The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1913-03-09
CHAPTER /.
rnE BopY OK THE BEACH.

THE BODY on THE BEACH.
Lonesome Cove is one of the least
frcuuented stretches on the New Eng
land seaboard. From the land side
the sheer 4hundred-foot drop of Haw-
kill Cliffs shuts 1t off. Access by wa
ter is denied; denied with a. show OF
rnenacing teeth, when the sea curls
It's lips back, amid a swirl of angry
currents, from its rocks and reefs.
warning boats away. There is no set
tlement near the cove. The somber
reputa suggested by its name has
served to keep cottagers from build
ing on the wildly beautiful upiands
that oyerbrood the beach. Sheep
browse between the thickets of ash
and wild cherry extending almost to
the brink of the height, and the stray
Cling pathways along the edge, worn
by tho feet efstheir herders, afford
the urffy suggestion of human traffic.
within half mile Of the spot. A
sharp-cut ravine leads down to the
sea by a rather treacherous descent.
Near the mouth of this opening n
considerable gathering OF folk speckled
the usually deserted beach, at noon
OF July sixth. They conferred ON n
dark object, d few yards within the
flood tide linnit. Some secuted about
peartng at the sand. Others pointed
first to the sea- then TO the cliffs with
the open gestures OF those VINO argue
vehement1y- But always their eyes
returned, drawn back by an unfailing
magnetism. to the central object.
From some distance away lone
man of d markedly different type from
the others observed them with an eS-
preston of displeasure. He had
reached tho cove BY an artiuotis seran-
BILE, possible only to a good climber,
around the tsftting elbow of the cliff
TO the northward. It was easily TO be
read in his face that he was both sIr-
prised and annoyed to find people
there before him. One OF the group
presently detached himself and am
bIed over TO the newcomer, with an
accelerated speed as ne drew nearer.
s.swanny!. he calculated. IF 1t amt
Professor Kent, Didn't know you at
first under them whiskers. You re-
member me. don't you? I used to
drive you around when you was here
before"
How are yon, Jarvis?' returned the
other. ''Still In the livery business, !
suppose ~
yes what brings you here, Per-
fessors''
Holidays. I've just come out OF
the woods. And as you have some
very interesting sea currents just here,
| thought I'd have a look at them.
Nobody really knows anything about
coast currents, you know Now my
opportunity liz spoiled He indicated
the crowd by movement of his head.
..spoiltg guess not. You couldn't
have come ait a better time" said the
local man eagerly.
ssAh. but you see / had planned to
swim out to the eddy. and make some
personal observations.
You was going to swim into Dead
Mans Eddy r" asked the other. aghast.
Why, Professor, you must have turn
ed foolish. They ain't man on this
coast would take a chance. like that :
Superstition. retorted the other
CURLY .'Un a still day such as this
there would he nc danger to aaf' rx-
perienced swimmer The conditions
are ideal except for this crowd What
liz it2 Has the village gone picnick-
ing 20
Not sca'celyt Amt you heard ?
Another ones come In through the
eddy, Lies over yonder."
Professor kBnt's eyebrows went up,
as he glanced toward the indicated
spot: then gathered In frown.
Net washed UP there. surelyg" he
said
..Tael's what" answered Jarvis.
when p
Sometime early this morning"
.tPshamt'' said the other. turning
to lock at the curysng bniwark OF
rocks over which the soft, slow swell
was barely breaking. If Ii were the
other end Of the cove, now. / could
understand IL
Yes agreed Jarvis. they mostly
come In at the other end. on this tide, =
mostly? Always The professor s
tone was positive Unless my charts
are wrong But tilis-weli. it spoiis
at least one phase OF my theory"
Theory" exclaimed the liveryman.
his pale eye alight- s.You got q theory
But I thought Won didn't know any
thing about the body. till told you,
| ttst now .
.0h, my ruined theory has refer
enee to the currents sighed the other.
TT has nothing to do with dead men,
as such
Neither has this was the prompt
response delivered with jerk OF the
mo- What is II then. IL not a dead
man."
"A dead woman
ssOht All the same, 1t shouldn't have
come In or this section of thu beach
Tibet amt half the stranRrness OF
1T. the way 1t washed in Lonesome
Cove has had some queer folks drift
home to 1t, but nothing as queer as