The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1913-11-27

square in the eye, flung out his hand
struck my open palm smartly against
his. in the Breton fashion; then we
clasped hands.
"Strike!" he cried; take my friend
ship If you want it, on this condition
what l am is my own concern. not
yours. Don't interfere, msieu; it
would be useless. | should never be-
tray you, but | might kill you. Don't
interfere. But if you care for the good
will Of man like me, take it; and
when you desire a service from me,
tell me, and I'll not fail you, by Sainte-
Eline OF Paradise!"
He turned on his heel, kicking OF
his sabots on the doorsill Break
bread with me; ask It," he said, gruff-
ly. and walked before me into the
house.
From the ashes on the hearth a
spiral of smoke curled. The yellow
cat walked in and sat down, contem-
plating the ashes
Slowly a saffron light filled the
room; Jacqueline awoke in the dim
bed.
She swathed herself in a blanket and
sat up. looking at me sleepily
You came to see me swim" she
said.
And I've brought you a fish's sill
yer skin to swim in,' | replied, point
ing at the satchel
She cast a swift glance at her ia
Their. who, with the gun on his knees.
sat as though hypnotized by the beauty
of its workmanship. Her bright eyes
fell on the gun; she understood in a
fash.
Turn your back" she cried.
| wheeled about and sat down on
the settle beside the poacher. There
came a light thud of 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-like
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 word she went to work
so swiftly that the pink light had
scarcely deepened to crimson when
the poacher, laying the gun tenderly
in the blankets of Jacqueline's tumbled
bed, came striding back to the table
where sea-trout smoked on cracked
platter, and bowl of bread and milk
stood before each place.
We ate silently. Ange Pitou, the
yellow cat, came around with tail in
flated. There were 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 it among your
selves. He touched his beret to me,
flung the fowling piece over his shout
der, and walked away.
Jacqueline placed the few dishes in
pan of hot water, wiped her fingers,
daintily, and picked up Ange Pitou.
Show me the swimming suit" she
said, shyly
I drew it out of the satchel and laid
it across my knees.
"Oh, it has little tail behind-like
fish," she cried, enchanted. Il shall
look like the silver grilse of Quinn
perle!"
DO you think you can swim in those
scales?" | asked
Swim? I-Jacqueline? Attended,
un peu-you shall sect"
She opened her arms; the cat sprang
to the doorstep and vanished
Jacqueline looked at the swimming
suit, then at me. will you go down
to the beach, M'sieu Scarlett?"
But ] had not traversed half the
strip OF rock and hard sand before
something few pasta slim, glittering
shape which suddenly doubled up,
Strengthened again, and fell headlong
into the laundering surf
After 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" she cried, fiinging her arms
above her head, and dropped into
space, falling like star, down, down
into the shallow sea. Far below saw
a 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, quivering like a gated sal