The daily commonwealth. (Greenwood, Leflore Co., Miss.) 1916-1919, 1916-10-07
THINGS INA BASKET
By CHARLOTTE FREEMAN.

tight III the mIuuic VI " PA~AA
"Great guns!" he cried, picking his
way out of trouble and shaking on a
piece of fresh jelly cake which chung
a%fectionately to a barefoot. "Whou
ever think of finding you here2 And
why 50 exclusive?"
Gladys screwed the top on the
therm0s bottle and brushed some
crumbs off her bathing suit before she
answered, Exclusive! This beach is
about as private as a balloon ascen-
sion on the Fourth Of July. Jude told
you to hunt me, of course"
swell, l."
"She did, and you know 1t. Now,
please help me pack things into the
basket. Then you can trOt 1t back TO
the cottage and tell my sister that
am going out in the boat-alOne"
"But you can't"
"And- that l won't be home until
late and that she needn't worry. I'm
neither with Mr.. HARRISON, Lieutenant
Frick nor Jack Mabie, and she and the
other girls can rest easy. And tell her,
too, please, to find some pleasant en-
ployment for you, as you are tired of
your commission of keeping me Occu-
pied and out Of the way during the
house party"
He picked up the basket, but did
not move. "See here, Gladys! don't
want you to think TN always hanging
around at Judith's orders. l hang
around because l want to. You know
l love you. Only you won't listen.
Where are you going"
"Out in the launch. Maybe over to
the Point"
Bob looked at the sky. "It's going
to rain and the lake will be rough.
l wouldn't 90 if l were you, Gladys"
I'm going rain or shine. So good
by".
"Better let me 90 alongw
"No, l won't. Now run along and
eat your sandwiches"
All at once Bob got furious. 1t
stung him to the quick to have her
treat him as a little boy. He held up
the basket and hurled it high over
head out into the water.
swell, I hope you feel BETTER" said
Gladys sarcastically after the momen-
tary silence of surprise, but Bob cut
her short.
"Tve done as you wanted long
enough. Now it's my turn and I'm not
going to do another thing I'm told.
Are you still going to the Point?"
"Yes?"
"Then I'm going too" They were
beside the boat now. "Get in," he said
sharply. &,E
She stood still. "Get in," he re-
peated, and Gladys climbed over the
edge.
Bob jumped ip and started the en-.
CINE just as a flash of lightning split
the sky, followed by q crash of thun-
The little launch pushed her nose
bravely through the water and Bob
headed her for a point Of land five
miles away now fast becoming invisible
through the mist.
"ITwant you to know that bottle
cost three dollarsw ,. e
"All right. I'll get you anotherw !
"And the llnen-there were a very t
nice lunch cloth and a napkin that be- {
longed to a set mother got abroad. f
You can't replace themw c
I'll buy her a whole new set when :.
the war is over" he answered, unre- :
you can't make me sorry. S
It's your own fault you lost the bas. i
T
She looked at him a long time with
an ~inscrutable expression; then, :
There was something else in the bus. ,
ket," she said, tentatively trailing her =
hand In the turbulent water. !
what" inquired Bob, without in. 1
Eerest, keeping an anxious eye on the !
!
Il can't tell you" she said, !
All right" he answered. "Keep It !:
o yourself. Say, Gladys, we can't !.
the Point" The waves were !.
high now and crashing against !.
light little boat with terrible force ]:
the wind was blowing a hurricane. /
Then we'll 60 backw she shiy. !:
red. !.
ITS two miles. We can't" he :
above the roar of the wind. +
LII try to make the island" /:
he turned the boat toward a dark :.
atch In the water a quarter of n -
lille or so away, and the waves. com. -
lg Tor an instant b~roadside, nearly
lrned them over. -
GLADYS grasped the sides of the :
nat and held on desperately. For tha !
rst time she was really frightened. !
Suddenly there was a crash that !
visited the boat. Water surged over !
lem and then-obliviopI !
GLADYS woke up on 4 fiat. rrossv !
ace with trees all around. The sun
90 shining now and Bob was bend. !
G over her. :
Thank God" he said. II Thought !
u were gone sure. That was a close :
II for Us both. Don't move, GLADYS. +
rest there until you are stronger. I
Q Will have, to stay here until some. +
q sees US and takes us home. The ~
at Is smashed to %smithereens.n -
She smiled wanly and sat IN in
lite Of his protests. ST.
Dear Bob" she said, holding ont /
IN hands to him, don't you want IA
ow what else was In the basket7"
he had forgotten about 1t in tha 49,
e OF more serious things. But now
was all interest. "What" he NJ,
led quickly. No
MY heart" she said, turning awsv