Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-11-02


Il haven't a watch, but late after
noon, l should think-going by the
sun. It's nearly down"
Good heavensr he muttered,
dashed. Il have slepti'
You earned your right to.
You needed it far more than l." Her
eyes shone, warm with kindness.
She swayed almost imperceptibly to-
ward him. Her voice was low pitched
and a trifle broken with emotion:
you saved my life"
4? Oh, that was only what any
other man"
"None other did"
"Please don't speak of i'll mean,
consider it that way" he stammered.
"What I want to know is, where are
weT'
Her reply was more distant. "On
On island, somewhere. It's uninhabited,
1 think"
He couldsonly echo in bewilderment:
"An island >! Uninhabited
i" Dismay assaulted him. He got
up, after a little struggle overcoming
the resistance of stiff and sore limbs,
and stood with hand on the coaming
of the dismantled catboat, raking the
island with an incredulous stare.
She stirred from her place and Of
fered him a hand. please help me
up"
He turned eagerly, with a feeling of
chagrin that she had needed to ask
him. For an instant he had both her
hands, warm and womanly, in his
grasp, while she rose by his aid, and
for an instant longer-possibly by way
of reward. Then she disengaged them
with gentle firmness.
She stood beside him so tall and fair,
so serenely invested with the t1awless
dignity of her wOmanhood that he no
longer thought of the incongruity of
her grotesque garb.
you've been up there?" he asked,
far too keenly interested to scorn the
self-evident
She gave comprehensive gesture,
embracing the visible prospect. "Al
over. When I woke, l thought
surely -. I went to see, found
nothing living except the sheep and
some chickens and turkeys in the farm
yard. And the farmhOuse-apparen
it's ordinarily inhabited. Evidently
the people have gone away for a visit
somewhere. 1t gives the impression of
being a home the year round. There
isn't any boat"
mo boat!''
'Not sign of one, that can find
except this wreck" She indicated the
catboat.
'But you can't do anything with
this" he expostulated.
The deep, wide break in its side
placed it beyond consideration, even
if it should prove possible to remedy
its many other lacks.
"No. The people who live here must
have a boat saw a mOOring buoy out
herewith q gesture toward the wa
ter. 'Of course. How else could they
get away?"
'"The question is, how we are to get
away" he grumbled, mOrose.
you'll find the way" she told him
with quiet confidence.
81! I'll find the way? How?"
81 don't know-only you must. There
must be some way of signaling the
mainland, some means of communion
| ton. Surely people wouldn't live here,
cut off from all the world Per-
haps We'll find something in the farm
| house to tell us what to do. L didn't
| nave mucn ume TO look round L
wanted clothing, mostly-and found
these awful things hanging behind the
kitchen door. And then / wanted
something to eat, and | found that
some bread, not too stale, and plenty
of eggs in the henhOuse. And
you-you must be furnished !"
The reminder had an effect singular
ly distressing. He turned a little faint,
was seized with a slight sensation of
giddiness, at the thought of food, so
that he was glad of the catboat for
support.
"Oh, you areI Compassion thrilled
her tone. "Pm so sorry. Come-if you
can walk" She caught his hand as if
to help him onward. eve can build O
fire and have something hot; there's
| plenty of fuel"
''But-what did you do?"
'I-oh, took my eggs au natural
barring some salt and pepper. | was
in too much of a hurry to bother with
q stove"
'Why in a hurry?"
She made no answer for an instant.
He turned to look at her, wondering.
To his unutterable establishment she
not only failed to meet his glance but
tried to seem unconscious of It.
The admirable ease and gracious
self-pOssessiOn which he had learned
to associate with her personality as in
alienable traits were altogether gone.
just then-obliterated by a singular,
exotic attitude of constraint and diff
dence, of self-consciousness She
seemed almost to shrink from his re-
gard, and held her face a little averted
from him, the full lips tense, Iashes
low and trembling upon her cheeks.
Halfway up to the farmhouse men,
DRY shot through Whitaker's mind as
startling as lightning streaking athwart
a peaceful evening sky. He stopped
with an exclamation that brought the
girl beside him to q standstilI with
questioning eyes
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