Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1908-10-02
HIGH TIME.
BY CONSTANCE
DARCY mACKAY.
copyrighted. 1905 by Associated
Literary PreeS

Literary Press.
p>~>>c>>>>>>>N~>~
Then 1 suppose it's no use to ar
gue?"
Not the slightest. When q MIllart
makes up her mind 1t stays made M
and made up my mind yesterday
BobbIe."
you mean your Aunt Isobel made 81
up for YOU" Robert Ashton answered
looking Mt katherine Willard as she
perched beside him In the bow of the
boat. The wind blew her hair into dis
tracing ripples. She put back a strand
OF 1t as she faced him. replying:
She did have good deal to do with
II, I'll admit But. after all, she has
lived much longer In this world than
have and has gained more wisdom"
Yes. worldly wisdom"
isn't that often another name 70,
common sense? Besides, there are mo.
mepts when i feel that she knows me
better than know myself. do love
the ct ceteras OF life SO. Bobby, Love In
a Harlem fat would never do for me
l want all the pate de fois gras Of ex-
| istence and none OF the rye bread
And you know from the first I've new
er given you the least cause for hone
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 1 hate to sec
you hinging yourself away on old Sen
| ator Rathbone."
THANK your
"And, for another, what man gives
up the girl he loves without struggle
IL isn't human nature to forego u thing
simply because it's beyond your reach.
And then there's n third reason. We
could be SO gloriously hsppyw
The girl averted her eyes.
Couldn't weT' he persisted.
Il don't know she faltered.
"Ah, but you do knowI You know
We're one In everything. That's why l
dare to persist so much We like the
same things. We like the same people.
We have the same sense OF humor-ex.
cept In the case OF Senator Rathbonet"
"Bobbie. II you make fun of my
friend l won't take you sailing again t"
But Katherine''-
"Now, Bobbier' For a second time
she faced him squarely. 1--WE told Won
my minds made up. and mean what
1 say. You've been a good friend to
me. and I've enjoyed the times we've
had together. But IL 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 II for me? Either
you must promise me not TO mention
IL again or I'll have to give up seeing
you entirely"
"All right" he replied, with that
characteristic boyishness that women
always found so adorable In him. "In
be good"
BE nodded at her smilingiy, and she
told herself that. after all. he was only
a boy with boys artior--twenty-fi
and not yet grown up! But that was
because she was looking ut 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 n hint Of rain
In the air and the sea gulls lowering
fnland-such a day as sends the usual
summer resorter to a cozy chair by
hickering logs with a novel close at
hand and the fisher folk out to open
sea with the promise OF n heavy catch.
Between gray green water and slate
gray sky the White Lady seemed the
only thing afoat as she skinned and
lacked ana lifted on the crest OF the
waves. They were racing TO wind
ward now. and the homes OF the shore
jewellers 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
dreaming at their base. Islands rose.
mere specks In the distance. only dis
eernible because Of the surf that play-
ed about them or the dwelling or two
that reclaimed them from utter loneli-
ness. The White Lady throbbed and
new, so tense, so alive, so seemingly
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 I'm
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 Kath-
crimes blood. She rounded another
nat rock triumphantly.
''Careful!' cautioned Ashton.
"AfraidT' she tainted, with uplIfted
chin. and then laughed as scarlet
surged across his keen young face.
sail where you like! / don't carer
he cried.
You think" she scofred reckiessly.
that just because I'm a girl I can't
manage my own boat. Why. round
ing these rocks is a perfect game for
me! I've done II lots OF times. OF
course know the summer people are
warned against II. But Tn not sum-
mer person at heart. I'm what Can
tain Davy calls a regular salt. and !
allow no mutiny on the part OF NV
crew. So there! And whoever ac-
cepts my invitation to sail accepts the
risks that accompany It. Sing no.
sing no, for sailors life, sing no.
sing no. Cor a.
They both knew what had happened
when the Boat Jared from bow to
stern, knew 81 before the bitter sea wa
fQr dQahad In THAR 20 -. -