The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-12-31
CHAPTER TX.
The LIGHTS on St. Agatha's Pier


On my way home through ST. Aga
tba's stopped to question the TWO
guards, They had heard nothing, hau
seen nothing. How that girl hau
nassed them | did not know. scanned
the main building, where she and MISS
PAT had two rooms, with an lnterVen'
ing sitting room, but all was dark
Miss Helen Holbrook was undenlaoiy |
. resOurceful young woman OF charm
and wit. and l went on to Glenarl
House with new respect TOR her
| cleverness.
was abroad early the next morn
ing. retracing my steps through o''
Aoatha's to the stone bench on the
bluff with vague notion OF conhrmlns
: nv memory of the night by actual con-
tact with visible, tangible things. me
,, lake twinkled in the sunlight, the SKY
overhead was fawless sweep OF Dlue,
and the foliage shone from the deluge
; Of the early night. But in the soft mold
of the path the prints Of woman
shoe were unmistakable. | bent GOWN
and examined them; | measured them
-ungraciously, indefensibly, guilty.
= with my hand, and rose convinced
= thatthe neat outlines spoke OF moulsh
y hootmaker. and were not apt TO De eA'
l. nlained away as marking the lightly
~ limned step of a fairy or the golu
sandaled fight of Diana. Then l DE
{ seconded to st. Agatha's and founc
- Miss Pat and Helen lettering tranquil
~ ly in the garden.
~. ne They gave me good mornlng-Mls'
30 Pat calm and gracious, and Helen IL
y" the shirt of the morning itself, smlI
~ ing cool, and arguing .or peace. dc
g cention. as social accomplishment
" she had undoubtedly carried far; an
7 was hard put to hold up my end c
the game. | have practiced lying wit
7n' nastmasters in the art-the baza
keepers of Cairo, horse dealers l
"y' Moscow and rug brokers in Teheran
LII Int I dipped my colors to this amazln
IN. girl.
"a Pm afraid that we are making GU
u.s. selves a nuisance to you, said MI
- Pat. 81 heard the watchmen patrolll
w. the walks last night.
'0i Yes: it was quite feudal!" Hell
o,' broke in 81 felt that we were Da'
u n, at least as far as the eleventh &c
nv fury. The splash of water-Which y
IoN can hear when the lake is rousn
'0 must be quite like the lap OF water
l moat, But | did not hear the ella
had illo"''
NV of arms"
ny mo" I observed, dryly. "lJil
nan, wears blue serge and carries a G
d;a that would shoot clear through c
tha sader. The gardener is a Scotchm
not and his dialect would kill a morse
bor Miss Pat paused behind US to
,oht liberate upon new species OF no
,ead hook whose minarets rose level "
from her kind, gentle eyes. Something
been in my mind, and l took this
Won portunity to speak to Helen.
why don't you avert danger
close avoid an ugly catastrophe by conf
ture, ing to MISS faL lhdI soui
ghed sympathy lie with your father?
had would save a lot OF trouble IN
t her end
she The fame leaped into Helens
es to us she turned to me-
nded Il don't know what you mean
4 my have never been spoken to by any
r her so outrageously." She glanced
riedlv over her shoulder. My posi-
oppose is hard enough; it is difficult emo
you without this. l thought you WI
ccept to help U.s."
I stared at her; she was dlftihs
ouse; of my reckoning, and leading me
BILE if uncharted seas.
It ask Al BE CoNAAN oSO'