The Jackson herald., 1910-01-27

tne pier planklnS, ne glanced up, tnen
rose and asked the stranger his bust.
ness.
The man shook his head
'If you have business 1t must be at
the house; the road is in the other d.
rection," and lima pointed TO the
wood. but the stranger remained
stubbornly on the edge of the pier.
now stepped out of The wood and
walked down to the pier.
What do you want here?" I de-
manded, sharply.
The man touched his hat, smiled,
and shook his head. The broad hand
he lifted in salute was that of la
borer. and its brown back was tat.
tooed. He belonged, judged, to one
of the dark Mediterranean races. and
| tried him in Italian.
These are private grounds; you
will do well to leave here very quick.
ly." said.
saw his eyes light as I spoke the
words slowly and distinctly. but he
waited until had finished, then shook
his head.
was sure he had understood, but as
addressed him again, ordering him
from the premises, he continued to
shake his head and grin foolishly.
Then / pointed toward the road.
Go; and it will be best for you not
to come here again!" l said. and, after
saluting, he walked slowly away into
the wood, with a sort of dogged inso.
lence in his slightly swaying gait. At
a nod from me lima stole after him
while I waited. and In a few minutes
the boy came back and reported that
the man had passed the house and
left the grounds by the carriage en-.
trance, turning toward Annandale.
With my mind on Gillespie put OF
In the launch. determined TO study the
lake geography. ! have, hope, a soul
for landscape. and the soft bubble OF
water, the lush reeds in the shadows,
the rapidly moving panorama of field
and forest. the glimpses of wild flow
ers, and the arched blue above. were
restful TO mind and heart. II seemed
shameful that the whole world was
not afloat: then. as | reflected that an.
other boat in these tranquil waters
would be an impertincnce that ]
should resent, / was aware that | had
been thinking of Helen Holbrook all
the while; and the thought of this ir.
ritatcd me so that ! criticised lima
most unjustly for running the launch
close to a bowldor that rose like a
miniature Gibraltar near the shadowy
shore we were skirting.
We gained the ultimate line of the
lower lake, and followed the shore in
search of its outlet. pleasingly set
down on the map as Tippecanoe creek,
which ran of and Joined somewhere
river of like name. The lakes wa
tiers ran away, like truant child,
through a woody cleft, and in a mo-
ment we were as clean quit of the
lake as though II did not exist. After
a few rods the creek began to twist
and turn as though with the intention
of making the voyager earn his way.
In the narrow channel the beat of our
engine rang from the shores rebuklng-
| ly, and soon. as a punishment for dis
turbing the peace of the little stream,
we grounded on a sand.bar.
This seems to be the head Of navi-
cation. lima. believe this creek
was made for canoes, not battle.
| ships
Between us we got the launch of,
and landed on a convenient log and
crawled up the bank TO observe the
| country. / followed a stake-andrider
fence, half hidden In vines of various
sorts, and tramped along the bank, with
the creek still singing its tortuous way
below at my right hand. Soon the
rail fence gave way to barbed wire;
| the path broadened and the under
brush was neatly cut away. Within
lay small vegetable garden, care.
fully titled; and farther on | saw a
dark green cottage almost shut in by
beeches. The path dipped sharply
down and away from the cottage, and
a moment later | had lost sight OF It;
but below, at the edge of tlse creek,
stood a long houseboat with an eX.
| tended platform or deck on the water.
side.
can still feel, as ! recall the day
and hour, the utter peace of the scene
when first | came upon that secluded
spot: The melodious flow of the
creek beneath; the futter of hominG
wings; even the hum of insects in the
sweet, thymy air. Then a step farther
and came to gate which opened on
a fight of steps that led to the house
beneath; and through the intervening
tangle | saw man sprawled at ease
In steamer chair on the deck, his
arms under his head. AS ! watched
him he sighed and turned restlessly
and | caught a glimpse OF close
| trimmed beard and short. thin. slight.