The Washington times., 1913-02-28
CHAPTER XI.-(Continued.)

! hl~NNlNT Will dTluecu
ton Of his own perverse
NJ sophistry. he turned over on
his side and struck out in the
| wake of the fast-dwindling motorboat.
He had over q mile to CO. but such a
| distance was not dismaying to a SWIM
n1er of Whitaker's quality. who had all
, his life been on very friendly terms
| with the sea. f--
No one held a watch on him, but
| when at length he waded ashore he
! was complacent in the knowledge that
he had made very good time.
He found the motorboat moored in
shallow water at the end of a long
substantial dock. The name displayed
In letters OF brass on its stern was
Trouble. Whitaker paused waist-deep
10 lean over the side and inspect the
| cockpit The survey drew from him an
expression Of approval The boat SEEM
| ed to be handsomely appointed. and the
motor exposed by the open hatch of
the engfne-pit was OF a make synony-
| nous with speed and reliability. He
patted the tanks of the vessel as he
waded on.
Good little boat" said he.
A weather-beaten signboard on the
dock advertised a surf-bathng station
Ashore a plank walk crossed first a
breadth of sedge marsh, and then pene-
| the submits Of the latter cut the sky
there were visible a series Of angular
and unlovely wooden edif1ces.
Whitaker climbed up on the walk
| and made seaward. He saw nothing of
the lady in the motorboat.
In fact, for some time he saw nothing
in human guise. From other indica-
tons he was inclined to conclude that
the bathing station was either closed for
the season or else had been permanent
nad wit In
was notable absence Of rowboats and
sailing craft about the dock, with as
ne drew nearer to the shuttered and
desolate array of bath houses an equal
ly remarkable lack Of bathing garments
and towels hung out TO dry.
Walking rapidly. he wasn't long in
| covering his stretch from shore to shore.
Very soon he stood at the head of a
rude flight of wooden steps which ran
| down from the top of a wave-beaten
| sand bluff, some ten or twelve feet in
height, to the broad and gently shelly
ing ocean beach. Whipping in from
the sea- a brisk breeze, from which the
| rising lay Of dunes had heretofore
sheltered him, cooled his dripping bath
ing suit not altogether pleasantly But
he didn't mind. The sight of the surf
rewarded him.
He had long since been aware of its
recent diepason. betokening a heavy sea
but the spectacle was one whose beauty
w
caps broke the iustrous blue clear to its
serrated horizon. Inshore the tide was
low; the broad and glistening expanse
OF wet sand mirrored the tender blue
breakers weltered in confusion of sap
phire, emerald and snow.
A mile ofshore fishing smack with
a cfosee-reefed patch of purple sail was
making heavy weather Of it; miles be-
yond It again an inward bound ocean
xt shin sbnlldared
temptuously. and little way of to the
east a multitude of Gulls with fash
ing pinions were wheeling and darting
and screaming above something in the
sea, presumably a school OF FISH
Midway between the sand-bluff and
the breaking waters stood the woman
Whitaker had followed. fThere wasn't
any use mincing terms; he had follow
ed her in his fatuous curiosity) Her
face was to the sea, her hands clasped
behind her. Now the wind modelled her
cloak swectly to her body. now whipped
its skirts away, disclosing her legs.
straight and slender. and graciousy
modelled. She was dressed. il seemed.
for lonely bout with the surf. and.
having found il dangerously heavy
now stood in disappointment but thrill
ed and fascinated by the majestic
beauty Of TIE lnfuriated sea.
Whitaker turned to go. his inquisitfve
ness appeased, but he was aware of
an annoying sense Of shame, which he
considered rather unfair Of his consci-f =
ence. True. he had followed her: true
that he had watched her at a moment
when she had every reason to believe
herself alone with the sky, and the
sand. and the sea, and the squabblin.
gulls: but-the beach was free to all:
there was no harm done: he hadn't
meant to spy upon her. and he had TO
intention of forcing himself upon her
consciousness
Intentions. however. are one thing.
accidents another. History 10 mainly