The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1914-03-20

square In the eye, flung out his hand
| struck my open palm smartly agains
his. in the Breton fashion; then W,
clasped hands.
"Strike!" he cried; take my friend
ship II you want II, on this condition
what | am Is my own concern, no
yours. Don't interfere, m'sieu; 4
would be useless. ! should never be
tray you, but | might kill you. Dom
Interfere. But II you care for the gooC
will OF man like me, take it: anC
when you desire a service from me
tell me, and I'll not fail you. by Sainte
Eline OF Paradise!"
He turned on his heel, kicking on
his sabots on the doorsil Break
bread with me; ask IT," he hid. gruff
ly, and walked before me into the
house.
From the ashes on the hearth a
spiral OF smoke curled. The yellow
cat walked in and sat down, contem.
plating the ashes.
Slowly a saffron light filled the
room; Jacqueline awoke in the dim
bed.
She swathed herself in a blanket and
sat up, looking at me sleepily.
you came to see me SWIM" she
said.
And I've brought you a fishs sill
yer skin to swim in" | replied, point.
ing at the satchel.
She cast a swift glance at her IA
ther, who, with the gun on his knees.
sat as though hypnotized by the beauty
OF its workmanship. Her bright eyes
fell on the gun; she understood In a
fash.
Turn your back" she cried.
l wheeled about and sat down on
the settle beside the poacher. There
came light thud OF small. bare feet
on the stone floor, then silence. The
poacher looked up.
she's gone to the ocean," he said;
"she has the mania for baths-like
you English" And he fell to rubbing
the gunstock with dirty thumb.
The saffron light in the room was
turning pink when Jacqueline reap
peared on the threshold in her ragged
skirt and stained velvet bodice half
laced, with the broken points hanging,
carrying an armful of driftwood.
Without word she went to work
so swiftly that the pink light had
scarcely deepened to crimson when
the poacher, laying the gun tenderly
in the blankets of Jacqueline's tumbled
bed. came striding back to the table
where sea-tTout smoked on a cracked
platter, and bowl of bread and milk
stood before each place.
We ate silently. Ange Pitou, the
yellow cat, came around with tail In
tlated. There we're fishbones enough to
crafty any cat, and Ange Pitou made
short work of them.
The poacher rose, wiped his mouth !
with the back of his hand, and made |
straight for his new gun.
you two," he said, with a wave OF |
his arm, you settle it among your
selves. He touched his beret to me, |
flung the fowling-piece over his shoul-
der, and walked away
Jacqueline placed the few dishes in
4 pan Of hot water, wiped her fingers,
iaintily, and picked up Ange Pitou.
"Show me the swimming suit" she
said, shyly.
l drew it out of the satchel and laid
t across my knees.
"Oh, it has little tail behind-like
| fish" she cried. enchanted. 81 shall
ook like the silver grilse Of Quinn
,erle"
"Do you think you can swim in those
Gales ?" / asked
Swim? I-Jacqueline? Attended,
in peu-you shall see!"
She opened her arms; the cat sprang
o the doorstep and vanished.
Jacqueline looked at the swimming
uit, then at me. "Will you go down
0 the beach, M'sieu Scarlett?"
But ] had not traversed half the
trip of rock and hard sand before
omething flew pasta slim, glittering
hape which suddenly doubled up,
again, and fell headlong
ito the laundering surf.
After a long, long while, far out on
le water she rose, floating.
Tossed back once more upon the
each like an opalescent shell, JAG
ueline, ankle-deep in foam, looked out
cross the flaming waters, her L
renched hair dripping,
Look" she cried, fiinging her arms
oove her head, and dropped into
,ace, falling like star, down, down
to the shallow sea. Far below / saw
streak of living light shoot through
e water-on, on, closer to the sur n
ce now, and at last she fairly sprang b
to the air, quivering like gated sal b