Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-05-29

man-and saying she was disappointed not
to have had Alison there, that she had
promised them a two weeks visit! What
do you make of that? And that isn't the
worst Allie herself wasn't i'll the room
but there were eight other women, and be-
cause Dolly had put belladonna in her
eyes the night before to see how she would
look, and as a result couldn't see anything
nearer than across the room, some one
read the letter aloud to her, and the whole
story is out. One of the cats told Granger
and the boy proposed to Allie today, to
show her that he didn't care tinker's dam
where she had been"
Good boy" ! said, with enthusiasm. 1
liked the Granger felow-since he was out
of the running. But Sam was looking at
me with suspicion.
Blake" he said, If / didn't know you
for what YOU are, I'd say you were in
terested there yourself"
Being so near her under the same roof
with even the tie of dubious secret be-
tween us, was making me heady. 1 pushed
Forbes toward the door.
Il Interested 1 retorted, holding him
by the shoulders. There isn't a word in
your vocabulary to fit my condition. 1 am
an island in a sunlit sea of emotion, Sam,
a-empty place surrounded by longing
"a"
AN empty place surrounded by long
ing!" he retorted. You want your din
ner, that's what's the matter with you"
l shut the door on him then. He seemed
suddenly sordid. Dinner, l thought! AL
though, as a matter of fact, 1 made a
very fair meal when, Changers suit case
not having gone, in his coat and some
other mans trousers, l was finally fit for
the amenities. Alison did not come down
to dinner, SO it was clear she would not
go over to the club house dance. / pied
my injured arm, and a fictitious, vaguely
located sprain from the wreck, as an eX-
cuse for remaining at homo. Sam RECALLED
the table with accounts of my distrust OF
women, my one love affaiT--with Doro-
thy TO which l responded, as was eX-
pected that only my failure there had
kept me single all these years, and that If
Sam should be mysteriously missing dur
ing the bathing hour tomorrow, and so on.
And when the endless meal was over,
and yards OF white wells had been tied over
pounds of hair-or is II, too, bought by
the yard land some eight ensembles with
their abject compliments had been packed
into three automobiles and a trap, / drew
a long breath and faced about. had Just
then only one object in life-to, find Alison,
TO assure her Of my absolute faith and con-
fidenee in her, and to offer my help and
my poor self If she would let me, in her
service.
She was not easy to find l searched
the lower floor, the YeTandas' and the
grounds, circumspectly Then l ran into
a little English girl who turned out to be
her maid, and who also was searching
She was concerned because her mistress
had had no dinner, and because the tray
of food she carried would soon be cold.
took the tray from her, on the glimpse OF
something white on the shore, and thai
was how l met the Girl again.
she was sitting on an overturned boat
her chin in her hands, staring out to sea
The soft tide Of the bay Tapped almost al
her feet, and the drsperies Of her white
gown melted hazily into the sands. She
looked like a wrath Respondent phan
tom Of the sea, although the adjective Is
redundant, Nobody ever thinks of cheer
ful phantom. Strangely enough, consider
ing her evident sadness. she was whisting
softly to herself over and over, some
dreary little minor air that sounded Tx,
a Bohemian dirge. She glanced up quickly
when l made a misstep and my dishes lin
Gled All considered, the tray was out o
the picture: the sea the misty starlight
the girl, and her beauty-even the sac
little whistle that stopped now and ther
to go bravely on again. as though It Tough
against the odds OF a trembling lip. AnC
then | came. accompanied by a tray o.
little silver dishes that iingled and an IN
mistakable odor OF broiled chicken,
oh" she said quickly; and then, "Oh
/ thought you were Jenkins"
"Timeo Danaos-whats the rest Of Il?