The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-08-19
CHAPTER VI.


tumn. Thomas Jefferson was fishing
auxuriously in the most distant OF the
s,Dper pools There were three TAT
perch ll-strung on forked withe un-
der the overhanging bank. and fourth
was rising to the bait, yhen the peace
ful stiffness was rudely rent by
crashing in the underground, and
great dog of breed hitherto unknown
TO Paradise, bounded into the little
glade to stand glazing at the fisherman,
his teeth barred and his black hairs
bristling.
"Oh. please! Don't hurt my dog!"
said a rather weak little voice out CT
the rearward void.
You come round here and call him
off O me-"
HE is not wishing to hurt you. or
anybody" said the voice. Down. Hec-
tori"
The Great Dane passed from sus-
picious rightly and threatening lip
twitchings to mighty and frivolous
gambolings and Thomas Jefferson got
up to give him room A girl was try
ing to make the dog behave. So he
had a chance to look her over before
the battle for sovereignty should be-
gin.
There was a little shock of disdain-
full surprise to 20 with the first glance.
Somehow he had been expecting some
thing very different; something on the
order of the Queen of Sheba-done
small, of course-as that parsonage
was pictured in the family Bible-a
girl, proud and scornful, and possibly
wearing a silk dress and satin shoes.
Instead, she was only a pale, tired
baby in a brier-torn frock; girl
whose bones showed brazenly at every
angle, and whose only claim to sec
ond glance lay in her thick mop OF
reddish brown hair and in pair OF
great, slate-blue eyes two sizes too
large for the thin face. double con-
clusion came and sat in Thomas JEFF
fersons mind: she was rather to be
contemptuously pitied than feared;
and as for looks-well she was not to
be thought of in the same day with
black-eyed Nan Bryerson. When the
dog was reduced to Quietude. the small
one repaid Thomas Jefferson's stare
with level gaze out of the diversified
eyes.
Was it that you were afraid Of
Hector" she asked.
)"Huh!" said Thomas Jefferson. and
the scorn was partly for her queer way
of speaking and partly for the foolish
ness of the question. Huh! I reckon
you don't know who / am. I'd have
killed your dog If he'd jumped on me,
maybe"
You are Thomas Gordon. Your
mother took care of me and prayed
for me when I was sick. Hector Is
-an extremely good dog. He would
not jump at you"
IT'S mighty lucky for him he didn't"
Dragged Thomas Jefferson, with very
creditable imitation of his fathers
grim frown. Then he sat down on the
bank of the stream and busted himself
with his fishing-t tackle as If he consid-
cred the incident closed.
What is it that you are trying to
do?" asked Ardea, when the silence
had extended to the third worm i'm
paled on the hook and promptly alb
stracted therefrom by willy sucker
lying at the bottom of the pool.
Il was fishin' some before you and
your dog came along and scared all
the perch away" he said, sourly. Then
turning suddenly on her: why don't
you go ahead and say it? Is it cause
you're afeard toy"
II know what you're going to say:
you are going to tell me this is your
grandfather's land and run me off. But
I amt amin to go till I'm good and
ready"
You are such funny boy" she re-
marked, and there was something in
her way Of saying 1t that made Thorn
as Jefferson feel little and infantile
nd oh he 81.
must be. an immense age difference n
his favor. Il think you are mean.
meant" she sobbed, with an angry
stamp of her foot. tt want to 60
ho-ome!"
well, reckon there amt anybody
holdin' you." said Thomas Jefferson.
brutally. He was intent on fixing the
sixth worm on the hook in such FASH
ION as permanently to discourage the
bait thief. and was coming to his own
in the matter OF self-possession with
grateful facility. 1t was going to be
notably easy to bully her-another
point Of difference between her and
Nan Bryerson.
Il know there isn't anybody holding
me, but-but can't fnd the way"
you want me to show your" he
asked, putting all the ungraciousneSa
he could muster into the query.
"You might tell me, should think.
I've walked and walked!"
II reckon I'd better take you; you
might get lost again" he said, with
gloomy sarcasm. Then he consumed
all the time he could for the method
cal disposal Of his fishing tackle. II
would be good for her to learn that
she must wait on his motions.
re- 80 -