The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1910-01-13
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truders were to be seen. nor other ev
6ence Of their visit. but the mere fac
that the sanctity Of my home-hithert
always left open to the winds-had bee
invaded, angered me. babe Charles sc
that the house was securely locked here
after whenever he left il In my sbsencs
Over the mantel In my den hung tw'
uusksts. out-ofdate but still capable o
boring holes In the atmosphere. My it'll
armory held shotgun, for use In tn
marshes. and two revolvers. whose onl,
use heretofore had been for target prsc
fice. I took them from the drawer an<
looked them over; they were ready fol
work when needed.
! sat on the porch. and considered thu
situation Something was about to hap
pen. something-I could not tell what
that csntsred around this man who had
mysteriously taken possession Of the
Ship and proposed to offer combat on
the sands What be was or who be was
could not guess speculation In these lines
brought me immediately into blind al
legs; but there was no doubt that In sit
nation and character be was certainly
the direct descendant of more adyen-
turous age I was Enthusiastically drawn
to him could see him as be stood on
the beach. buffeted by the storm. gazing
at the men who were pulling away, and
~ be had stepped from the hatchway, hat
In hand. bowling to Barbara Graham with
the chiTalrous manner Of cavalier. and
again as he sat across the table from me,
his slender hands ready to seize upon the
pistols. his eyes. full Of amusement and
kudacity. looking straight into mine.
There was no doubt about It. the Ship
belonged to him BY right Of Inheritance.
and his arrival had brought me strange
tidings- thought over the matter a long
time before / went to bed.
Early the next morning l took ny dip
In the sea. and was returning. clad IN
bath-robe. when / caught sight Of a man
peering at me from the pines waved
my towel, and be disappeared As was
finishing dressing, a little later. stepped
out upon my balcony. aud I saw the same
man, much nearer now. gazing intsntIy at
he cottage. i hate spies. 50 spoke
somewhat angrily.
Hi, there What do you want7"
;ried. reckoning TO him
He came forward rather sheepingly,
md touched bis hat
Il was only taking look at your
ouse. SIR"
And is that what you we're doing some
Fenty minutes ago7"
Yes. sir: that's all I was doing" Il
-Are you an archifestT' I demanded
He wore a plain blue suit, with an
d straw hat, and might have been al
'ost anything.
he smiled ''No. 1 was merely look
ig about TO see what there was to see.
here wasn't any harm meant"
There isn't any harm done, but, then,
here isn't anything to see I'm not
cry partial to sight-seers. especially when
icy hide behind trees. II there's any
ling you want to ask me about, speak
Ut"
BE hesitated a moment "A stranger ,
tall man who speaks French-hasn't /
topped at your house. has hesr
NO. Is be pal Of yoursT
The man grinned. Not exactly. Well. :
won't trouble you any more. Good
orning-"
At breakfast again cautioned Charles
, remember that he knew nothing. Ii
l could do no work in my present state {
mind, SO slung my feld-gIasses over ]
y shoulder and went to call on Dupon-
,au. he was sitting at the cabin table 7
on the remains OF our last !
Ights supper Ny heart smote me. 4
why didn't you let me know7 could b
i've brought you breakfast" IL
ut matters little: yesterday I obtained q
me food from a farmer, but that Is too a
He smiled I'm quite used =
doing with little"
sat down while he finished breakfast q
ter that we walked the short length Of
} cabin, Duponceau asking me a great b
my questions about the coast and the
intry inland / told him what I could. o.
he seemed satisfied. Then / decided 81
take my easel and paints and go up on b
} cliff above the Ship to paint Il can II
- good lookout from there of the Il
-ther beach," / said. Zone can sweep y,
thoroughly from the cliff with a pair st
glasses" n
settled down on the cliff. and for baH S
hour forgot everything but the scene al
front Of me. At the end Of that time fe
looked mp the distant beach with my
'sses- Some one was sitting there, half hi
y up l studied the figure and decided
at i was a woman, no other than Bar 50
ra Graham.
Pride Is a curious quality. Sometimes IN
viii not even last overnight. Ny one ha
sire now was to have few words with an
ss Graham, 80 I left my easel as II co
cd, and went towards her. sis
She was half lying. half sitting. IN the tit
Z sand, some Of which she had moulded we
o cushion for her back, and a book Viz
open at her side. but she was not We,
ding. She was gazing at the sea. ca,
What do you think Of our plrateTv to
'he started, looked round at me, sat
and clasDed her knees with her hands. IN,
It down on the sand beside her. der
I was just thinking Of him. was .
king that Ike him Tremendously ash
Naturally. He rescued you from
disagreeable fellow" fue
Yes" she agreed, without looking at Ian
and q girl ssn never forget debt or
ratitude for that sort OF thing q
must apologize" I said, for my "
ness OF course It was no business a
line whose portrait you had In your you
t." l