Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-06-08

"-i"TTe-.I.. I!.I..d
blue beyond it. And at the same instane
the faint far echo OF a most plaintive
melody thrilled his attentive ears. The
tender notes which swelled and ebbed on
the uncertain breeze came from no birds
throat.
Then he saw the girl.
CHAPTER X
! The Sea Birds Cry That Came From the
Greek.
There were no sails in sight, nor was
there any sign OF life along the shore
save for the man who stood there speech
| lessgy, unnoticed. and the girl with the
/ velvet voice. 1t was a fOlk-sQng of the
south that she was singing, which
! brought back TO her solitary auditor
many and poignant memories.
I The singing ceased. He started. caught
red-handed, eavesdroping, a crime for
4 which there could be no excuse. The
| girl was gazing at him in establishment
and yet from under level eyebrows. 1t
might be that he could stin make apol-
Ogies.
/ When he in the end found speech, he
stammered stupidity, his own face flushed.
He clutched at courage desperate, and
spoke.
I'LL beg your pardon" he said bow
| ing with deepest difference. IL didn't
know that the beach was impossible
| here
! She had been scanning him closely, had
known at once that he was the same man
she had seen in Martins, and her recol-
lections Of him had been none but CRATE
full.
Her lips parted slightly in a swift, fugl-
I tive smile as she looked down to where,
4 in rirr1a fx-n fxynrxr faaf hall i'm
bedded among the sand. Then she step
ped ashore, and a swirl of her skirts sent
them out OF sight altogether
I Il dropped a bracelet" she explained in
matter of fact tone, and Quaintaince
was conscious that fortune beyond his
widest hopes had befallen him. He
would find that never sufficiently TO be
have TO spend the rest of his life there.
He had already sat down. was untying
HIS shoes.
Whereabouts did you drop the brace
let?'' he questioned, but she shook her
head.
oh. 1 can easily find it myself" she
demurred.
He turned and entered the water, leav-
ing Shoes and socks behind him. His pur-
pose was sufficiently evident
] I've no idea where 1t may be-" she
warned him contradictory. IT only no.
ticed it's loss when 1 sat down TO pull
on
Don't fret" he answered cheerfully.
I'll find il for you"
She smiled again, half pleased. half dis
pleased. He was so big and strong-so
seif-confdent. A womans Intuition had
told her that she might trust him. She
priced the missing ornament for much
more than its intrinsic value. AS soon as
he should have found Il she would thank
L 4
she must first resume her discarded foot
gear.
She slipped 10 the back Of bush at the
edge of the thicket. and, hoping he had
not caught sight OF the silken hose she
had left hanging there, was back on the
beach before he looked round again, with
two points of polished tan peeping forth
from under her skirt as the wind caress-
ed her.
1T may have sunk out OF sight in the
! sand" he said as he reached her side
again and paused to refresh himself with
a swift glance at her mirthful eyes.
II hope not" she answered demurely,
and the dancing lights died down in the
shadow Of the long lashes which had en-
curtained them.
Success is certainly pIeasanter than
defeat" he admitted and faced about,
leaving her, a little abruptly, having no
further commonplace at his command.
\ But. turn up the sand as he might.
the missing armlet was not forthcoming,
and finally hei sat down with a great air
of exhaustion. not too far from where
she was leaning against the grass-grown
bank
II bought Mrs. Smiths car" he said
casually. having once more recovered
full use OF his faculties. ...
"Oh. did your she exclaimed. I'm
glad-because she wanted TO dispose OF
IT, You'll find II a good little car"
I'm sure I SHALL" he agreed, CRATE
full that she approved the proceeding.
i've been wondering" be- went on,
whether 1 might perhaps be permitted
to leave IL with-Mrs. Smith, until l
move down here. I'm living at the
Fifth Avenue in Manhattan at present,
and I've another car there. II would be
a great convenience TO me II I could get
her to make some use of II. and so keep
il in tune till
I'm afraid she couldn't consent to
such an arrangement" the girl said
quietly.
I'm staying with Mrs. Smith, she
added land 1 know most of her plans. "
Thus nonplussed, Quaintance could
not well pursue that subject, and a
! glance upward, to see whether his sug-
gestion had caused her any offense, al
/
This is a charming spot" he said,
! somewhat lamely. But he realized that
he could not be too cautious, when the
least slip might lose him all he had so
far won from Dame Fortune, and may
be more. He had no illusions as to
Mrs. Smiths probable opinion Of his be-
, havior.
He had almost asked her whether she
did not prefer to such scenes as that in
which they had first encountered each
other, in Martins. but recollected in
time that she probably would not care
, to be reminded Of that incident. Later
on, when they should have learned to
know each other better, there would be
time enough to clear up the vague att
. mosphere of mystery which still encom-
passed her. He had already decided that
he must settle down in Stormport, as