The Winslow mail., 1916-01-28
SHORE LEAVE.
BY ELLIS WAKEMAN.

of Block island during the maneuvers
around Newport and Point Judith,
Tinkham appeared to have settled
melancholy descend on him.
Deborah. That was her name.
Funny, sweet, little old-fashioned
name, he thought, Deborah Allan. She
| had been born right there on the is
land, Is miles out from the mainland
| and to Tinkham she seemed as sweet
and rare as one of her own island
pond lilies the barefooted boys brought
around the hotels and docks.
All he had done that first day was
to look at her and say, Hello, sweet
hearth
And she had cuffed him. soundly, her
big, dark eyes ablaze with swift an
ger, her little hand stinging in it's re-
buke.
You boys from the ships think you
own the island the minute you land
here,'' she had told him. 'And we're
not that sort"
She wasn't that Sort" either. A bit
OF "Mandalay" had always made him
think of her in the long cruises later
on. 1--we a neater, sweeter maiden in
a cleaner, greener land"
She had boxed his ears. but she had
also all unwittingly given him a new
ideal of girlhood, and in his own way
he had tried to fit his standards of
life to the new picture.
Somewhere he had learned that she
played the organ up at little st. Ann s.
by-the-Sea, and he had slipped into one
OF the back pews to listen to her just
for one Sunday, his "neater, sweeter
maiden" Also, before the ships had
slipped away toward Newport, he had
found chance of meeting her father.
The old man had been busy calking
the seams in his sailing boat and
Tinkham had spent all his morning
one day helping him and telling him
stories of navy life. His reward had
come when Deborah came down to
call her father to dinner, and they
had met properly and rightly, and he
had held her hand in greeting.
His time was up in September Ii
he could only be sure she was still
there in the little white house on the
shore road. He stayed on board and
hugged his memory of her, afraid to
risk the truth. Then Grinman came
back and told him, big Grinman of the
gunners' mess.
She's still here, Tink," excitedly.
Seen her today myself She's all
alone up there. Lost her father in
the March blows"
"Dead?" asked Tinkham.
Sure. She's all alone, I'm telling
you. Thought you'd like to know
Thanks" answered Tinkham, and
the next day he got shore leave. AS
he turned up the beaten track to tile
cottage, he lifted his cap and tucked
1t under his arm for all the world the
way he had the day he went to hear
her play in church. Then, finally, ne
stood at the green screen side door,
tapping, he, Tinkham of the navy, with
a year between him and a girl VINO
had boxed his ears.
But he had full revenge. She came
quickly from the inner room and saw
him, and the color rose to her face as
she gave a quick indrawn little gasp
and laughed to cover it.
Tinkham had rehearsed all sorts OF
proper speeches all the way along the
road, and now he stood silent adoring
her. and all he could think to say was
my times up in September. I'm on
shore leave today
She gave him chair on the little
porch looking seaward, and they sat
down.
Did you think I'd Gomez" he asked.
Didn't you even remember me?"
She glanced from him to the boat
lying keel up down on the sands.
Yes, l remembered. Dad liked to
talk to you best of the boys that came
up here from the ships
You'll never like me, cause spoke
to you that day, will you?' he asked
hungrily. Il didn't say anything
only
Il remember what you said" She
smiled at him from under her long
lashes. Its just what all of them
say to any girl
IF I said it today it wouldn't be
the same,' said Tinkham doggedly
''Id-Pd mean it. That's what l came
ashore for. guess I've thought about
you every day for a year, and when
heard about your trouble l had to
come. I've only got one more month
to serve then I'm going out home to
see my mother and sisters. But I'm
coming back. l can't get away from
the sea. 1 like it right here. Maybe
it's you that makes the island seem
wonderful. l don't know, but l feel
it right here"
Tinkham stopped and waited. He
was not given to eloquence. Love
seemed to leave him wordless and
smitten with it's glory. Deborah was
looking past him out to sea, where the
warships lay, gun metal gray IN the
morning light on the sapphire water.