Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1909-04-01

HIHl HdII OF my bOOk | sat Tor some time
on the porch outside my den, smoking. |
was too serene to stir. | watched the
gulis circle and skim above the pine
crowned cliff. and the lazy waves. rising
occasionally into sparkling white caps,
lift their heads and duck again like play.
full dolphinS. The tide was coming in
| could mark the great wet circles on the
beach as it advanced. now recedng for
moment. but quickly recovering the
lost ground and marching on, steadily
winning over the yellow sands. 1t would
be high-tidc by sunset or little after
everything was setting in from sea to
land: the salt smell was coming strongly
on the east wind.
About O'Clock [ shut the door of nv
cottage and started down the beach. con
scious of no further plan than to board
the ship and. possibly. catch something
of the late afternoon color for my can
vas. Now and again | stopped to watch
snail fockS of Sand-snipe scurry over
The wet. glistcning sands, now to watch
wave recede and leave path of opales-
cent pebbles in its wake. There were
jewels for all the world and to spare as
!ong as the water bathcd the stones.
SO. walking lesurely. | came in time
to the far end. and looked across the har-
boring rocks to the ship. TO my surprise
young woman stood on the deck, and
huttrring from a splinter of the mast
was a white handkerchief. She was look
ing across at me- her hands shading her
eyes from the sunset glitter at my back.
and as she saw me look up she waved
to the ship lay through a small break
where the rocks joined the cliff but this
break was some distance off. With y
smile for what | saw must have happened
to the skipper. | climbed over the near
est rocks and stood on the edge of the
little inland sea. Sure enough. the tide
in rising had covered the causeway to
the cliff. and was pouring in. fast filing
the harbor. like the bowl of a flooded
fountain. The water was not vet deem ::
it barely covered the path by which the
explorer had come. and even off the
rocks in front of it it was scarcely up to
my knees.
The woman of the ship called. I'm
ma rooned. | came by the path and for
cot all about the tide What shall do?''
She pointed towards tn" way she had
come. but | was in rough clothes and
quite used to wetting, SO | wadcd in
and crossing the shallow bowl, quickly
scrambled on to the high deck. l stood
up dripping and laughing.
80 you thought you'd go for sail. y
| asked but didn't think you'd sail so
far from land:"
The girl saw now that she couldn't
be more than 20-7-lookcd quzzically at
me for a second. then smiled. and finally
| laughed.
1t was such very real snip" she
said. that | couldn't resist the call.
fell asleep sitting against the gunwale
and when l woke up the wafer was over
! the path-not very far over. but quite
enough to ruin these forever" She
| pointed TO her kid slippers. 4 was grow.
| ing desperate when l saw you on the
| beach"
was studying the slippers; there was
no question but that the salt water
would ruin them. She inspected then
! also.
1t was very foolish of me to wear
them but l had no idea of going fal
when | left the club. The first thing
! knew. | caught a glimpse of the water
and then | forgot the slippers and walked
on until | came to that cliff and from
,here saw this littl" harbor and thi
oat. and l couldn't resist that. could 2
shook my head. Nobody could re
Si>t it"
Il had just about come to the poin
IF taking them off and wading ill.," sh
went on, aud then finished, when
sighted YOU"
4 can 90 away again" l suggested.
NO" she said slowly; I'd rather yo
didn't do that There must be som
other way out of it
There are several other ways, | an
swercd. I've often studied the probler
from this very deck"
| thought she looked a little bit SUI
priSed. DO you often find people ma
yooncd he.e-girlS. l mean?"
No but I've often wondered what
should do if l did. To tell the trutf
I've never found any one here before, bu
the ship looks as if she ought to be il
hahited. She's good ship, and ono
belonged to a pirate chief.
How do you know that?" the asked
by the oaken chest belowdeck.
has the pirate look. though there's notl
ing in it
YES" she said: Il made an explorin
trip and l found the chest"
Don't you agree with me, them
t Again there came that quizzical loo
in her eyes, and then the smile.
Yes she said; lit must have belon.
ed to a pirate" She stopped short an
e the smile spread from her lips to b