The Monticellonian., 1915-12-16
SHORE LEAVE.
By ELLIS WAkEMAN.

l 11lhlldH dpptdI Gu lO navy bCkIiCo melancholy descend on him.
 Deborah That was her name. Funny, sweet, little oldfashioned name, he thought, Deborah Allan. She had been born right there on the is- land, l5 miles out from the mainland. and to Tinkham she seemed as sweet and rare as one of her own island pond lilies the barefooted boys brought around the hotels and docks.
 All he had done that first day was to look at her and say, Hello. sweet heart!"
 And she had cuffed him soundly, her big, dark eyes ablaze with swift an- ger, her little hand stinging in it's re- buke.
 You boys from the ships think you here,' she had told him. And were not that sort.
 She wasn't that sort" either. A bit of Mandalay. had always made him think of her in the long cruises later on. I've heater, sweeter maiden in i 1IOdAtI, Sl 6euGI Iduu.
 She had boxed his ears. but she had also all unwittingly given him new ideal of girlhood, and .n his own way he had tried to it his standards of life to the new picture. The other boys on board had pictures of girls they knew. He had none, nothing but the memory of Deborah in her pink and white dress and white sweater her head banded around with braids of dark hair, orderly and glossy, her firm, d1mpled chin raised at him detiantly, her eyes full of condemnation and re- buke.
 Somewhere he had learned that she played the organ up at little St. Anns- by-the-Sea, and he had slipped into one of the back pews to listen to her just for one Sunday. his heater, sweeter maiden" Also, before the ships had slipped away toward Newport, he had found chance of meeting her father The old man had been busy calking the seams in his sailing boat and Tinkham had spent all his morning one day helping him and telling him stories of navy life. His reward had come when Deborah came down to call her father to dinner, and they had met properly and rightly, and he had held her hand in greeting.
 His time was up in September. If he could only be sure she was still there in the little white house on the shore road. He stayed on board and hugged his memory of her, afraid to risk the truth. Then Grinman came back and told him, big Grinman of the gunners' mess
 She's still here, Tink," excitedly Seen her today myself. Shes all alone up there. Lost her father in the March blows"
 "Dead?" asked Tinkham.
 Sure. Shes all alone, I'm telling you. Thought you'd like to know"
 Thanks" answered Tinkham, and the next day he got shore leave. AS he turned up the beaten track to the cottage, he lifted his cap and tucked it under his arm for all the world the way he had the day he went to hear her play in church. Then, finally, he stood at the green screen side door, tapping he, Tinkham of the navy, with a year between him and girl who had boxed his ears
 But he had full revenge She came quickly from the inner room and saw him, and the color rose to her face as she gave a quick indrawn little gasp and laughed to cover it.
 Tinkham had rehearsed all sorts of proper speeches all the way along the road, and now he stood silent adoring her, and all he could think to say was My times up in September I'm on shore leave today"
 She gave him a chair on the little porch looking seaward, and they sat down.
 Did you think I'd come?" he asked. Didn't you even remember me-"
 She glanced from him to the boat lying keel up down on the sands.
 Yes, remembered Dad liked to talk to you best of the boys that came up here from the ships"
 "Youll never like me, cause 1 spoke to you that day. will you?" he asked hungrily. T didn't say anything only"
 ''I remember what you said" She smiled at him from under her long lashes. It's just what all of them say to any girl.
 If l said it today it wouldn't be the same" said Tinkhafh doggedly 'Td-Id mean it. That's what came ashore for. guess I've thought about you every day for year. and when 1 heard about your trouble l had to come. I've only got one more month to serve then I'm going out home to see my mother and sisters But I'm coming back. I cant get away from the sea- l like 1t right here Maybe it's you that makes the island seem wonderful. I don't know. but feel 1t right here'
 Tinkham stopped and waited. He was not given to eloquence Love seemed to leave him wordless and smitten with it's glory. Deborah was looking past him out to sea, where the warships lay, gun metal gray in the morning light on the sapphire water.
 I'm coming back in September. If there isn't anybody else" She shook her head quickly, and Tinkhams blue eyes sparkled. He leaned toward her eagerly. throwing his challenge to fate.
 Hello, sweetheart" he whispered. not as he had said 1t that first day. hut with all hia 'o Iopg;,,, l.. ...