The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1910-02-11

lowed us to the shore and watched our
| departure in silence We swung round
to the western shore and got my ca
| noe and there again the Italian sullen-
ly watched us.
"Hes not SO badly marooned," said
Gillespie. He can walk out over
here
mo, he'll wait for Holbrook. He's
stumped now and doesn't understand
us. He has exhausted his orders and
Is sick and tired of his job. A salt
water sailor loses his snap when he
gets as far inland as this. He'll de-
mand his money when Holbrook turns
up and clear out of this"
We passed close to the Stiletto to
get better look at her. She was the
| trimmest sailing craft in those waters,
and the largest, being, | should say.
81 feet on the water-line, sloop-rigged,
with a cuddy large enough to house
| the skipper. AS we drew alongside /
stood up the better to examine her,
and the Italian, still watching us in
tently from the island, cried out warn
ingly-
He should fly the signal, Owner
not on board" remarked Gillespie as
we pushed off and continued on our
way.
The sun was low in the western
wood as we passed out into the larger
lake. Gillespie took soundings with
his oar in the connecting channel, and
did not touch bottom.
you wouldn't suppose the Stiletto
could get through here; it's as shall
low as a saucepan; but there's plenty
and to spare" he said, as he resumed
rowing.
But it takes cool head began,
then paused abruptly; for there, sew
eral hundred yards away, little back
from the western shore, against strip
of wood through which the sun burned
redly. | saw a man and a woman slow.
ly walking back and forth. Gillespie,
laboring steadily at the oars, seemed
not to see them, and l made no sign.
My heart raced for a moment as
watched them pace back and forth, for
there was something familiar in both
figures. l knew that had seen them
before and talked with them; would
hot fh1
Holbrook and the girl Helen; and
was aware that when they turned,
once, twice. at the ends of the path,
the girl made some delay; and when
they went on she was toward the
lake, as though shielding the man
from our observation. The last sight
l had Of them the girl stood with her
back to us, pointing into the west.
Then she put up her hand to her bare
head as though catching a loosened
strand OF hair; and the wind blew
back her skirts like those Of the
Winged Victory. A second later the
trees stood there alertly, with the gol.
den large Of the sun shining like
giants shield beyond; but they had
gone, and my heart was numb with
foreboding, or loneliness, and heavy
with the weight of things did not un.
derstand.
Gillespie tugged hard with the bur.
den of the tow at his back. l will not
deny that l was uncomfortable as I
thought Of his own affair with Helen
Holbrook. He had, by any fair judg-
ment, a prior claim. Her equivocal
attitude toward him and her mex
plicable conduct toward her aunt were,
| knew, appearing less and less helm.
GUS to me as the days passed; and
was miserably conscious that my own
duty to Miss Patricia lay less heavily
upon me.
was glad when we reached Glen.
arm pier, where we found lima hang.
ing out the lamps. He gave me a tele-
gram. 1t was from my New York &C.
quaintance and read:
Holbrook left here two days ago; desti-
nation unknown.
Come, Gillespie; you are to dine
with me- l said, when he had read the
telegram; and so we went up to the
house together.
(TO BE CONTINUED)