The Mena weekly star., 1909-01-28


 down among tho bamboos. she went to 1t, and was not little surprised to see she tattered remnant of her duck skirt. It had evidently been torn from the signal staff by the first gust of the cyclone. whirled down into the cleft by some flaw or eddy in the wind, and wadded so tightly into the heart of the thick clump of stems that all the fury of the storm had failed to dlsleAse it. It's recovery seemed to the giri . special providence; for of course they must keep up a signal on the clif.
 Having started her fire and set on a ! stew, she hunted out her sewing raa- terials from their crevice in the cave and began mending the slits in the torn flag. While she worked she sat on shaded ledge, her bare feet toast ing in the sun, and her soggy. mud smeared moccasins drying within reach. When Blake appeared, the moccasins were still where she had first set them, but the little pink feet were safely tucked up beneath the tattered flag. Fortunately, the sight of the white cloth prevented Blake from noticing the moccasins. 'Hellol" he exclaimed. Whats hat?--the flag? Say, that's luckl III break out bamboo right eff. Old staf's carried clean away" "Mr. Blake-just moment, please. What have you done with-with it?"
 Blake jerked his thumb upward.
 "You have carried him up on the clifr?"
 Best place could think of. No animals-and I piled stones over But, say, look here" He drew out a piece of wadded 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 fn- ger and worked out an emerald the size of large pea.
 "O-h-h," cried Miss Leslie, as he held the glittering gem out to her in his rough palm.
 He drew 1t back and carefully thrust 1t again into it's 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 dukes-or more like, the duchess jewels. Now. If you please, l want you to sew this up tight again, and"
 T cannot--I cannot touch itl" she cried.
 Say. I didn't mean to- It was con founded stupid of me- mumbled Blake Wont you excuse mel" "Of course! It was only the-the thought that"
 No wonder I always am fool when it comes to ladies. I'll fix the thing all right"
 Catching up the nearest small pot. he crammed the quilted cloth down within 1t, and filed 1t to the brim with sticky mud.
 There! Guess nobody's going to run off with a jug of mud-and it l won't hurt the stones till we get a chance to look up the owner He 1 won't be hard to find-English duke minus pint of first-class sparklers! l Will you mind its setting in the cave after things are fixed up?"
 No; not as 1t is"
 He nodded soberly. All right, then Now I'll go for the new flag stafY You might set out breakfast" She nodded in urn, and when he l came back from the bamboos with the 1 largest of the great canes on his shoulder, his breakfast was waiting l for him. She set it before him, and turned to go again to her sewing.
 Hold on," he said. This won't do. You've got to eat your share. T do not---I am not hungry" That's no matter. Here'"
 He forced upon her bowl of hot broth, and she drank 1t because she could not resist his rough kindness.
 Good Now piece of meat" he said.
 "Please. MT. Blakel" she protested.
 "Yes, you mustl" She took 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.
 Flakes close-set lips relaxed, and | he nodded.
 That's 1t: let 1t run out You're over wrought There's nothing like a good cry to ease of woman's nerves --and I guess ladies aren't much dif- ferent from women when it comes to such things"
 "But I---I want to get the flag mend. edl" she sobbed.
 All right, all right: plenty Of time," he soothed, I'm going to see how things look down the cleft
 He boted 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 he began to whistle in a 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!