Omaha daily bee., 1910-07-03

in the journey, 1 should not recommend
the attempt"
81 know some people" said she, lat the
Yupon Hedge Inn at Palmetto Beach Can
you"
''If we go at once" he replied, you may
be there for dinner"
81 am ready" said she, rising. Let US
go, please Immediately"
There were few preparations to make.
Captain Harrod led the way. easte;ly
alongshore to a spot where the scrub grew
well down toward the beaten beach. A
long squsre-hewn timber lay half-rotted
and sunk in the sand; and on this, like
persons striving to conceal their trail, they
walked back between clumps OF dark-green
rosemary, over a low place in the dunes.
down to the dry, hard bottom of a former
pool, under a thicket of scrub-oaks so
dense that the Roc or any OF her tribe
might have secuted for them in vain,
among black ponds fringed with wiry bent
grass, past ghostly clumps of tall pines,
and, finally, through a dense tangIe OF
psrsimmon, palmetto, thorny hack and-De-
damned and low-glowing cedar, they
emerged upon little north-looking hillocS
crowned with ma3nolias. cedars, hickories
and live oaks. and looked forth upon q
strange tarn of inky water, rIdging SOM
berly IN the north wind, its black waves
crested with foam, like white plumes on
funeral crepe. The shores of this sinister
lake were densely wooded by sullen ranks
OF pines and Expresses standing like sour
faced soldiery knee-deep in swamp. Fir-
ginia gasped at sight Of the somber mere
it seemed such an eery spot in which to
be cast away with these strange men who
lived behind closed doors and walked the
sands 80 as to leave no footprints Surely,
her worst suspicious $50
Haul out the launch captain"
Why was the trim, speedy-looking launch
20 completely hidden al the tail cane
Tie puldoos pudding in the reeds made
sounds Ike proving accomplices Virginia
was trembling to be off as Carson wons
obosfd and inspected the engines with the
air OF an expert.
And now, madam" said he, Iii you will
Do me the honor TO step aboard"
She turned to the captain, who, holding
the painter, stood with one bare foot in
the water. the other planted hardly among
the sharp shells on shore
81 want to thank YOU" said she. offering
him her hand, "for your delicious cookery
-snd all your kindness to me-"
"Yo kindly welcome" returned the cap
tain, bowling over her hand. ITS been a
pioasu an a privilege to suhve you,
ma'sm; but the cookin wasn't mine,
mann"
1T was delicious whosever il was she
said throwing q little smile al Mr.. car
son.
ANN sorry" resumed the captain,
about that ere medicine. II il seemed a
leeue too strong . 90
Miss suareEs remembering the waltz
swept haughtily 30 her place in the boat
Carson with his eye steadfastly fixed or
his engine. quickly showed off.
''Evenln' to yeh," said the captain, still
with one foot in the water, like a heron.
Good evening" responded the young
man.
Virginia said nothing. Carson, stealing a
look at her, saw the flush dying out upor
her face and smile taking its places
dimpling. spssmodie smile, accompanied by
little quick dilations OF the nostrils, as II
Miss susrez was DESTROYS OF indulgi7g In
laugh. but saw citable reason for so doing
She waved her handkerchief at the captain
do you see" said Carson, pointing tC
the recedlns shore that the little hill a.
the landing Is just a mass Of shells?'
"Why so It Is, believe she exclaimed
How came so many there?"
ITS a prehistoric kitchen-midden," sale
this most extraordinary young pirate SO
many. people lived there that they literally
made hill Of the shells OF the mollusIO
they ate
Indeed CALCULATED Virginia, and afte'
a long pause she added. how odd!'
Mentally. her speech was: "How ODD
that this young outcast should know aoou
archaeological IL II palaeontology? II wal
easy 20 study him. he looked so religiously
away from her. He was rather interesting
II she really had said those things 10 MN
and waltzed with him. what a dreadful
thing II wasl But how much more fine and
ehivalrous he had been, in view Of mel
own behavior. OF course. II he was &
crminal-one owed a duty to society; but
ought she 10 allow him 20 enter the rsaIu'
OF action Of the authorities? He must b
more slnned against by society than SIN
ning--his profile was 50 perfect-and nov
fine and soft his mustache looked. HoW