The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1915-10-15
WRECKERS COVE
By LOUISE MERRIFiELD.

It was a dear little house. Florence
and Drake went over every corner OF
it that first wonderful day when they
saw Wrecker's Cove from a car win
dow, and seized their suitcases, and
fairly flew off the train.
It's a peach of a spot. Drake ex.
claimed gratefully. He had set the suit.
case down and mopped off his fore
head. Il wish we were honeymooning
this month instead of last month,
girl
Florence had nodded her head in
deep sympathy. Ever since the we'd
ding they had wandered from MOTEL to
hotel along the east shore, hunting a
restful, dreamy spot OF sweethearting
solitude. This day they mad been on
their way to Shepherds Landing. Flor
ence had found It on a guide map for
summer tourists, and she liked the
pine grove behind the hotel. 1t looked
shadowy and propitious. Yet midway
along the little sleepy railroad line,
the train had switched out around a
headland OF tumbled brownlsh-green
rock, and suddenly Wrecker's Cove
lay revealed, a curve of sand so
smooth and white it looked like creamy
silk outspread in the sunlight.
Here we light said Flo, joyously.
Il hope there's a hotel"
There was, but it was not pleasing.
It was a one-story edifice with a bar
room and a long dining room with pink
mosquito netting over the long tables.
Are there cottages to let?' Drake
had asked the proprietor. He was also
local station agent, and express agent.
and ran the livery stable
Not that l v heard Of Have yer
been up to the Tamerlin cottage? But
still, 1 doubt if he'd let it with all them
things in it."
g" haven't heard Of It. You point the
way, and I'll find it." They went out
to where Flo waited anxiously. The
hotelkeeper pointed out a sort of bird
house that seemed to hang to the side
of the orownish-green headland.
There 'tis," he said. ut amt nuth'
in to look at. The Teller that come
here and built it was peculiar. He was
married, too"
He stopped. Down the path came a
young man The hotelkeeper hailed
him warmly.
Going ter let your house, Mr.. Tam
erlin?'
81 had not thought of it, Hickson,
but"
I'll take it for three months, cash in
advance Drake put in with n of his
f1eeting strategic impulses.
That afternoon Flo opened the little
front door with her own key as house
wife. and walked in. 1t was a Joy, that
house. The walls were Of sea sand,
with oak beams. The great fireplace
called out a welcome to them. There
was a crane in it, and a big black ket'
tie hung on it, waiting for a friendly
hand.
Il don't see why Mr.. Tamerlin fixed
this all up so adorably just for a
bachelors shack said Flo, suspicious
ly, after a few days residence. Drake,
it's the dearest little place, and I've
found shirtwaist boxes tucked away
with linen, sheets and pillow cases,
and everything"
where did Mr.. Tamerlin say he was
going?" Flo went on absently.
Gle didn't say. l saw him sitting on
q lone rock in the offing yesterday
morning the other side of the boat
landing. He's not a native, l found.
He built the house last year, and fit
ted it up early in the spring. In June
he went away, and came back just a
week before we came. He said Mrs.
Tamerlin would be on later"
Then she rs his wife" In a tone OF
relieved conviction. Maybe they've
quarreled. and separated. Drake, dear,
think of it,"
"He looks miserable enough for any
tragedy, the poor kid. l think I'll get
him out fishing and let him unburden
his mind" Drake grinned. He was
big and normal and happy. The merry
Gus worries of another mans heart
strings were amusing. He would ge:
hold OF the boy and shake him up a
bit, show him the whole world did not
ring down the drop curtain just be-
cause Dan Cupid sulked, and wouldn't
play. Twice he tackled the proposition
of better acquaintance with Tamerlin,
and twice he was rebuffed. His land.
lord did not fish. He did not care for
boating. He was not going to stay
long at Wrecker's Cove.
How about all these trunks and
boxes in the CELLAR" asked Drake,
mildly. Taking any OF them away?
My wife's been a bit nervous over
them. Spoke Of skeletons"
They contain my brides trousseau
and her family belongings" replied
Tamerlin, in a melancholy tone. If
they are not IN your way, 1 should
like to leave them. They are very
dear to me-.
av 1000 49, ~, ~ -.x J~~-