Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1909-09-10


stories, but knew she was also a woman
who had come to change Alastair.
| stopped and for time we both sat
silent, while the benediction Of that glo-
rious afternoon rested upon our spirits.
There seemed no Limitation to the world.
The sea stretched out far past the Shift
Ing Shoal and melted into the sky, and
that In turn rose immeasurably high.
Only the white clouds fecked the deep
blue, casting patches of shade, silver
tipped, upon the waves, and that gave
US the lure Of contrast.
Barbara looked up-I think 1t was
then that l first called her Barbara to
myself-and over at me.
"The world itself is so much more
wonderful than anything 1t contains, and
the beauty of it all so much greater than
any single beauty, isn't it?"
| could not agree, looking into her
deep. serious eyes, so held my peace.
why is 1t, 1 wonder, that We only
think these things, only really live, so
rarely?"
There was something in her words that
made me hope; they seemed to say that
she had often felt thus.
"One exists so much, but lives so lit
tie" I said; "but could imagine circum-
Stances when one would be always liv-
ing"
Her eyes changed, the depths in them
vanished, there lay only the surface light
that Knocked me.
"OneT she echoed.
Il H. ~
thought was over; she had changed as
swiftly as the shadow of one Of those
clouds flying beneath the sun.
"You are a great dreamer" she said.
"Are you also man Of action, l won
der?"
"Give me the chance"
"Give you the chance? Men Of action
don't wait for the chance; they make 1t"
IF l were Canute, l would order the
tide to come in"
The red blood flushed her cheeks, her
eyelids dropped. forget everything but
the picture that she made-the loveliest
picture that had ever seen or dreamed.
Next moment she sprang up. But
the tide is still out" she said, "and all
your wishes will not bring 1t in. must
be going home"
was up and standing beside her, lean
ing on the bulwark. "But you will come
again? You'll come again to the Ship
and take tea with me, or take supper on
the Ship? When will it be?"
"Wait; not for day or two"
She crossed the deck, and, drawing out
small handkerchief, held 1t to the
breeze.
"The wind is from the northeast" she
said. "That means storm. We may
have to wait many days"
Several, not many" / answered.
She gave little cry; the handkerchief
had blown from her hand and oyer to the
shore.
"Get it for me-" she said.
The inland sea was low; recovered
the handkerchief and came back, to find
her half way across the causeway.
Thank you. This is the second way
you devised of leaving the ship on foot"
"But it's not the best way,"I answered.
/ went with her to the great gate Of
the club and said goodnight.
"Oh !" said she. 1--WE forgot and left
the cushions lying on the deck. 1t may
rain. A good sailor should make things
tight"
II WILL" assured her.
A storm was certainly coming; 1t sang
in the boughs of the pines as ! hurried
through them, it grew in the gathering
clouds that hid the beach, it roared in
the loud waves that threw themselves on
the shore.
I crossed the mussel-backed path, and
climbed on the ship. AS picked up the
cushions something slid from them on to
the deck. 1t was locket, the locket she
had worn on the chain about her neck.
and 1t lay open, face upward, looking at
me. saw a small, round photograph of
Rodney Islip.