Middletown transcript., 1909-04-03
THE OFF SHORE WIND
nv ~ Il ROSE
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u
You seemed very much pleased.
She waited for him to utter a
protest.
Go on, he said. ] admit it all.
| was pleased.
/ rowed you out a little way and
along the shore, the girl contin-
ued. Then | was about to turn
back, and you said you wanted to
go out farther. ! called atten-
ton to the time, and you said,
Bother the time. Ny man can
wait. | Irowed out farther. No
doubt | went too far. Then the
land breeze suddenly sprang up
and soon increased to a lively
wind.
And you couldn't t row back.
And here we are,
Yes. And there's the island
of the point yonder
Can you make it?
| think so. If the wind does
not increase too fast.
He looked back a little anx-
iously.
It's developing into gale, he
said. Steady.
She had turned the boat slight
ly and the sudden careening
startled him. He gripped the
seat firmly.
She looked up at him with q
quick smile.
Make yourself as broad as pos
sible, she said. The wind will
take you for sail.
She bent to the oars. As her
face came into view he could see
her white teeth clinched behind
her parted lips. She was rowing
with quick, deep strokes, and the
boat helped by oars and wind was
moving fast The island was
much nearer now, but the wind
blew harder. It was a pretty
face, and under other circum-
stances the old man might have
enjoyed it. He told himself this
but couldn't at the moment i'm
agine the circumstance. He drew
a quick breath and his grip tight
ened. When he was a boy he
could swim. But how long ago
was that?
He wished his own boy was
there no, he didn't. OWhy
should he wish him in peril? He
was a fine boy, a splendid boy
He wondered if he had been as
kind a father as he should have
been!
A dash of water came over the
side.
There would be a big sensation
in the great city if those rounded
arms gave out. To think that
his life should depend on the
nerve and the muscles of q mere
girl girl of whose existence
he had never known until an hour
before. What a fine girl she was!
And there he sat quaking and
quite unable to lift a finger to
help her. If she got him out of
this peril he would give her any
thing she could desire.
And as her face came up she
threw him nod and a smile-a
beautiful encouraging smile. He
tried to smile back, but just then
the boat staggered under heavy
puff Of wind and the water pour.
ed in close beside him. His feet
were covered by the water now,
and it splashed about him as the
boat rose and fell.
Suddenly the girl glanced
over her shoulder. Then with a
mighty pull she drove the boat
up on the sandy beach.
The girl sprang from the seat
and splashed into the water from
the bow Of the boat. She drew
It BY the rope further up the
beach and then called to the old
man.
Come, she said and held out
her hand.
He was a little cramped by |
long sitting, but be arose and |
hobbled toward her and was help |
ed ashore. She drew the boat
still farther up the beach. where
u was safe from the waves. Then
she took his hand again.
Come, she said, let's run.
Half dragging him up the little
slope and across a level space,
the girl paused before the door
Of a bungalow that stood in a
grove Of naples. She pushed on
the door and it opened and she
drew the old man in. The room
they entered was simply furnish.
ed. with q big fireplace at one
side. There was wood in the /
fireplace and after putting the