Pierre weekly free press. (Pierre, S.D.) 1889-19??, 1915-04-22

sacrilegious answer. IT'S 10 o'clock.
-Four bells. Will you have your eggs
fried or boiled?"
Erie managed to grin. Fried" he
said, conscious Of a great hunger.
Joan's face frightened at once.
Can we go home?" she cried.
Sure. Miss Bright. My private
yacht is lying off here. with steam up.
The dinghy awaits. Will you put on
your shoes n s~tockings?'
loan blushed hotly and drew her
feet up under her skirts. Eric had got
to his feet n was running to the
corner of the ledge to look for the craft
There it lay, in the lee of the reef. a
smudgy. unlovely, chortling tug boat
grimy individuals on board. all of
whom We're surveying the Deef With
the n~onchalance of men used to dis
aster. A small row boat, with a single
occupant, puttered along the edge OF
the reef, waiting for the master who
and waved his hand. A voice at his ell
bow spoke.
Il thought I'd find you here. Every
one else is looking to the south Of the
Point, everywhere but the right place,
Thinks l, they've gone out to sea. So
we started straight out" He chuckled,
It's a joke or those wise chaps-your
uncle and the preacher II all of en-.
looking in the bay and dragging, and
praying, and cursing the luck"
How did yc" think of looking away
out here, Mr.. CARR"
Adam Carr closed one eye. Il al
ways have great luck in finding peo-
found" he said systematically. I fig
ured on these reefs, n t%elephoned out
to the light keeper, asking if he'd seen
a capsized boat go by. He said he
thought he saw one away out to sea
yesterday afternoon. Father said tt
half a chance you'd make one of the
reefs. He seems to think you're made
Of he right stuff, Mr.. Eric Midthorne.
And here we are. If you hadn't been
here, I'd have known where you We're"
He screwed up his lips significantly
and pointed downward with his sIubby
thumb.
AT the bottom of the sea-" said
Eric, with a shudder.
Yes. But you'd have come ashore
in time. 1 daresay. Well! Here's Miss
Bright. Now we can be off. I'll have
the eggs fried in the engine room"
Did you really think about bringing
eggs?" cried Eric.
Eggs and coffee" responded the
hard faced man, as he motioned for his
oarsman to approach.
"What a horrid looking man" whis-
BSIcQ JOdll, "IlSl us DICh "JS luIlicu-
y can't make him out muttered
Eric. He Jabez Carr's son. l didn't
know he was in Corinth."
Later on, he deliberately put the
question to Adam Carr: Where did
YOU come from, MI. CARR
They had finished eating their eggs
and were sitting on the after deck
with their strange rescuer. The tug.
with a vast ado in Its boilers, careened
through the bright waves, leaving be-
hind a long, almost unending trail Of
smoke.
Adam Cars inscrutable face took ON
a new line or two: g" guess you
wouldn't be any the wiser if I told
you. It's more than likely you never
heard of the place."
"Oh. do tell u.s. cried Joan, who had
become deeply interested in the man.
Despite his ugliness, despite the sin
lister face of him, he possessed a Ger
tain fascinating individuality hat i'm
pressed her, as it did all young per
sons susceptible to curiosity.
Eve hear of Tasmir?" he asked la
conically. They pondered and shook
their heads.
Il thought so. So you are none the
wiser, are your
They sheepishly admitted the fact.
rs it a city or country?" asked Eric.
Its neither" he affirmed. He
grinned in a most tantalizing manner
Afterwards they were to learn that
Tasmir was the seat of a Russian
nobleman.
Well" said Eric. hiding his chagrin
and resentment, I'm glad you came,
no matter where you came from. 1t
must have been like looking for a
needle in a haystack, but still you found
| u.s."
I've never tried to find a needle In
a haystack," said Adam Carr reflect
lively. I'm sure 1t must be interest
ing. I'll try sometime"
What a queer man you are. Mr..
Carr" cried Joan impulsively. He
stared at her, n she shrank inward
ly from the sardonic glitter in his
eyes.
He chuckled mirthlessly. II hope
not" he said. Queer men never get
, anywhere. Miss Bright. For instance.
the fellow who looks for a needle,
when there are so many other things to
look for tina are worth finding. You'd
call him a queer chap, I'd say. I've
found things in my time that would
make looking for a needle seem the
easiest task in the world. But" he
added, after a short pause. II still! think
If you'd lost a needle in a haystack
and you just had to have that needle
back In your sewing bag, 1 could find
1t for you II you made it worth while
for me to do So"
N one could possibly want a needle
30 much as all that" she cried, per-
picked by his humor.
In any event." said he, continuing in
the same vein. "a needle is a very
handy thing to have about if you pos
sess a trick camel
Continued next week.)