Gilpin observer., 1913-01-23
Joy MI: Ellery's intelleetpal sermons.
and especially what treat It had beer
to have him as a trl1esf

to hayc him as Q guest g
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. j1mpings 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 lof 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 a 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
mnst sady- - y .'0s
=, 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 pinesc cspied 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. ~. a. E.
OH" she cried "Who is it?".
Eliery emerged from the shadow.
Don't be frightened. Miss Van
Horne" he said. ''It is-er-I." -.-
: You came to see the sunset;
suppose?" she said hurriedly. as If to
head on a question. 80 did I. Itsis'
beautiful evening for walk. isn't
lit" -.
- 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 1t, and SO. evidently,
did she, for she colored slightly and
smiled
II mean 1t this time" she said. I'm
glad you didn't get cold from your
wetting the other day
"Oh! I wasn't very, wet. You:
wouldn't let me lend you the umbrella.
SO had that to protect me on the way
home" f. 'r
mot them meant the other morn
ing when Nat4Cap'n Hammond-met
you, on theafats.- He said you were
wading, the main channel and 1t was
over your boots"
1T was worse than that. good deal
worse. 1t might have been my last
cruise. I'm pretty certain that l 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
very strong swimmer. and they were.
So, you see."f ~
Grace cried out in astonishment.
"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." ""f
= She drew a long breath. Then, after
a moment: -.
And Nat,spoke as df It was all
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" y
"HeN isnt' my brother" she inter
rupted absently. Il wish he was" e.
She sighed as she uttered the last
sentence.
mo. OF course he isn't your real
bpotheE forgot But he, must seem
like one"
Yes" rather doubtfully.
You must be proud OF him"
II am" there was nothing doubtful
this time. /
Miss Van Horne! What did your
uhSiS soy "pD2t zap II ANot hiectiu6
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 told you before, Mr..
Ellery, I'm not ashamed of my uncle.
He has been so good to me that new \
er can repay him, never! When my
own father was drowned he took me
in, little orphan that would prob.
ably have been sent to home When 4
he needed money most he said nothing
TO me, but insisted that ! should be
educated didn't know until after.
wards OF the self-sacrifice my four
years at the Middleboro Academy
meant to him" .s
so you went away to school?",4 he
mused. This is Why"