Wallowa County chieftain. [volume] (Enterprise, Or.) 1909-1911, 1909-09-16

eiin oeyond my house and poke its nose
tne direction of the Ship. Charles
Drought the tiny craft alongside of ms.
Iney re watching the house closely.
"r' rellx, he said. 1T was all I could
10 10 get down to the river without their
following" e''
Inc canoe had brought us hot coffee.
eggs and rolls. We breakfasted In stota
IN tne cabin, with Charles to wait upon
US de had little news, beyond the fact
mat one pines were patrolled by a num-
Der of men.
AFTER breakfast we passed the time as
pest we could, but the morning went
slowly, and we were glad when lunch was
feauy. Ihls was a meagre meal, made
up Oh the scraps of the provisions Bar
para had brought us. l told Charles that
l preferred to have him stay with us. as
'here was no telling when we should
need every able-bodied man we could find.
ana SO he brought the canoe on board.
slowed her on the after-decx, and devoted
himself to the small duties on his new
housekeeping.
Duponceau and 1slip had slept little the
nlght before, and shortly after lunch thew
s'ok up uheir hunks to nap. was on
guard on the forward deck when I heard
voice call, "Ship ahop" and looked up
TO see Barbara on the cliff.
l called to Charles TO take NV nlace
lcr few moments and sailed fcxth b
shore. Barbara Joined me at the teot
Of the headland.
|
| WellP she asked eagerly.
| told her the adventures of the pre-
vious night, and when l came to the ear
~ morning swim her eyes danced as she
ciapped her hands with delight. "Oh, I
wish had been out there with you 7" she
cried. I've always wanted to try a swim
in the dark
Its just as well you weren't" an
swered sagely.
She looked somewhat longingly out to
sea. What a beautiful afternoon And
are the rest of the crew working?"
The rest Of the crew are sleeping.
They had too much coffee for dinner last
night and II kept them awake"
And what Is Charles doing"
pointed to the deck. Hes on guard
That's the reason I'm here"
"Oh, that's 1t, is it? l thought you
came to see me-"
And so | did. Suppose we sit here at
the foot Of the cliff, where we can look
out to sea and can't be seen. There's
little nook know off,
| found the place that / sought-a se-
cret crevice IN the rocks-and there we
sat and watched the tide do its best "
reach US as 1t bounded landward. -he
afternoon drifted past, and we, bc.ne on
its tranquility, were now talkeeive, now
silent. Barbara rolled her sieeves above
her elbows, and played w,ch the water In
little pool beside car ledge Of rocks.
Her dreaming eyes brooded over the
ocean. l watched her, tried to turn my
! eyes seaward, felt the irresistible call, and
came back to watching her. TIE time
had come when l could think only the
one thought.
The sun was low, Barbara was hun
hing little French song. The whole
world was adorable.
Barbara, love youw
The words were out, spoken without
v6i,tion, all of themselves.
She looked up; her singing stopped,
and the deep blush-rose crept into her
face, while her eyes shrank.
Barbara, love you. have loved you
since l first found you on the Ship, and
shall go on loving you until die. l
can't help It; it's not only conscious, it's
partly unconscious; it's just you calling
to me. Barbara dear, you are all my
hope In the world. You are the world.
Will you marry me?"
was leaning forward, thinking only
of that sweet, that infinitely sweet face
opposite.
She smiled, her eyes turning to watch
the waves, and | waited spellbound for
her answer.
81 haven't known you very long," she
added, her voice low; "and what do you
know of me?"
Everything. All could ever know
that you are the one woman In the
world"
"But it's summer, and it's easy to say
such things in summer. It's all part of
the setting. l told you once you were a
dreamer. Dreamers are apt to romance,
and that is probably why you are now In
love with the waves and the sunshine and
with me-" The last words were just
whisper She raised her eyes to mine for
feeting second, then dropped her lashes.
believe me, Barbara, it's not that; it's
the truth-the truest thing in the world"
She played with the water In the pool
at her side.
~ like you-but, then, like many.
There's Rodney l like also. Perhaps l
like you better because l have never seen
you in town, nor anywhere but in your
chosen country. But | can't forget that
there are other treasures in the SEA
how can you be sure you won't come up
on another and finer? Then, too, I
like men who do things, men who fight
and win out-and so you see," she fin
shed, with slight smile, 'it's not that
like any one in particular less, but the
infinite possibilities more"
"Then," said stubbornly, Il will wait,
and prove my meaning 70 YOU
She raised her eyes frankly to mine II
like that" she said.
After time we walked back to her
path and said good-by. The beach was
sA.l- L.. -.