed
about until high on little drifted sand