The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-04-22

luB u uSI OOuy hb BldCNg AOA
brown hair plastered down and matted
with the salt of the sea. her hat hang
ing limp and desolate over her shout
der. do you suppose they Will senC
boats out to search for Us, Eric?'
"Of course they WILL" he cried cheer
fully. But there was no sail to be seen
strain their eyes as they wou4o in thu
direction Of the mainland.
I'VE might as well explore the isl
and" he vent on, hiding the anxious
note in his voice. 1T can't be later
than 3 o'clock. They'll be here befort
dark, sure. Wait! Let me think a min
ute"
He stood there looking quizzically VI
at the sky. The une sun had resumed
its boiling heat. The breeze, though
brisk, was warm and soft, with the
smell of the land and vegetation.
Our clothes will soon dry out in this
sunshine" he reflected aloud. "We'rt
no worse than II we'd just come out 81
the surf and were summing ourselves
m the beach. Maybe you'd" He hes
itated in some embarrassment. Maybe
you'd like to be left alone for awhile
Joan, to--to tidy yourself up a bit"
She looked surprised and grateful
I'm take q look about the island my
self, first, and be back n an hour"
II am a perfect fright" h said dis
co~nsolately.
mo, you're not" he cried warmly,
Then he left her. She watched him
and then. with a sigh Of despair, began
fumbling for combs in the hopelessly
gnarled mass Of hair.
When he came back whistling from
his detour Of the bleak little island, on
which grew not a single spear Of vege-
tation, she was sitting composedly In
the sun her long brown hair hanging
lnnQA IN dry har UiCff1Il aUaa ga ZinR
out over the water in the direction Of
home. She had removed her shoes and
stockings, and they, too, were drying
near at hand Somehow, you had the
feeling that her shirt waist and the
duck skirt also had been wrung out
and dried and pressed into an amaz-
ingly ~presentable shape. The eternal
feminine in her!
He, too, was barefooted. The rocks
were growing hot beneath the ray Of
the sun. He walked with the tender
care OF one who finds discomfort In the
act Of putting down his foot.
Good" he exclaimed. That's the
way Mary dries her hair" he added In
the most matter Of fact way.
She pouted. Don't you like it this
way2 I'll put II UP at"
Don't! I like It'll It's gorgeous. Good
ness, I'd lever think you had so much
hair. You-you can sit on II, can't your
mo n sits on her hair" she re-
torted, not quite sure whether to be
pleased. Eric. I must have a drink
of water" .#.
His face frightened. "There isn't q
sign Of a spring on Little Eddy" he
said. ., .....,..
what" she walled.
But" he added triumphantly. II
found a pool Of rain water UP there at
the top, and covered it with a slab of
~fANA -, - -vN,,1I~gk CyA-
along. III show you over the island
if-Gee! Doesn't 1t burn your feet?"
Ooh! I should say 1t doesI" she
cried, screwing her lace into an exag-
gerated expression Of pain. They were
young.
Together they picked their way to
the pool he had so thoughtfully located
shade Of the shelving rock and sat
down to wait, their gaze turned ever
shoreward, searching the horizon for
sails or h smoke of tugs. h'
The afternoon wore away, and the
gloom OF dusk began to settle over the
! waters, the evening mist creeping
out from. the shore to meet the shad-
ows from the mysterious east. The cast
Always, SO near to home yet SO for from
its security. fell into a dull, ~brooding
silence, their thoughts crowded with
vague fears and a certain growing re-
sentiment toward those on shore who
were failing them. They could o I'M
derstand why a whole fleet OF boats
had not put forth at once to search for
them. Was not she the daughter Of
a supreme court Judge? Was not he
the nephew Of the great Horace Blag-
den? Why, then, were they being treat
ed with such indifference, such mex
plicable disdain? Could It be possible
that no one cared what became or
them? A thousand bitter thoughts as
sailed them as they sat there, staring
complained aloud, and yet both had
come to feel that they would not be
found that night.
! The great revolving lantern in the
distant lighthouse sent out its beams:
the stars struggled through the scat
tering mists, and the solemn moon
spreads soft glow over their world of
desolation. The tapping of the waves.
the regular swish of disturbed waters
against the lonely reef were the only
sounds that fell upon their ears. They
were hungry, exhausted. despairing,
out there alone on the breast Of the
sea.
"Don't be afraid, JOAN" he whis-
pered, leaning close to her, infinite ten
derness In his hushed voice. Nothing
can happen to US tonight. They'll sure
ly come In h morning"
/. I'm not really afraid, Eric" she
said. but there was awe In her voice.
But isn't 1t lonely2 Isn't It awful to
be alone out here?" She crept a little
closer to him.
He Quelled the tender impulse to
clasp her In his arms, and hold her
In security all the night long, with her
head on his shoulder, her hand in his.
A strange bashfulness came over him.
surprising anything he had ever felt
before. It was a part of the infinitely
gentle love that was in his heart; some
thing that came out of the loneliness to
show him how sacred, how pure love IL.
Very gently he bade her lean back
and rest her head against his shoulder,
and sleep. He would keep watch. "
The moon passed slowly over the
great dome above and disappeared be-
hind the wall OF rock that sheltered
them. She had beef asleep for hours.
Then his tired eyes closed and their
heads touched in sweet oblivion.
The sun was shining brightly when
he opened his eyes.
A man stood over them, with a pity
Ing, though satisfied half smile on his
hard face. Eric blinked his eyes, and
rubbed them, staring harder and hard
er.
"Why-why-" he murmured in ut
ter bewilderment.
The babes in the woods" remarked
the thick set man, with a satirical
chuckle. only it happens to be the