The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-11-12
oRoTHY DANE knew all about
the faithlessness OF menl They
were perfidlous creatures who

keeping them uncertain as to whether
or not you wished to hold them. Par
ticulariy did the city man WOO the coun-
try girl to her undying regret-for he al
ways tired of her simple matchmaking
charm.
oh, yes, Dorothy considered herself
wise concerning the wiles Of men. And
then, when she was nineteen and In the
flower of her delicate beauty she met
Clinton Harding
Harding was as typical of the city as
was Dorothy Of her little fishing village
provided always you believe human
beings may be considered as types. He
wore his loose-fittinK corduroys with an
air Of distinction combined Of good tall
oring and a good carriage. She wore
her bingham dresses with an untutored
simplicity which made up for their lack
of At and line.
From the moment he met the pretty
barefooted fisher girl. Harding was in
terested. Dorothy responded shyly as
to manner, but very frankly as TO the
glow Of tenderness in her eyes. Step by
step their wooing proceeded, as N ever
the way OF youth. Harding said nothing
definite, but Dorothy half guessed all
he meant and all she desired him to
mean.
IT Donald Dane, Dorothy's uncle
and guardian, noticed the tremulous
eagerness with which the girl rose
to meet each day, he said nothing.
He had concerns Of his own which
buster him far more than wondering
IL the city chap meant wen by DOR
othy or not.
One afternoon. the particular mo-
ment which a story writer must seize
upon in trying to show a cross section
OF life overlook the girl and her
uncle. Dorothy was climbing about
the rocks waiting for the happy daily
accident which should bring Harding
upon the scene. And presently Hard
ing. playing his part In natures little
drama, appeared.
Eagerly the girl waved to her un-
declared lover. Emotion in full tide
was running out from heart to heart.
ready to sweep both into the flow of
life and love. The boy and girl sat
down on a rock and looked out over
the glittering beauty OF the water.
lovers sat there was heavy growth
Of bushes, and back of one green
clump OF verdure there was a cave a
few feet above the waterline. While
Sthe drama of life and love was be-
? ing played on the cliffs above. another
drama--world old. too-was being
enacted down on the sand where the
bushes grew. For suddenly the green
In his hand he held n small mirror
and with II he flashed a signal by
Photograph.
The Signal Flashes.
Far out on the green water. tinted to
light by the sun. a sailing schooner rode
at ease. Two sailors at the railing
caught the repeated flash OF the hello
graph. They turned and summoned
their captain and presently he came to
the deck and began reading and tran
scribing the signal of that little hello
graph.
The message was this-no more. To
night at H."
In complete understanding the cap
tain and his men smiled at each other.
A few rapid arrangements were made.
then the message was destroyed and
presently q white pennant was bound
to a rope and run UP the masthead.
The man In the bushes at the foot of
the cliffs where Donald and Dorothy sat
so happily. was sweeping the far hori-
zon with a pair OF strong binoculars At
last they caught the sailing schooner In
their range and focused on it. A little
bit of white ran up a rope and came
at last to sway gently on the topmast.
with satisfaction. Then he stepped
back. The bushes closed about him and
the opening Of the cave was hidden.
At the top OF the cliff sat Donald and
Dorothy. His arm was about her and
she was resting quietly in its circle.
Neither spoke.
And then over the cliff came Donald
Dane. Dorothy's uncle. The boy and
the girl started to their feet. Dorothy
was frightened. wondering what ex-
PLANTATION her uncle would demand.
Harding was suddenly aware of the fact
that he had circled Dorothy with his
arm. but had not taken her into his
arms nor kissed her. nor said he loved
her. He wondered suddenly what he
meant by It all-what he could tell the
girls uncle that he meant
But Donald Dane asked no questions.
Indeed. he seemed hardly aware OF the
little drama enacting itself before his
eyes. For he was thinking OF another
dfama-the drama whose stage had been
set by his heliograph message and the
answering white flag on the sailing
night at Twelve"
Donald Danes cottage was typical
of Smith Harbor, the little fishing
Village where all of Dorothys short
a small frame building, a cross be-
tween a houseboat and a factory
town shanty 1t was painted white
and had tiny windows. which looked
Back of1the house was an old fash
toned, stone-curbed well, whose sus-
pended bucket hung from a rope tint
ed with soft moss.
Dorothy's home. was primitive and
of the sea. Its clean freshness made
up for Its poverty, To Harding il
suddenly seemed a haven OF refuge
against his own thoughts But Doro-
thy shamefecedly remembered the
board walls, decorated with seaweed
and starfish and hung with nets
go in and get the suppei, Dorothy
girl" ordered her uncle. "Mr. Hard
ing. and l will sit outside and light
. pipe"
Dorothy hurried to her own little
{oom eagerly, Presently she came
cut dressed in a clean white duck
Akirt and MILDLY blouse. She pirouetted
about for moment with a self-con-
scious toy OF looking her PROTEST
Then she covered her fnery with n
pink checked apron and set about
laying the table
.-. He Cannot Come.
At last everything was ready and
Dorothy hurried over to the door to call
her guests.
"Suppers ready, Uncle will YOU get
US some nice fresh water from the well
please--and then come right in"
Sorry. Miss Dorothy. | didn't know
you were counting on me- I've got to
hurry right over to the hotel and get