The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-04-09
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said slowly Helen had walked on,
and loitered beside Miss Pat.
Il hope you have had no misgivings,
Miss Pat, since our talk yesterday"
None whatever" she replied, quick
~ Il am quite persuaded in my own
mind that should have been better
of if had made a stand long ago. I
don't believe cowardice ever pays, do
your"
She smiled up at me in her quick.
bright way, and was more than ever
her slave.
Miss Holbrook. you are the brayest
woman In the world! 1 believe you are
right. think should be equal to ten
Thousand men with your spirit TO put
heart into me-"
Don't be foolish she said, laugh
ing. But to show you that I am not
really afraid, suppose you offer to take
US for a drive this evening. / think it
would be well for me to appear to-day,
just to show the enemy that we are
not driven to cover by our little adj
venture in the launch yesterday"
Certainly Shall we carry out
riders and rear guard?"
mot a bit of 1t. I think we may be
able to shame my brother out of his
evil intentions by our defenselessness. .
We waited for Helen to rejoin US,
and the drive was planned for five
Promptly on the hour, after day of
activity on my part in cruising the
lake, looking for signs of the enemy,
We set forth in an open trap, and
plunged into country roads that trav-
ersed territory new to all of us. l car
ried Lima along, and when, after a
few miles. Helen asked to take the
reins,. changed seats with her, and
gave myself up to talk with Miss Pat.
The girls mood was grave, and she
wished to drive, I fancied, as an ex-
cuse for silence. The land rolled grad
ually away into the south and west,
and we halted, in an hour or so, far
from the lake, on a wooded eminence
that commanded long sweep in every
direction, and drew into the roadside.
lima opened a gate that admitted us
to superb maple grove, and in few
minutes we were having tea from the
hamper in the cheeriest mood in the
world The sun was contriving new
marvels in the west, and the wood
that dipped lakeward beneath US gave
an illusion of thick tapestry to the
eye.
We could almost walk to the lake
over the trees, said Miss Pat IT'S q
charming picture
Then. as we all turned to the lake,
seeing it afar across the tree-tops
through the fragrant twilight. I saw
the Stiletto standing out boldly upon
the waters of Annandale. with a lam
suid impotence that ! began to as
sociate with its slim outlines and
snowy canvas. Other craft were
abroad. and Miss Pat, l judged, spoke
only of the prettiness of the general
landscape, and there was, to be sure,
no reason why the sails of the Stiletto
should have had any particular signifi-
canoe for her. Helen was still looking
down upon the lake when Miss Pat
! suggested that we should go home;
and even after her aunt called to her,
the girl still stood, one hand resting
upon the trunk of a great beech, her
{ gaze bent wistfully, mournfully to-
ward the lake. But on the homeward
drive-she had asked for the reins
again-her mood changed abruptly,
and she talked cheerily, often turning
her head-a scarlet-banded sailor hat
was. l thought. remarkably becoming
to chaff about her skill with the
reins.
4 haven't a care or trouble in the
world" declared Miss Pat when I left
them at st. Agathas I am sure that
we have known the worst that can
happen to US in Annandale. | refuse
to be a bit frightened after that
drive"
1T was charming" said Helen.
This is better than the English lake
country. because it isn't so smoothed
out
" ii etlAA Du al VI tAAe~Si 49,
Il win go further and admit-what Is
much for me-that it is almost equal
10 Killarney"
There seemed to be sincerity in
their good spirits, and was myself
refreshed and relieved as | drove into
Glenarm: but ! arranged for the same
guard as on the night before. Helen
Holbrooks double-dealing created a
condition of affairs that demanded
cautious handling, and had no inten-
ton of being caught mapping
From the window OF my room 1 saw
the japanese boy patrolling the walks
of st. Agathas A blackboard of young
sters from Port Annandale passed in
the road, leaving a trail of song be-
hind them. Then the frog choruses
from the little brook that lay hidden
in the Glenarm wood sounded in my
ears with maddening iteration, and ]
sought the open.