News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1913-06-11
Caxton,
Life Guard
By June Cahan
Copyright, 1912, by Associated Literar
Press.)

| IicSSs(
why don't you call her II yo,
want herr" Wally asked, digging
fresh tunnel in the wet sand wher,
the life guards heel had smashe,
through, Don't call Miss Ashton
Call her first name"
Caxton smiled modify down at tn,
little chubby figure lying fat on tn,
sand
"a don't know her first name
Wany."
First names Dorothy. That's what
mother calls her Kenneth does, too
when she isn't around"
Who's KENNETH"
My big brother. Maybe she's gone
with him some place. This was an
afterthought. Wally sat up to con.
slider it, and swept the curving shore
line with his calm glance. Back OF
the pine fringe above the beach the
great hotel nestled between tall
bluffs Stretching from it like arms
were shore front cottages mile In
| each direction. 1t was late afternoon.
The air seemed heavy and tense. The
sea lay with hardly ripple, dull
gray, with long saffron high lights
from the low storm clouds.
You had better run up to the cot
tage kiddie," Caxton advised.
There's a thunder storm on its way"
81 don't want to yet" coaxed Wally,
I've got to finish this roller coaster.
II there's a storm will you have to
swim after any people?"
IF there are any foolish enough to
stay out" CaXton returned.
Naly stared Np at the TALL tanned
hgure in the red and gray swimming
suit. There was no one else at the
beach that summer he admired so in
tensely as the life guard. Miss Ash
ton liked him, too. They had talked
1t over between them often, and
agreed that he was a real hero, and
every morning Wally would watch
for lin tc come along the long
stretch of beautiful firm silvery sand
on his coast patrol duty.
One morning he had waded in too
far after stray shells and strands of
sea weed. Caxton came on run and
gripped the drenched little figure
securely and bore it back to it's gov
erness. A white faced, girlish gov
erneas she was. too. Clad in white
from toe to throat, she had run down
into The water after her charge, and
Wall had sobbed SO, there had been
no ClanCe then to talk. But he had
renanbcred her, and watched every
morning for the two.
She was Miss Ashton, governess to
waiter Devereux's boy. That much |
he cund out easily. The Devereux |
cottagr was most imposing Wally !
was the youngest hope, and tall Ken
meth, fresh home from his last col
lege year. was the eldest. And the
cottage was to be closed in two days,
Waiy had told them, when the fam
lily left for a Canadian trip. That
meant she would go out of his life
forever.
He had tried to get a chance to
speak to her alone for the past three
days, tut young Devereux was her
shadow. Apc now, suddenly. while
he was giving UP his last hope, she
came hurrying down the path from
the bluff.
I'VE forgot the camera, and left it
way up on the hill l had to 90 back
after it" she told him.
We thought you had run awav
with Kenneth" Wally informed her
grayeiy
Kenneth is out on the bay. dear
in his FLockabout"
He'd better come in then" Cav.
ton checked himself If the cub was
idiotic enough to venture out under
such gale what was it to him? He
bent over her and spoke half rough.
ly, Cant you send the boy in and
give me half a CHANGER"
For what?"
ITO tell you what l want to. It's
my last chance. Here, 'Wally. listen
if you'll run up to the cottage. and
stay there on the veranda until Miss /,
Ashton comes, I'll make you a life
boat"
with life Savers all sitting in it ,
rowing! Il
Run along, dear, won't be long"
DOROTHY WHISPERED. She watched RI. b
little figure stalk slowly up the broad. s
walk to the outage, and turned her "
fact up to CaHton. Now. what ia
it?"
Caxton's eyes We're half closed. He
saw The mockabout half way down "a
the little bay. Its two sails sagging !,
in the bot cain The squall might "a
come beating pp any minute. He %
turnedto the sirl. D.
',Nottlng mush after ALL" ba said %
bitter! lnpught / had a great AZ
deal Il tell yoq' but I hardly think sh
1t is worth VINE Not II Devereux's ns
after you" ar
Her dear' grsy eyes met his, then nj
fairly defantly an
"You have atsplendid opinion of ws
my Judgment haven't your" ag
He shrugged his broad shoulders. ga
"Iifss life, I'm the volunteer me
coast guard here this year. Deve- on
rerT,s be best Patch in the summer gu
crowd There snt much choice, is he
there?' ii, 1t
The color rose holly in her face. mi
81 wonder If yop imagine you are dis
m.l,,ns love to ne?" she said very thi