The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-03-11

cloth, marked off into little squares
by crossing lines of stitches. One of
the squares near the edge had been
ripped open. Blake thurst in his fin
ger and worked out an emerald the
size of a large pea
"O-h-h," cried Miss Leslie. as he
held the glittering gem out to her in
his rough palm.
He drew it back and carefully thrust
it again into its pocket.
That's one" he said. There's an
other in every square of this innocent,
harmless rag-dozens Of them. He
must have made clean sweep of the
drke's-or, more like, the duchess
jewels. Now, if you please. I want
you to sew this up tight again, and"
Il cannot cannot touch it," she
cried
Say 7 didn't mean to 1t was con
founded stupid of me-" mumbled
Blake Wont you excuse me-"
"Of course! 1t was only the-the
thought that"
No wonder I always am a fool
when it comes to ladies. III fix the
thing all right"
Catching up the nearest small pot,
he crammed the quilted cloth down
within it. and filled it to the brim with
sticky mud
There! Guess nObody's going to
run off with a jug of midland it
won't hurt the stones till We get
chance to look up the owner Ee
won't be hard to fnd-English duke
minus pint OF first-class sparklers!
Will you mind its setting in the cave
after things are fixed up"
NO; not as it is"
He nodded soberly. "All right.
then. Now I'll go for the new flag
staff You might set out breakfast"
She nodded in turn, and when he
came back from the bamboos with the
largest OF the great canes on his
shoulder, his breakfast was waiting
for him. She set il before him. and
turned to go again 10 her sewing.
Hold on" he said. This won't do.
You've got to eat your share"
Il do mott am not hungry"
That's no matter. Here"
He forced upon her bowl Of hot
broth. and she drank II because she
could not resist his rough kindness.
Good, Now piece of meat" he
said.
please. Mr.. Blake" she protested.
Yes. you must"
She took a bite. and sought to eat;
but there was such a lump in her
throat that she could not swallow The
tears gushed into her eyes, and she
began to weep.
Blake's close set lips relaxed, and
he nodded.
That's it; let it run out. You're
overwrought There's nothing like
good cry TO ease off woman's nerves
and | guess ladies' aren't much diff
ferent from women when It comes to
such things"
But il want to get the flag mend
ed" she sobbed
"All right, all right; plenty Of
time,' he soothed. I'm going to see
how things look down the cleft"
He bolted the last Of his meat and
at once left her alone 10 cry herself
back to calmness over the stitching OF
the signal.
His first concern was for the barri-
cade. AS he had feared, he found that
it had been blown TO pieces. The
greater part Of the thorn branches
which he had gathered with so much
labor were scattered to the four cor
ners Of the earth. He stood staring
at the wreckage in glum silence; but
he did not swear as he would have
done the week before Presently his
face cleared. and ne began 10 whistle
in d plaintive minor key He was
thinking of how she had looked when
she darted out Of the tree at his call
of her concern for him. When he
was so angered at Winthrope, she had
called him Tom,
After a time he started on, picking
his way over the remnant of the bar
riCade, without a falter in his whis-
Ting The deluge of rain had poured
down the cleft in a torrent. tearing
away the root-matted soil and laying
bare the lodges in the channel of the
spring riIl But aside from an occa-
sional DOGGY hole, the water had
drained away.
At the foot, about the swollen pool,
was a wide stretch of rubbish and
mud He worked his way around the
edge. and came out on the plain,
where the sandy soil was all the firm
er for its drenohing. He swung away
at a lively clip. The air was fresh
and pure after the storm. and a slight
breeze tempered the sun-rays
He kept on along the cliff until he
turned the point. II was not alto
gether advisable to battle at this time
OF day; but he had been caught out by
the cyclone In q corner of the swamp,
across the river, where the soil was
of clay. Only his anxiety for Miss
Leslie had enabled him to fight his
way out of the all but impossible
morass which the storm deluge had
made Of the halfdry swamp. At
dawn he had reached the river, and
swan across, reckless Of the croco-
dies. The turbid water Of the
stream had rid him of only part OF his