Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1913-01-18

and especially what treat it had been
to have him as a guest
He left the big house as soon as he
could without giving offense. and
| started back toward the parsonage.
| But the afternoon was so fine and the
early summer air so delightful that
he changed his mind and, jumping the
fence at the foot of Cannon Hill. set
off across the fields toward the bluffs
| and the bay shore.
The sun was low in the west as he
entered the grove of pines on the bluff
The red light between the boughs
made brilliant carpet patterns on the
thick pine needles and the smell was
balsamy and sweet. Between the tree
trunks he caught glimpses OF the
flats, now partially covered. and they
reminded him of his narrow escape
and of Nat Hammond, his rescuer.
Thinking of the Hammond family
reminded him of another member of
it. Not that he needed to be remind
ed; he had thought of her often
| enough since she ran away from him
in the rain that night. And then he
saw her. She was standing just at the
outer edge of the grove, leaning
against tree and looking toward the
! sunset. She wore a simple white dress
and her hat hung upon her shoulders
by its ribbons. The rosy light edged
| the white gown with pink and the
fringes of her dark hair were crinkly
lines of fire. Her face was grave, al
most sad.
John Ellery stood still, with one foot
uplifted for a step. The girl looked
out over the water and he looked at
her Then a crow, one of several
whirling above the pines, spied the in
truder and screamed a warning. The
minister was startled and stepped
back A dead limb beneath his foot
cracked sharply. Grace turned and
saw him.
OH" she cried "'Who is it,"
Ellery emerged from the shadow.
Don't be frightened, Miss Van
Horne" he said. 1T is-erI."
You came to see the sunset,
suppose?" she said hurriedly, as il to
head off a question. $50 did l. 1t is
a beautiful evening for walk, isn't
it?"
She had said precisely the same
thing on that other evening, when
they stood in the middle of Ham
mond's Turn-off'' in the driving rain.
He remembered it, and so. evidently,
|
smiled.
Il mean 1t this time she said. I'm
glad you didn't get cold from your
wetting the other day
~~"Ohi / wasn't very wet You
wouldn't let me lend you the umbrella,
so had that to protect me on the way
home"
Not then; 1 meant the other morn
| W Naf-Con'r ,<,f
you on the flats. He said you were
wading the main channel and It was
over your boots"
1T was worse than that, a good deal
worse. 1t might have been my last
cruise. I'm pretty certain that / owe
the captain my life. That part of the
channel / proposed swimming was ex-
actly where two men have been
drowned, SO people say. I'm not a
very strong swimmer, and they were.
So, you see"
Grace cried out in establishment
"Oh!" she exclaimed. Then point
ing toward the bay, she asked: 'Out
there, by the end of that leader, was
it?"
Yes, that was it"
She drew a long breath. Then, after
a moment:
joke" she said.
mo doubt he did. From what hear
Of your brother, he generally refers to
| his own plucky. capable actions as
jokes Other people call them some
thing else
He isn't my brother" she inter
rupted absently. Il wish he was"
She sighed as she uttered the last
sentence
brother; 1 forgot But he must seem
like one"
YES" rather doubtfully.
You must be proud of him.
81 am" there was nothing doubtful
this time.
Miss Van Horne! What did your
uncle say about Cap'n Mats meeting
me the other day?'
Uncle Eben doesn't know. Nat
didn't tell anyone but me. He doesn't
boast And uncle would be glad he
helped you. As 1 told you before, Mr..
Ellery, I'm not ashamed of my uncle.
He has been SO good to me that 1 new
er can repay him. neveri When my
own father was drowned he took me
in, a little orphan that would prob
ably have been sent to a home. When
he needed money most he said nothing
to me, but insisted that / should be
educated I didn't know until after
wards OF the self-sacrifice my four
years at the Middleboro Academy
meant to him.