The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-07-02

The woman Of the ship called, -l-u
marooned. l came By the path ana for.
got all about the tide. What shall I do .,
She pointed towards the way she had
come. but l was in rough clothes and
quite used to wetting, so l waded in
and, crossing the shallow bowl, quickly
scrambled on to the high deck. l stood
up dripping and laughing.
so you thought you'd go for a sail
l asked, "but didn't think you'd sail 40
far from land!"
The girl saw now that she couldn't
be more than 2O--looked quizzically at
me for second, then smiled, and finally
laughed.
1T was such very real ship" she
said, that l couldn't resist the call.
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. Il was grow
Ing desperate when l saw you on the
beach,"
l 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 l left the club. The first thing l
knew. l caught a glimpse of the water,
and then l forgot the slippers and walked
on until l came to that cliff, and from
there l saw this little harbor and this
boat, and l couldn't resist that, could I?''
1 shook my head. Nobody could re-
sist it."
Il had just about come to the point
OF taking them off and wading in,' she
went on, and then finished, when l
sighted you"
Il can go away again." 1 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" 1 an
swered. ''I've often studied the problem
from this very deck
l thought she looked a little bit sur
prised. do you often find people ma
rooned here-girls, l mean?''
mo, but I've often wondered what I
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 a good ship, and once
belonged to a pirate chief
'How do you know that?" she asked.
''By the oaken chest BELOVED It
has the pirate look, though there's moth
ing in it."
YES" she said II made an exploring
trip and 1 found the chest"
Don't you agree with me, them"
Again there came that quizzical look
in her eyes, and then the smile.
YES" she said; sit must have belong
ed to a pirate She stopped short and
the smile spread from her lips to her
eyes. "Shall tell you a secret? When
l fell asleep here an hour ago I dreamed
Of pirates. of real old-fashioned buc-
cancer who came up out of the cabin
fully armed, pistols in his pockets and in
his hands and a 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; a buccaneer calls on me every
other week. I'm only waiting for the
chance to ship with one. 1 think their
ghosts must still inhabit Alastair."
The girls hand stole up to capture
some loose strands of hair, and for the
first time 1 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 a
cottage at the far end of the beach, and
write books, and never come out Of your
SHE'LL"
l bowed. Il am the man." said, land
yonder is my home l pointed west
ward to where the tip of my balcony
showed between the dunes.
"What beautiful little world ~ she
said. and then, a moment later, ''but
how lonely! Who named the place Alas
tair?"
II don't know It's always been called
that, apparently"
'Its lovely name. And what do you
call the ship?"
ooh, just the Ship. Her other name
disappeared years and years ago."
1.-THE Ship of Alastair. And do you
sometimes come on board of her to
writer
mo, have den for that. Some
times l come here to paint. l keep my
things in the cabin
eyes, 1 found Them" she said. "You
see, l know a great deal more about you
than you think"
ITO be continued.)