The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-11-12
The EDening Story
Shore Leave.


When the Reliance dropped anchor
off Block Island during the maneu-
vers around Newport and Point Ju-
dith, birmingham appeared to have a
settled melancholy descend on him.
Aren't you going ashore?" he was
asked, but he shook his head and
stared at the treeless, golden outline
Of the island as if he wished he could
shell It from the South Light to New
Harbor.
Il was ashore here last year" he
answered darkly. There's nothing
to see. Fresh water pond and sum-
mer hotels
Yet when he was left alone he did
not gaze either at the summer hotels
or inland where the fresh water ponds
lay with lilies dreaming on their still
bOsoms. Even from the deck of the
battleship he could see the house. 1t
stood in a curve of the shore line on
rise above the beach, a little white cot
tage all by itself. There We're some
Her father made the run out to the
banks every day after sword fish and
Holsters. Yearningly Tinkham gazed
and gazed, wondering if she was still
there, if she cared whether he was on
the ship or not, if
No, he wouldn't. There was such a
thing as making a doormat of yourself
for the beloved's feet to tread upon.
his Cneek COulO SIlll recdll the
ing slap she had given it. And all he
h. / done was to flirt with her ever so
little down around the old harbor
docks one morning. He had gone
ashore to buy some sea trinkets for
Sue and Martie back home in Illinois,
polished swords of the big sword fish,
little round prickly sea urchins, long
chains of tiny shells. They'd think
they were great back in Tannersville.
He knew just how the girls and his
mother would show them to all the
town friends and tell how Tink was
sailing everywhere and seeing the
world
He hadn't told them about Deborah.
That was her name. unny, sweet lit
tie old fashioned name, he thought,
Deborah Allan. She had been born
right there on the island, fifteen miles
out from the mainland, and to Think
ham she seemed as sweet and rare as
one of her own island pond lilies the
oarefooted boys brought in huge bas-
kets to sell around the hotels and
docks.
All he had done that first day was
to look at her and say, Hello, sweet
hearth
And she had cuffed him soundly.
ner big. dark eyes ablaze with swift
anger, her little hand singing in its
rebuke.
you boys from the ships think you
own the island the minute you land
here she had tNld him. and We're
not that sort"
She wasn't that sort" either. A bit
Of "Mandalay" had always made him
think of her in the long cruise later
on: I've a neater, sweeter maiden
in a cleaner greener land"
She had boxed his ears. but she had
also all unwittingly given him a new
ideal of gir1hood, and in his own way
he had tried to fit his standards of life
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
family, her eyes full of condemnation
and rebuke.
Somewhere he had learned that she
played the organ up at little St. AIMS
one of the back pews to listen to her
just for one Sunday, his ''neater,
sweeter maiden Also. before the
ships had slipped away toward New
port, he had found a chance of meet
ing 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. His re-
ward had come when Deborah had
ner, and they had met properly and
rightly. and he had held her hand in
greeting.
That was all, excepting the post
cards he had dared to send her and
the teakwood box and the trinkets of
Mexican filigree. Yes, and his pic
ture. just so she wouldn't forget him.
He didn't need any of her. His time
was up in September. If he could
only be sure she was still there in the
little while house on the shore road
Yet maybe she was married and may
be she was up at the island plot, whose
still white stones all looked seaward.
He stayed on board and Rugged his
memory of her, afraid to risk the
truth. Then Grinman came back and
told him, big Grinman of the gunners
mess
shes still here. Tink,'' he said ex-
citedly- seen her today myself