The Washington times., 1916-01-17

turned to look seaward The
brisk wind that had sprung up
during the last half hour snapped the
folds Of her sailor suit about her
anklec, with daring impertinence. She
flung her arms wide to the refreshing
breeze and laughed exultantly.
Out there, at the end of the pier, the
surface Of the water had become
smooth again. There was nothing to
prove that. only a minute before, a
large bundle. heavily weighted and con-
tanning invention plans worth a million
human lives had plunged to depths;
leaving only a nest of circular ripples
that grew fainter as they grew larger.
The wise old sea guards its secrets
wonderfully well.
One less weapon for the war god!"
she cried to the waves. "Old Neptune,
put it in your safe-deposit vaults so
that 1t will never rise again.
She bent to pick up a broken she'll
that was lying on the edge of the pier.
A particularly brilliant ray Of sunlight
caught the back of her hand, making
the red circle look like a scarlet welt
on the white flesh. She covered the
telltale mark with her other hand; and
looked around. guiltily.
Crouched there. the old. stark fear
cut into her heart for a moment. As
her keen, searching eyes found the
beach she sprang to her feet and
started toward little building on the
renting office Once safe in the shad-
ow 1t cast, she looked shoreward
again.
On the bench, running around a cor
Tedd TeF OF 1.-The the bat battered cred shack; she saw
watched. they ran down to the sea,
and stood looking about blankly.
Drew was desolate figure. Nursing
one foot. the other kicking and wig
Cling as If in effort to relieve the
pain.
The count was talking excitedly and
pulling at the ends of his long goatee.
In spite of her imminent danger, June
laughed at the strange pair; then
lodged back into the shadow when
she fancied she saw their eyes turn
ed dialogue drifted out to her faint
~, She caught the words: (Which
way? Find herr
A wave a little heavier than the
rest swished noisily under the pier
Something knocked against one of the
piles. June turned in sudden fear
She saw the ends of a perpendicular,
wooden ladder showing above the
edge of the stringpiece.
Bending over. she noted that an
empty rowhoat was tied fast Just be-
low her. Little sunlit puddles slid
lazuy from one side to the other, on
its bottom, as 1t rocked to and fro on
the gentle tide
Twisting her skirts snugly about
her ankles, June gripped the sides of
the ladder and descended carefully,
rung by rung. Naturally athletic, she
, balanced easily while she united the
painter and pushed away from the
side of the pier. Then, dropping on TO
the rower,s seat she adjusted the oars
When she felt that she was at a safe
distance, she rested on her oars and
looked toward the shore. The beach
was dotted with girls in white, sirIs
reds. girls in the soft sheen of satin
bathing suits, here and there a white
flanneled or blue-serged figure pro-
Too far away to distinguish faces
and well content at her clever escape
June tried not to scan the shore too
careIniiy Tor the two men who were
searching for her. The first glance did
not reveal them, so she dismissed them
from her thoughts for the moment and
took to dreaming. The sun was warm,
was soothing the day was meant for
dreams. She drifted on. smiling now
and then-sometimes startled from her
reysry by the sharp flapping OF sea-
gulFS wings as 1t rose from the sur
face and sped away.
a man on the beach, who had just
raised his glass TO learn what the
white spot on the horizon might be-
lowered it again before he had q
chance TO look. Two excited individ-
oalS, talking to each other, had come
across his line Of vlsion--in fact. ono
OF them had actually stumbled over
his white canvas foot and had gone
ON without apology. He looked after
the unmannerly chap, with half mind
to follow and demand redress
He saw the fellow who had so grossly
otfended him approach group OF girls.
Three of them in bathing suits were
talking to q remarkably pretty fourth.
who was sitting on rock. In spite of
bis recent irritation, the man could APP
SFOWate Just how pretty this girl was
her trim sailor suit and fetching
hat. He wondered whether she was a
friend of the two awkward doors. 1t
was strange that such q pretty sirl
could have such uncouth friends.
Suddenly one of tha fellows who broke
seized the right hand Of the pretty girl.
looked closely at tho back of II and
dropped It just as abruptly. The girl,
her eyes blazing with anger, reached
for the closed parasol that was lying
at her side and raised 1t In midair, to
strike.
abject apologies and loud protest be-
fore the sudden onslaught of indignant
femInity; then they broke into a TGn
and made for the esplanade. Slipping
his marine glass into his coat pocket,
the onlooker, amused, started in pur-
suit.
Partly because he was not running
away from anything. partly because his
white shoes were distressnglv new and
tight. ne found ii impossible to keen up
with the fleeing pair. He saw them
stop suddenly: he raw the same impu-
dent fellow apDroach a girl dressed in
sailor suit. seize her right hand. scan
Its surface hastily. then drop il. and
ATTEMPT a getaway
But the girl was too quick for him
Getting hold of the mans injured hand
she hung on. calling, for help at the ton
- her lungs. A policeman. a block dis