Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1913-07-16
A GIRL In A
WINDOW
She Could See. but Not
Be Seen
By ELLEN d. MORTON

ty-sixth part OF the year. which EN-
ployers consider a sufficient proportion
between work and play for their EN-
ployees-at the seashore. Older per
sons. who have been hard worked fol
a long period desire rest. The yo1ng
dread such spending of vacation
Kirkland was twenty years old and
devoted TO boating. He owned wher.
ry that looked like thin grasshop
per. the outrigging and oars standing
for the wings and legs. 1t was his
self about In this topply affair instead
of forcing some other animal or some
machine to do the work, as man dou-
BILE his age would be inclined to do.
AT Ocean Beach, where Kirkland
spent his vacation. there were inlets
and when the wind was off shore an
the water still he did not hesitate to
60 outside. Besides hotels. there were
cottages ali along the shore. and in
than lurked danger for fine looking
muscular young men from pretty
young girls.
y In one OF these cottages on a point
of land made by an inlet and the
ocean dwelt one of these dangers, Miss
Edith Birney. She was of dangerous
age--eighteen--a dangerous disposition.
and about her was a dangerous at
mosphere. One morning from behind
curtains She saw stalwart young fell
low in light boating apparel, display
ing fine biceps, pulling past her sum
mer house out into the ocean Taking
a marine glass, she brought 1t TO bear
on the boatman and saw that he was
comely. Watching him. she saw him
row to where a light swell was rolling.
and he looked very attractive out
there, rocked in the cradle of the
deep"
Kirkland sported on the surface of
the water for an hour: then slowly and
gracefully his sweeps brought him back
into the inlet.
In nature constant warfare goes
on. Among nations some use enormous
guns, some are inventing aeroplanes
from which to drop bombs on their
enemies, while others fll their harbors
with mines to destroy ships. Now.
there is also a warfare In love, and
Kirkland, though unconscious of dan
ger. was about to run upon n petard that
might hoist him clean out Of his bache-
Jorhood aud drop him into the slough
of matrimony.
: He was pulling along lazily when
something drifted by him that at
tracted his attention. 1t was bottle
about whose neck was tied a bright
red ribbon-doubtless to catch the eye
and that ii had been placed there by
a woman was evident from the fact
that il had been tied in a bowknot.
Kirkland backed water. took up the
bottle and saw that il was tightly cork
ed. with bit of white paper inside.
Taking out the cork. he managed with
the aid of a fshhook to extract the
paper. On one side was written. I'VE
are lost" 1t would perhaps have been
more to the point If the words had
been. you are lost" On the other
side were two letters. E r.. and a
strand Of very fair hair. almost white
hair. was folded in a smaller bit of
paper within the larger one.
When Kirkland read the words awe
are lost" he at once concluded that be
had picked up a message from some
ship that had gone down. but when
he noticed the initials and saw the
strand of fine hair he was puzzled
The hair was undoubtedly that Of a
woman, and a woman about TO &c
down to the bottom of the ocean is
not likely to put her initials on paper
with lock OF her hair. She would be
more likely Ia write her full name
with a farewell message to loved ones
far away.
While Kirkland sat in the boat try
ing to deciphef this message from the
sea pair OF eyes behind dou-
bic barreled gun of aluminium and
glass. protected by an embankment OF
lace curtains. We're aimed straight al
him. Unconscious of any lurking enc
my, he was right in the line of fire
The girl behind the gun seemed to TAX,
an inexpressible delight in his ap
parent surprise. and when he carefully
folded the paper about the lock of hail
and slipped II into his canvas shoe h,
had no poeket-her face broke into {
smile of triumph. Then the young mar
pulled away toward his boathouse.
There is peculiar stupidity abou
most very young men as TO the trick
and the manners of the opposite sex
Kirkland had no more idea that th'
bottle he had picked up had beel
thrown into the water purposely 70
him than be bad that the thrower. in
stead Of being out at sea. was watch
ing him from house few hundred
yards away. Nevertheless there wa
a sentiment about that lock of hair
and he was not so obtuse as not Il
suppose that the initials E. 3. referret
to the owner But that the lock hat
been cut from the head Of prett.
girl purposely for him was furthes
from his thoughts.
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