The Columbus journal., 1910-12-21
CHAPTER xxvIi.-Continued.

CHATTER xxvii.-Continued.
And when the endless meal was
over. and yards of whit" wells had
been tied over pounds OF haIr-or Is
it, too. bought by the yard?-and
some eight ensembles with their an
jec: compliments had been packed
into three automobiles amd trap.
drew long breath and faced about
/ had just then only one object in lie
to find Alison. to assure her OF my
absolute faith and confidence III her.
and to offer my help and my poor
Self, if she would let me. in her
service.
She Was not easy 10 find. | searched
the lower floor, tn" Vcranda and the
grounds, circumsp"ctly. Then ! ran
into d iirt',. English girl wh" turned
out to be her maid. and Nh" also Was
searching. She was concerned be
cause her mistress had no dinner. and
because the tray OF food she carried
would soon be cold. | took III" tray
from her. on the glimps" al SOMETHING
white on the shore. and that MAS how
i 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 AT her feet. aud the
draperieS of her white Gown melted
hazily into the sands. She looked like
O wrath. Respondent phantom of
the sea. although the adjective is re-
dundant. Nobody ever thinks %
cheerful phantom. Strangely enough,
considering her evident sadness. she
was whistlins softly to herself. over
and over, some dreary little minor air
that sounded like bohemian dIrse.
She glanced up quickly when | made
q misstep and my dishes jingled. All
considered. the tray Was ont of the
0Rcture: the sea, the misty starlight,
the girl, with her beauty-eyen the
cad little whistle that stopped now
and then to go bravely on again. us
though it fought against the odds of
q trembling lip. And then | came.
accompanied by a tray of little silver
dishes that jingled and an mnmistak-
able OdOr Of broiled chicken.
oh" she said quickly: ard then.
Soh! i thought you were Jenkins"
Timeo Donaos-whats the rest of
it," l asked. wondering my offering.
You didn't have any dinner. you
know" l sat down beside her. See,
I'll be the table What was the old
fairy tale? Little goat bleat: little
table appear I'm perfectly willing
to be the goat, too
She was laughing rather tremu-
lousy.
We never do meet like other peo-
pie, do we9" she asked. we really
ought TO shake hands and say how
are you"
Il don't want to meet you like other
people. and ! suppose YOU always
think of me as wearing the other fell
bows clothes" ] returned meekly.
ia doing it again: l don't seem to
De fbfe to help it. These are Grang-
er's TIN. have Oh now
She threw hack her head and
laughed again. jo5ously, this time.
"Oh. its so ridiculous" she said.
land you have never seen me when |
was not eating. It's too prosaic,'
(which reminds me that the chick
On is getting cold. and the ice warm
I suggested. Al the time. thought
there could be no place better than
the farm house kitchen-bu' this is
I ordered all this for something
want to say to you-the sea. the
sand, the stars"
How alliterative you are" she
said, trying to be fippant You are
not to say anything until ] have had
my supper Look how the things are
spilled around"
! But she ate nothing. after all. and
pretty soon l put the tray down in
the sand. | said little: there was no
hurry. We were together. and time
meant nothing against that age-iong
wash of the sea. The air blew her
hair in small damp curls against her
face, and little by little the tide re-
treated. leaving our boat an oasis in
a waste of gray sand.
eli seven maids with seven mops
swept it for halt a year
Do YOU suppose the wairus said. that
they could get il clear?
she threw at me once when she
must have known was going to
speak. | held her hand. and "a long
as merely held it she let il lie warm
IN mine. But when raised il to my
lips, and kissed the soft. open palm,
sbe drew il away without displeaSure.
Not that. please. she protested,
and fell to Whistlins softly again. her
chin in her hands. Il can't sing. she
said. to break an awkward pause.
land so. when I'm fidgety. or have
something Oil my mind, ! whistle.
--pe you don't dislike it,
Il love it" | asserted warmly. l
did: when she pursed her lips like
mat Was mad to kiss them.
l saw yOu-at the station. she
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