The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1913-06-26
A GIRL IN A
WINDOW
She Could See. but Not
Be Seen
BIZ ELLEN ID. MORTON

..+s...sss-;..s.s.s: $50. :s.s.s.. .s.'..s:'...s
Norman Kirkland spent the two
| weeks-in other words. the one TWEEN
ty-sixth part of the year, which en-
ployers consider 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 spending of vacation.
Kirkland was twenty years old ana
devoted to boating. He owned wher-
nv that looked like a thin grasshop-
per. the outrigging and oars standing
for the wings and legs. 1t was his
peasurable 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 off shore and
the water still he did not hesitate to
90 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-eig hteen-a dangerous disposition,
and about her was dangerous ar
mosphere. One morning from behind
curtains she saw q stalwart young fell
low in light boating apparel display
ing fine biceps, pulling past her sum-
mer house out into the ocean. Taxing
a marine glass, she brought it 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 ont Of his bache-
lorhood and drop him into the slough
of matrimony.
He was pulling along !azlIy when
something drifted by him that at
tracted his attention. 1t was bottle
about whose neck was tied a bright
red ribbon-d6Ilbtl to catch the eye
and that It had been placed there by
woman was evident from the fact
that it had been tied in a bowknot.
Kirkland backed water, took up the
bottle and saw that it was tightly cork
ed. with bit of white paper inside.
Taking out the cork, he managed with
the aid of n ishhOok to extract the
paper On one side was written, I'VE
are lost" 1t would perhaps have been
been, "You are lost" On the other
side we're two letters, Il. r.. and a
strand Of very fair hair, almost white
hair was folded in smaller bit OF
paper within the larger one.
When Kirkland read the words 1--WE
are lost" he ut once concluded that he
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
woman. and woman about to go
down to the bottom Of the ocean is
not likely to put her initials on paper
with n 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 pair Of eyes behind dou-
BILE barreled gun of aluminium and
| SlhnS, 'Ip'''ltll ny an flllbNHhlUtll VI
lace curtains. were aimed straight at
him. Unconscious of any lurking enc
my, he was right in the line Of fire
The girl behind the gun seemed to take
m ineXprcSsbIe delight in his APP
parent surprise, and when he carefully
folded the paper about the lock of hair
and slipped it into his canvas shoe-he
had no pocket-her face broke into Il
smile Of triumph. Then the young man
pulled away toward his boathouse.
There is n peculiar stupidity about
most very young men MS to the tricks
and the manners of the opposite sex.
Kirkland had no more idea that the
bottle he had picked up had been
thrown into the water purposely for
him than he had that the thrower. In.
stead Of being out at sea. was watch.
ing him from Il house n few hundred
yards away. Nevertheless there was
n sentiment about that lock OF hair
and he was not so obtuse rs not to
suppose that the initials e. +. referred
to the owner But that the lock had
been cut from the head of n pretty
girl purposely for him was furthest
from his thoughts
That very night mt n dance at one of
| the hotels he noticed girl dressed in
| garments so pure and spotess and
l white and simple that no one would
l have supposed she would be capable OF
! lassong n pet lamb, And Kirkland
was especially struck with the fact
that her hair was so light that it was
almost white Indeed, 1t was exactly
the shade Of the lock he had found in