The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1909-12-23
CHAPTER =


accustomed rerene outlook on the beac
wM~n at dinusr found tiny note lyinl
ut my rlaes. Charles frequently stoppe'
at the Penguin Club on his way from
marketing. to see If by chance any mai
ks< lodged there for me. This time h'
lad discovered the diminntive missiv'
aforesaid tucked into the box that was
reserved for me. and which usually con
tanned only the daily papers. The en-
velope was square and Of delicate shade
between violet and gray. and my name
was written on II In a fine, bold hand.
Inside was a single sheet
s.afy Dear Mr.. Pirate or Hermit (which
ever you are}
II shall visit the Ship Friday after
ncon-when the tide is low
There was no name. not even a bare
initial
I looked at my calendar was apt to
forget the days of the week-and found
that II was already Friday I folded up
the note and put it in my pocket. hardly
knowing whether to be vexed or pleased
The truth OF the mater IS that l found
Miss Graham's last visit disconcerting-
II seemed absurd. but she had in some
strange manner changed the tone of the
beach Instead of being place for calm,
solitary musing. it had assumed the as
pect of spot made for company l had
never before felt the need Of pointing out
the pink shades OF the sands and the
golden crests of the rolling combers. nor
of requiring anothers admiration OF the 4
circling gulls. Now | did. and the result i
was that the more beautiful the beach.
the more restless was /, and this did not
suit me at all. I was not so dull as to
miss the cause of this change. and that
was the reason why the note both vexed
and pleased me. / was vexed that
should be glad and yet glad that / was
I'm the way of being further vexed-
looked at the barometer after din
ner Ii was falling. | glanced at the
sky: 1t was still a deep. dome-like blue,
but there were clouds stealing across il
that betokened storm The wind was
vsering into the northeast; We might
have bad weather at a moments notice
Al the appointed time I went up the !
beach and clambered aboard the ship !
There was no one on board. I descend
ed into the cabin: that was empty
climbed the stairs. and. coming again on
deck, saw Miss Graham starting across
the causeway. 1t was low tide. and the
path was above water, covered with
shells and barnacles- / threw OYER a >
rope-ladder that l had made and hung at
the side, and helped her on boari She
had on a soft, white lace hat that drop q
ped at the edges and looked delightfully."- s,
summery. Her gown was white; indeed, :
the only color she wore was gold chain !.
and locket that hung low about her NECK =
She pointed proudly to her stout tan
Il am wiser today" she said "muca In
more of a sea-woman." II
I had thought once before that | ha el
asted fully the sense Of exploration of n
be Ship, but now I found that | hal To
lot Like two inquisitive children play
OK az being explorers. we ransacked eli
very corner of the cabin. humping the Gu
cards for secret hiding-pIaces, peerfng tn
nfo ths dim recssses OF the hunks She ia
pened the brass-bound chest There an
yas nothing found In itT' abe asked. me
Nothing Re
cit seems q shame. How are we ever
, find the clue II not In the chestY'
Eve must look for 1t out Of doors"
aid. Perhaps IL we wish hard enough. tui
as spirits of the old rovers will CONS to
rex" Ba
80 / took cushions that lay with INV grs
zinting things and made her seat on tire
eek, and lighted my pipe, and told her fac
I 1 had dreamed about the Shin. and to
sw was sure, IL we only had sufficient
18th, that man would come out OF the II
q TO sail her again and bring her as Gus
10 adventures as any she had known. owe
How different you are from most of wal
70 men I have met r. she said. "Now. Of
"a seem quite In your setting. It al
oss makes me doubt that I'm only six the
urs from town" hav
you're not, you're a thousand miles It |
om town. In another world In another seer
here. We don't talk the language az triv
gn out here on the Ship; we talk a to t
refent tongue" cam
SIe shifted so that she could look over A
sea- her chin still propped in her expl
nd. Tab that tongue she said IN air
4 Btaise tone of command peculiar to as t
/. stru'
talked of the sea and ships, OF treas drfnl
. hidden under the waves, OF derelfcts lihoc
4 hoated for years without being that
hted. OF the Ancient Mariner and the a sh
ing Dufchman and all the thousand laugl
one legends Of ghost ships and their head
ws. Meanwhile / watched her. took but
the dreamy Iustre Of her eyes-qrav fmits
{ shaded to blue--ths soft brown color tn
her cheeks and brow, the curling gold ~ n
her hair beneath her big white hat. westl
the delicate little hand that piIIowed roae-.
chin. / noted the locket, oval and rrfr,o
with her initials b. @. intsrtwfned. m
the heavy gold links Of the chain sacs
softly stirred with her even breaths. she :.
was child listening to world-old horn,
les, but knew she was also woman ,vosIS
had come to change AIastair. kee,
stopped, and for time we both sat ana !
It, while the benediction OF that gIo- ,n,,dd
. afternoon rested upon our spirits. Pr,
% seemed no limitation to the world. rooLed
sea stretched out far past the Shift nls III
shoa and melted into the sky, and x ,sss ~ ~
In turn rose immeasurably high. admiy.
the white clouds fecked the deep dfd A.
casting patches OF shade, silver aba ",
4, upon the waves and that gave atrgkIn
L s1re On contrast Yet sh
rhara looked upJ think 10 was Ieas -