The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1913-11-07

~ tIA "NA
fell on the gun; she understood in a
fash.
Turn your back!" she cried.
1 wheeled about and sat down on
the settle beside the poacher. There
came a light thud or small. bare feet
on the stone floor, then silence. The
poacher looked up.
She's gone to the ocean," he said;
she has the mania for baths-llke
you English" And he fell to rubbing
the gunstock with dirty thumb.
The saffron light in the room was
turning pink when JacQueline reap
peared on the threshold in her ragged
skirt and stained velvet bodice half
laced, with the broken points hanging,
carrying an armful OF driftwood.
Without a word she went to work
so swiftly that the pink light had
scarcely deepened to crimson when
the poacher, laying the gun tenderIy
in the blankets OF Jacqueline's turnbied
bed, came striding back to the table
where a sea-trout smoked on a cracked
platter, and a bowl Of bread and milk.
stood before each place.
We ate silently. Ange Pitou, the
yellow cat, came around with tail In
fated. There we're fshbones enough to
crafty any cat, and Ange Pitou made
short work Of them.
The poacher rose, wiped his mouth
with the back OF his hand, and made
straight for his new gun.
You two" he said. with a wave Of
his arm, you settle II among your
selves. He touched his beret to me,
flung the fowllng-plece over his shout
der. and walked away.
Jacqueline placed the few dishes in
a pan Of hot water, wiped her fingers,
daintily. and picked up Ange Pitou.
Show me the swimming suit, she
said. shyly.
/ drew 1t out Of the satchel and laid
it across my knees.
"0h, 1t has a little tail behind-like
a fish, she cried, enchanted. Il shall
ook Ike the silver grilse Of Quinn
3erlep'
DO you think you can swim in those
scales?" / asked.
Swim? I--Jacqueline? Attended,
IN peu-you shall seel"
She opened her arms the cat sprang
20 the doorstep and vanished.
Jacqueiine looked at the swimming
uit, then at me. VIII you 90 down
0 the beach, Msieu ScarlettY
But ] had not trayersed half the
strip Of rock and hard sand before
something few pasta slim, glitteEing
shape which suddenly doubled up,
Strengthened again, and fell headlong
into the laundering surf.
After a long, long while, far out on
the water she rose, floating.
Tossed back once more upon the
beach like an opalescent shell. JAG
queline, ankle-deep in foam, looked out
across the flaming waters. her
drenched hair dripping.
Look" abe cried, finging her arms
above her head, and dropped into
space, falling like a star, down, down
into the shallow sea Far below l saw
q streak Of living light shoot through
the water-on, on, closer to the sur
face now, and at last she fairly sprang
into the air, ~quiyering like a gated sal
mon, then fall back to float and clear
her blue eyes from her tangled hair.
Presently she climbed to the sun.
warmed hillock Of sand and sat down
beside me to dry her hair.
Ange Pitou, coyeting a warm sun.
bath In the sand. came wandering
along pretending not to see us; but
Jacqueline dragged him into her arms
for a hug, which lasted until Ange
Pitou broke loose, tail holsted but ears
deaf to further lattery.
So Jacqueline chased Ange Pitou
back across the sand and up the rocky
path.
Come to the net-shed. If YOU
pleased" she called back to me. point
ing TO a crazy wooden structure built
above the house.
AS l entered the net-ehed the chile
was dragging a pile OF sea-nets to the
middle of the floor.
in case | fall" she said, coolly.
Better let me arrange them, then
/ said, glancing up at the lmprovlset
trapeze which dangled under the root
beams,
She thanked me, seized a long rope
and went up, hand oyer hand. pile'
the soft nets into q mattress, but de
cided to stand near, not liking the al
rangements.
Meanwhile Jacqueline va swinging
head downward, from her trapeze. He
cheeks famed az she twisted and wris
gled through a complicated maneuveI
which ended by landing her seated Of
the bar OF the trapeze a trife out 0
breath.
you think you could. drop fror
there into a tank Of water?" ! asked.
How deepf"
Say four feet"
She nodded, swinging TRANQUILITY.
you would try whatever aske
you to try"
III l thought could" she replied
~naively.