The Mena weekly star., 1909-01-21

Was We'll Out Toward the Signal. pains he brought back with him noth. ing more than the discouraging infor- nation that the back-country was worse than the shore. Yet he betrayed no trace of depression over the bad news, and for all his fatigue main tained tone of hearty cheerfulness until, having eaten his fill he sudden ly observed Miss Leslie's frigid pos liteness
 What's up now" he demanded You're not mad cause hiked of this morning without notice2"
 No, of course. not. MT Blake Moth ing of the kind. But I-'
 Well. what?" he broke in. as she hesitated T cant. for the world. think of anything else I've done"
 You've done, Perhaps might suggest that it is question of what you haven't done" The girl was trem- bling on the verge of mysteries. Yes what you've not done All these weeks, and not a single attempt to get us away from here, except that miser- able signal; and as good as put that up. You call yourself man. But l +" She stopped short, white with a sudden overpowering fear.
 Winthrope looked from her to Blake with sdelong glance, his lips drawn up in an odd twist.
 There followed several moments of tense silence: then Blake mumbled apologetically: Well, suppose l might have dcne more. I was SO dead anxious 10 make sure of food and shel- ter. But this trip today"
 "Mr--Mr Blake. pray do not get excited I--T mean please excuse me. rm--'
 You're coming down sick!' he said
 No. nol I have no fever"
 Then it's the sun, Yet you ought to keep up there where the air is freshest. I'll make you a shade
 She protested and withdrew, some what hurriedly, to her tree.
 In the morning Blake was gone again: but instead of note, beside the fire stood the smaller antelope skin converted into a great bamboo ribbed sunshade.
 She spent the day as usual on the headland. There was no wind, and the sun was scorohing hot But with her big sunshade to protect her from the direct rays, the heat was at least en- durable She even found energy to work at a basket which she was attempting 10 weave out of long, coarse grass; yet there were frequent intervals when her hands sank idle in her lap, and she gazed away over the shimmering gassy expanse of the ocean.
 In the afternoon the heat became oppressively sultry, and long slow swell began to roll shoreward from beyond the distant horizon, showing no trace Of white along it's oily crests until they broke over the coral reefs. There was not a breath of air stirring, and for time the reefs so checked the rollers that they lacked force to drive on In and break upon the beach,
 Steadily however, the swell grew heavier. though not so much as cats paw ruffled the dead surfaces Of the watery hillocks By sunset they were rolling high over both lines Of reefs and racing shoreward to break upon the beach and the cliff foot in furious surf. The still air reyerberated with the booming Of the breakers Yet the girl inland bred and nnversed In weather lore. sat needless and indif- ferent her eyes fixed upon the 'hori. zon in vacant stare.
 Her reverie was at last disturbed by the peculiar behavior of the seafowl Those ln the air circled around in a manner strange to her, while their mates on the lodges waddled restlessly about over and between their nests There was q shriller note than usual in their discordant clamor
 Yet even when she gave heed to the birds. the girl failed 10 realize their alarm or to sense the impending dan ger. II was only that a feeling of dis quiet had broken the spell of her rev 1 erie: 1t did not obtrnde upon the neld of her conscious thought She sighed and rose to return to the cleft, idly wondering that the air should seem more sultry than at midday The peculiar appearance of the sun and the western sky meant nothing more to her than an odd effect of color and light She smilinely compared it with an attempt at a sunset painted ey an