Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1909-03-04
v.

opened the door in our wall of reserve
and allowed Gordon Bennett to pene-
trate beyond it, and in the light of
after events l was very glad, indeed,
1 was not responsible. 1t happened
this way.
She had washed her hair and gone
out in the Jul to dry 1t, taking a book
and a box of chocolates to help pass
away the time, and, after wandering
about a little, had established herself
at the top of the fight of steps leading
down to the ~boathouse, as the most Sc
cIuded as well as the sunniest place
she could find.
Just what really happened | don't
know; l believe she got to dreaming
out there in the sunshine, but this is
what she said:
81 was sitting quietly reading when
/ heard a little thump, and there was
that miserable comb balancing on the
bottom step. OF course | went after
it, and of course before | got there it
toppled over and went through a
crack Of the slip into the water"
That slip is hoodooed," Interrupted
Elizabeth. why don't you do as
do, and keep away from it,"
ut was low tide" continued Gabri-
ellie, and l could look through the
crack and see it lying on the sand be-
meath the water, so | took a stick and
tried to poke it out. | got along very
well by progressing from crack to
crack, but at the critical moment
got excited and poked too hard, and
it shot out just beyond my reach. That
made me wild, for | knew | couldn't
face Elizabeth without it, so l simply
lay down and ~grappled with my stick.
"Well?" | inquired, as she paused
with a reminiscent chuckle.
"Well, as l was lying there with
nv face the color of a boiled lobster,
fishing away for all l was worth, |
heard a voice say: ALLOW me- and
there he was in a %sailboat, the picture
of GOODNESS and comfort. He rolled up
his sleeve, though, and went to work,
and finally got it, then calmly landed
and introduced himself, saying some
thing about having been unfortunate
in his visits"
Then was your opportunity to be
dignifled and squelching," l inter
rupted. You should have frozen him
with a glance"
Il tried to-" she returned, "but all
at once l remembered my hair, and
who could be dignitied them"
so you brought him home with
YOU as a reward of merit" laughed
Elizabeth. 81 shall never forget how
you looked as you came up the YER
anda steps"
Yes said Gabrielle; land you two
sat and stared as though we had es-
capped from the zoe. Take your comb,
Elizabeth; | never borrowed one be-
fore, and l never will again"
Il suppose" remarked Elizabeth, re-
flectively examining her recovered
property, I'VE may be said to have
dropped into his life; first your bag,
mine. It's fate-we've got to know
him, but 1t wasn't so bad, after all,
was it,"
Indeed, we had all enjoyed the aft
ernoon. Even Gabrielle returned to
the veranda, with her hair as high up
on her head as she could get it and
with her most impressive manner, but
we none of us referred to our trip up
on the steamer, and our visitor de-
parted without once mentioning our
property in his possession, although
my sidecombs were obviously not
mates, which made me very uncom-
Portable.
Elizabeth asked him to come again,
and when reproached for her cordial
ty said she did 1t only to please us
and quite expected to be bored to
death herself; from which we knew
she was very favorably impressed.
A sudden storm came up that after
noon, and when Mr.. Bennett rose to &c
the sky was very black and lowering
and the ocean roared ominously, so he
left his boat tied to our slip and went
up into the village to do some err
rands and wait until 1t should be
over. Instead of a short squat, how
ever, 1t settled down into a heavy rain
with bowling easterly wind ant
tossing, turbulent sea, 80 he was
obliged to spend the night in the vii
lage, as, OF course, he could not cross
to his island in his small boat.
1t was our first real storm in this
cottage, and as we heard the boom o.
the waves and listened to the wine
sweep about our little home until Il
sometimes trembled upon its founda
tons, | must admit we we're slightly
nervous and could not settle to any
occupation. So we gathered arount
our stone fireplace, lighted the drift
wood Mary Anne had placed ready
and watched the wonderful green, Law
ender, scarlet and blue of thu
cracking flames In silence.
Elizabeth sat on the rug and Leaned
ner head against Gabrielle's knee, ant
their faces gradually assumed thu
dreamy, far-away expression which
means they have Withdrawn into theil
own inner world, where outsiders ma,
L ULL EEaMNZL.