Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1909-08-20

NcAb pcDDlco III us WdhCs NoIo
jewels for all the world and to spare as
long as the water bathed the stones.
SO. walking leisurely, / came in time
to the far end, and looked across the har-
borin~ rocks to the ship. To my surprise,
young woman stood on the deck, and
futtering from a splinter of the mast
was q white handkerchief. She was look
ing across at me, her hands shading her
eyes from the sunset glitter at my back,
and as she saw me look up she waved
her hand beckoningly. The easy path
to the ship lay through small break
where the rocks Joined the cliff, but this
break was some distance off. With
smile for what saw must have happened
to the skipper, / climbed over the near
est rocks and stood on the edge of the
little inland sea. Sure enough, the tide
in rising had covered the causeway to
the cliff, and was pouring in, fast filling
the harbor, like the bowl Of a flooded
fountain. The water was not yet deep
it barely covered the path by which the
explorer had come, and even off the
rocks in front of it it was scarcely up to
my knees.
The woman of the ship called, "I'm
marooned. | came by the path and for
got all about the tide. What shall 1 do?"
She pointed towards tho way she had
come. but l was in rough clothes and
quite used to a wetting so | waded in
and, crossing the shallow bowl, quickly
scrambled on to the high deck. stood
up dripping and laughing.
so you thought you'd go for a SAIL"
| asked, "but didn't think you'd sail so
far from land?"
The girl saw now that she couldn't
be more than 20-looked quizzically at
me for Z second, then smiled, and finally
laughed.
1T was such very real ship she
said, 'that / couldn't resist the call. I
fell asleep sitting against the gunwale.
and when l woke up the water was over
the path-not very far over, but quite
enough to ruin these forever" She
pointed to her kid slippers. 81 was grow
ing desperate when l saw you on the
| beach,"
i was studying the slippers; there was
| no question but that the salt water
would ruin them. She inspected them
also.
| 1t was very foolish of me to wear
them, but l had no idea Of going far
when left the club The first thing
knew, l caught glimpse of the water,
and then forgot the slippers and walked
on until l came to that cliff, and from
there ! saw this little harbor and this
Boat and l couldn't resist that, could II"
shook my head. Nobody could re-
sist It."
Il had just about come to the point
of taking them off and wadng in," she
went on, and then finished, when I
sighted you"
L can go away again." l suggested.
No. she said slowly; ''I'd rather you
didn't do that. There must be some
other way out of it."
There are several other ways" an
swered. 'I've often studied the problem
from this very deck"
thought she looked little bit sur
prised. DO you often find people ma
rooned here-girls, l mean"
No, but I've often wondered what |
should do if l did. To tell the truth,
I've never found any one here before, but
the ship looks as if she ought to be in
habited. She's good ship, and once
belonged to a pirate chief
How do you know that?" she asked
by the oaken chest below-deck. 1t
has the pirate look, though there's moth
ing in it."
Yes" she said; 81 made an exploring
trip and found the chest"
Don't you agree with me, then?"
Again there came that quizzical look
in her eyes, and then the smile.
YES" she said ''it must have belong
ed to a pirate" She stopped short and
the smile spread from her lips to her
eyes. "Shal l tell you a secret? When
| fell asleep here an hour ago dreamed
OF pirates, of a real old-fashioned buc-
cancer who came up out of the cabin
fully armed, pistols in his pockets and in
his hands and pistol clenched in his
teeth. The funny part of it is that he
was exceedingly polite to me. Do you
ever have such foolish dreams as that?"
"Often; buccaneer calls on me every
other week. I'm only waiting for the
chance to ship with one. l think their
ghosts must still inhabit Alastar."
The girls hand stole up to capture
some loose strands of hair, and for the
| first time l noted the fine spun gold in
the sun.
"Alastair?" she repeated. "Oh, so this
is the beach of Alastair-and you-?"
She paused. "You must be the man they
told me about at the club-you live in
cottage at the far end of the beach, and
write books, and never come out of your
she'll"
bowed. 81 am the man." l said, land
yonder is my home" | pointed west
ward to where the tip Of my balcony
showed between the dunes.
"What beautiful little world ?! she
said, and then, moment later, "but
how lonely Who named the place Alas
tair?"
II don't know. It's always been called