Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1909-11-12

meet aunt and the people at the oiab.
I'd like to sit here and think a while"
well" said Rodney, "good-by." He
shook hands with her. "Good-by, Felix.
If you ever find this place too lonely for
you, come and see me in New York.
Things do happen there sometimes. though
not such things as here in Alastair."
We shook hands, and / caught
glimpse of some passing regret beneath
the smile on the surface of his eyes.
AS | had watched Duponceau. | watch
ed Rodney disappear into the pines. The
cheerful man in tweeds, like the mysteri-
ous man of the sea, had said farewell to
the beach, but each had left a trace of
himself there which l should never for
get.
l turned back to Barbara.
Its all over" she said. They've all
come and gone, and 1t might have been
a dream"
Here's the Ship" l answered, "riding
at anchor, just as she did before
That makes it seem more like
dream" she said that after all that has
happened. the Ship is just the same as
on the first day l found her, and the
beach"-she turned to face ft-'is just as
sunny and as desolate.~
"Yet the pirate came" l answered, "a
real pirate, lineal descendant Of Cap
tain Kidd and he brought treasure and
hid it and dug it up again, and fought
like the thorough-going gentleman adven-
turer he was. Monsieur Pierre Dupon-
ceau was no ordinary man."
"Tell me what you know about him."
she commanded. and settled down, lean
ing against the mast.
HE was an uncommon man." | began,
"but whether an uncommon man becomes
a hero or a scapegrace depends upon the
luck of time. Duponceau had ideas that
were far about the heads of most men,
ideas that some one at later day might
use to great ends, or which he himself
might have used so had he been given
time. He planned, gathered his cargoes,
launched his ships in search Of the Gold
en- Fleece, and was on his way to win
ming 1t when a quartering gale drove his
craft upon the rocks. Had the wind veer-
ed by a needle-point, he might have won.
He was planning to make the poor Of
France well-to-do; instead he made them
much poorer than they were; and yet
those same plans pushed on may succeed
when It's too late for the poor investors
or for him. That's about the way It
stands"
Barbara was silent, her eyes watching
the distant glitter Of the sea.
There's go much luck In things, isn't
there?' she said finally. II like him,
anyway; like him for what he tried to
do" Then, after a pause: "You were
here weren't you? So was 1. Something
had to happen. Do you suppose he came
of his own free will, or because we had
wished so hard for an adventureT
Wishing hard can accomplish almost
anything, I've been told"
What are you going to do now that
everything is over?" she asked presently.
shook my head disconsolately.
II have barely yet faced the possibil-
ity of no more teas on the beach, no more
sunsets from the cliff,sno more adventures
on the Ship. It's not very pleasant
prospect, Is it?'
But the beach and the cliff and the
Ship will still be here" she answered.
followed her gaze seaward.
"a week ago l discovered a curious
thing. For years l had lived here and
found all the beauty I wanted In watch
ing the changing colors Of the waves, and
the golden glow through the woods, and
the dawn pinks of the sand, and yet all
~ 7 th>u haI okc tol -,
vanished, that l couldn't possibly find
them any more"
waited, and finally I caught her low
whispered, "Why?"
Something had happened. couldn't
see them alone 1 could see them only
when some one else was there to see
them, too"
She gave a little sign. II know; l
can understand just what you mean"
''The pines show no more armies, and
the Ship gives up no more adventures,
unless there is some one else here to see
and live them with me-"
"And," she said slowly, thoughtfully,
"if there we're some one else, would all
these wonders still Gomez"
"Surely, for we would be living them
all the time we were together"
"Poet" she said. Dreamer
waited, fearful and hopeful in one.
"And yet l dream, too," she said at
last; land think that you have shown
me more wonderful things than any one
else could"
"Then do you still think" l asked,
that some other man will come who can
show you more?"
She would not answer my question.
''The man we Imagined came out of the
sea and Is gone. | feel as If I'd lived
years In fortnight. Dear old Ship, how
/ hate to leave herr"
"Why must you? Why not sail on
and on in her forever? Why not set sail
In her for the Fortunate Isles? Barbara,
will your
She turned and looked into my eyes,
and l read her answer.
So, with Barbara sitting against the