Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1913-12-26

entered it. She knew nothing of row.
ing. She had never even entered
skiff before. The tide was running
out, and running strong at that, anc
presently she found herself out in the
bay and being hurried toward an is
land mile and half away. No one
happened to see her drifting, and she
was too frightened to scream. The
boat might have missed the island had
not fate decreed otherwise. She ran
her nose plump into the bank, and the
castaway sprang out and sank down
on solid ground.
Had she spited Mr.. Blair? She
wasn't two minutes deciding that she
hadn't He was off somewhere catch
ing grasshoppers, and she was cast
away on an island where bull-thistles
and blackberry bushes were thicker
than fieas on a dog. She would be
missed, but it might be a day or two
before the searchers found her.
Miss Cressy wept. Sba was weep
ing when she saw boat approaching
the island. 1t was a rowsboat, and the
oars wer being handled by man. 1t
was man who wasan no hurry. The
boat was headed straight for her, as
if she had been seen from nthe shore
through a glass, but the oarsman was
taking hfs time to get there. Some
times he ceased rowing entirely for
two or three minutes. However, he
drew near enough at last for the cast
away to resognize him and to spring
to her feet and exclaim:
"'Tis he! 'Tis Mr.. Blair!"
So it was, but no earthquake follow
ed. In leisurely way, as if he were
searching for toadstool, he landed
and sat down and did not heed her
presence in the slightest. She stood
it for a long minute and then impa
tiently exclaimed:
We'll, sir!"
We'll, miss!''
"Oh, you cad!"
"Oh, you boat-stealeri"
81 never stole your old boat, and il
you were gentleman you'd-youd ID
~
And she choked up and the tears
came to her eyes.
you are to be rescued in due time,
but we are to have little talk first.
understand that you are Miss Fair
banks, who came here to cure your
hay fever?"
She made no answer.
did you hope to cure your snob-
| bishness at the same time,"
She caught her breath with rasp-
ing sound, and her fingers clenched.
''The villagers wanted to meet you
and greet you but you antagonized
them at once. You evidently consid-
er them lot Of pumpkin-heads be.
cause they live in a village, but you
make a great mistake. And who are
you to glare and snub?"
| I'll" she stammered as she choked
up.
mo better blood-no better educat
edVno better looking, no more accom-
plishments than thousand of others
and yet you have made yourself be
,lieve that you are the salt of the
| earth!"
! She had turned her face away from
| him.
IF you were young man you'd be
set down as a prig end a cad and q
half-fool. As it is, ! don't believe
| you've got a sincere friend among the
girls you know"
She was still turned away from him
IT'S all SO foolish and lamentable,'
he continued. "OLe can't estimate hi:
own value That must be left to 9th
ers. The world is as quick to detec
the false as the true. 1t is the opinion
of the world that makes or unmake:
us. No man, no matter how strong
and wise and wealthy he is, can affort
to defy the world or be withou
friends
! Miss Cressy turned and looked he
reformer in the eyes. and he saw nj
anger in hers.
IF I were girl" he said with ;
smile on his face, ''if / were gir
that was being criticised instead o
praised, and was being sized up wronl
through a mistaken notion of my own
would sit up and do some thinking
Shall we return to the village?"
The would-be reformer seldom
meets with a reward but Mr. Blai
did. He married Miss Cressy.
Copyright. 1913, by the Mcclure News
paper Syndicate.)
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