Gilpin observer., 1911-06-15

it was, waiting, suppose. to lend
their next Christmas"
The girl rose from her seat beside
him and going over to the window.
stood for a while gazing up the
beach
1t was just about the same time in
the afternoon that it had been yester-
day when he set out. awning. to find
her, and had come flying down out Of
the sky to drive away the sudden
nameless terror which had beset her.
That thought led him, now to visua-
lie some sticks of wood, rather too
large to carry. which had been lying
on the beach near where he had found
her. Thinking that 1t would be .
good time to get them and drag them
in. he got harpoon line. and 1t was
the girls question what he meant to
do with the rope. which caused him to
tell her what part of the beach he in
tended to visit. He asked her then II
she cared to come with him, but, after
moments hesitation, she declined.
1T will be high time for supper be-
fore you can get back" she said. and
I'd better stay here and get 1t ready,
that is. unless can help YOU"
So he set on alone.
For awhile the occupation of setting
their disordered living room to rights
and getting the supper started were
sufficient to take the whole OF the
girls attention. But later, when 1t was
question merely of waiting for the
pot to boil. and Of not watching It so
that it would boil sooner, she moved
restlessly to the door and stood there,
before the hut. gazing down the beach
In the direction Cayley had taken. He
was already out Of sight around the
headland.
She wished she had gone with
Philip. and she gazed with straining
eyes toward the narrow bit OF slant
ing beach around the base Of the head
land which was the place where he
must appear. He was not. to be ex-
pected yet, not for long time. prob
ably. for his progress, dragging those
great sticks he had set out to bring
home. must be slow.
And then, even as she looked. she
saw him. not moving slowly with his
burden. but running-running at his
topmost speed, like a man in fear OF
something.
lnstinctively she moved forward to
meet him, and this move of hers en-
abled him to see her. He slackened
his pace instantly. and waved her
back toward the hut She obeyed that
imperative gesture of his. without hes
itation. but still remained in the door
way. watching him as he rapidly drew
nearer.
When he had got near enough 80
that she could see his face and read.
more or less. what she saw there. she
again moved forward to meet him,
and this time he did not wave her
back When he came within arms
reach of her. he caught her and held
her tight in his two hands.
What is 1t, Philip" she asked,
searching the depth Of his eyes and
trying to plumb the horror she saw
in them. What happened out there?''
"Nothing-happened But saw
something there that made me anx-
ious for your safety. It's all
right now you're safe. Nothing has
happened here. has there. while have
been gomez"
Nothing. What could have hap
pened. Philip?. 1t can't be anything
that you're afraid to tell me- she
went on. for he had not answered her
There can't be anything you'd be
afraid to tell me now-not after yes
terday."
"oh, no; It's not SO bad as that. but
saw that had been wrong to leave
you. even for that little while. You
see the sight Of the place brought
back to my mind what you had told
me yesterday Of the terror you had
felt there. and Of the thing that you
saw in the twilight And SO looked
frr mn CONTINUATION.