Metropolis weekly gazette. (Metropolis, Ill.) 1???-19??, 1915-06-18
SILVER SANDS ISLE
Where a Modern Robinson Cru
soc Found a Modern Friday.
BY cLARlssA MAckiE.

Tenham had leased both of them for
the season to insure complete pri-
vacy. He cooked his own meals and
lived In the absolute seclusion that
was necessary when he was engaged
in any serious undertaking. He was
now writing a book. a dry scientific
work, the very title of which made
one drowsy. Probably, though. it was
q clever book.
Every morning the professor arose
at daybreak and went for a swim In
the lake. Then he returned and ate
a breakfast whose menu did not vary
from day to day-fruit, cereal, toast,
a soft-boiled egg and a cupful of cot
fee. After breakfast he huddled his
dishes into the sink and resumed his
writing with scholarly enthusiasm.
At noon he slipped glass of milk
and at four o'clock he closed his desk
and, donning a huge apron, not too
spotless, washed his dishes and pre-
pared his dinner. 1t is a shocking
thing to note the professor did not
make his bed until 1t was time to re-
tire. BY that time, he argued. the
sheets and blankets were thoroughly
and hygienically aired.
A bachelor? Of coursel Paddy and
fussy? Perhaps. Old? Well, what
ever you call forty.
Once a week a motor boat came
over from the mainland with supplies
and the mail
Ie was not exactly what one would
call a riotous existence, but 1t salts
fed Professor Tenham-at least for
the present
On the particular morning of which
I write, a morning wherein the pro-
fessor's even life was twisted out of
Its ordinary, never to resume its same
placid, monotonous course, he arose
at daybreak as usual, and, clad In his
bathing suit, made his way gingerly
over the sharp sands to the waters
edge.
It was his habit on pleasant morn
ings TO pause here until the rudy
sun, peeping over the edge of the
horizon, sent bright, sparkling shaft
this man of letters plunge into the
fiery pathway for his bath. 1t was
bit OF pleasurable fancy which might
not be expected to show itself in a
dry-as-dust scholar.
On this particular morning Tenham
was a little late The upper rim of
the sun was gliding the east as he
hurried across the sand to the edge of
the lake.
Suddenly he stopped short and fixed
his gaze on something In the path
way.
There, showing plainly in the sand
was the clear imprint of q small bare
foot!
Impossible, he tried to convince
himself, that there could be such
thing when he was the sole inhabi-
tant of the island, He doubted his
own eyes, yet he placed his own foot
beside 1t and laughed aloud at the
contrast. Professor Tenham was a
large man and the trespassing foot
print was absurdly small
at was made by small foot, dim
pied and probably rosy" he unused
and then found himself blushing furi-
ously at the very idea, for thus far
he had been too absorbed in scien-
tific mysteries to explore that great
est mystery of all-the heart of wom-
an.
Absurd, The foot of this woman
Is pointed toward the Lakeland there
is another and yet another into the
very water" He stood and stared
in utter bewilderment at the invad-
ing prints in the sand of his bachelor
island. How could woman-or any
one, for that matter-have come and
gone without my knowledge?" he kept
asking himself over and over.
In further quest of a solution to
this question, Professor Tenham
prowled along the shore of the lake
and came presently to other footprints
OF the same character, which made it
certain that their maker had walked
along the edge of the water and had
finally left the beach and gone up
among the rocks.
A few steps farther and Professor
Tenham was confronted by the little
feet which undoubtedly had made the
telltale prints in the sand.
They belonged to the prettiest
young woman he had ever seen, who
was clad in blue bathing dress and
at the moment of discovery was in
the act of slipping a pair of tennis
shoes over her bare toes. She
glanced up quickly and through the
fangle OF her housekeeping hair he
caught glimpse of pair of exceed
ingly bright blue eyes.
BLESS my soufi" calculated the pro-
fessor, starting back
"GraciousI" cried the invader of
his Crusoe island. What are you do
ing here?"
''Why-I-er-found footprints in
the sand-and-er-was surprised be-
cause. you see, believed was alone
observation-disclosures and fol-
lowed them-and--''
Found me-Miss Friday'" finished
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