Rock Island Argus., 1913-06-13

ty-SlXth part OF Ine year. WHICH em-
ployers consider a sufficient proportion
between work and play for their en-
ployees-at the seashore Older per-
sons. who have been hard worked for
a long period. desire rest The young
dread such a spending OF vacation.
Kirkland was twenty years old and
devoted to boating He owned a wher-
~ that looked like a thin grasshop-
per. the outrigging and oars standing
for the wings and legs. 1t was his
pleasurable anticipation TO pull him.
self about in this topply affair instead
of forcing some other animal or some
machine to do the work, as a 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 OF shore and
the water still he did not hesitate to
go outside. Besides hotels, there were
cottages all along the shore. and in
them lurked danger for fine looking.
muscular young men from pretty
young girls.
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 fel.
low in light boating apparel, display
ing fine biceps, pulling past her sum-
mer house out into the ocean. Taking
marine glass, she brought 1t to bear
on the boatman and saw that he was
comely. Watching him. she saw him
row to where 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 a constant warfare goes
on. Among nations some use enormous
guns, some are inventing aeroplanes
from which to drop bombs on their
enemies, while others fill 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 petard that
might hoist him clean out of his bache-
lorhood and drop him into the slough
of matrimony.
He was pulling along lazlly when
something drifted by him that at
tracted his attention. 1t was a bottle
about whose neck was tied a bright
red ribbon-doubtless to catch the eye
and that it had been placed there by
woman was evident from the fact
that it had been tied in bowknot.
Kirkland backed water. took up the
I,bottle and saw that 1t was tightly cork
ed. with bit of white paper inside.
Taking out the cork. he managed with
the aid of 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. q. B.. 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 1--WE
|
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 go
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 to write her full name.
with a farewell message to loved ones
far away.
While Kirkland sat in the boat try
ing to decipher this message from the
sea a pair of eyes behind dou-
bic barreled gun of aluminium and
glass, protected by an embankment OF
lace curtains. were aimed straight al
him. Unconscious of any lurking enc
my. he was right in the line of ere
, The girl behind the gun seemed TO take
an inexpressible delight In his ap
. parent surprise. and when be carefully
folded the paper about the lock of halr
and slipped IL into his canvas shoe-he
had no pocket-her face broke into O
smile OF triumph. Then the young mar
pulled away toward his boathouse
There is a peculiar stupidity abou
; most very young men as TO the tricks
I and the manners Of the opposite sex
! Kirtland had 10 more idea that tn,
} bottle he had picked up had beer
thrown into the water purposely 70
! him than he had that the thrOwer. in
stead of being out Mt sea, was watch
} ing him from house few hundred
3 yards away. Nevertheless there wa
a sentiment about that lock OF hair
and he was not so obtuse as not 4
suppose that the initials e. B. referred
, TO the owner. But that the lock haC
r been cut from the head of a prett.
girl purposely for him was furthes
from his thoughts.
E That very night at n dance at one o
D the hotels he noticed q girl dressed II
garments 50 pure and spotless ant
white and simple that no one worlt
have supposed she would be capable o
! lassoing a pet lamb And KirtlaD.
was especially struck with the fac
v that her hair was go light that II We
!. almost white. Indeed. 1t was exact
, the shade Of the lock be had found 4