Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1916-11-02
In the Pool Lay the Body of Man.

~>--%... "
In the Pool Lay the Body of Man.
two Of the large powders, the reced-
ing waters had left little, limpid
! pool. In the pool lay the body of
a man, face downward, limbs fright
fully sprawling. Gulls fought for
place upon his back.
The discovery brought with 1t no
shock of surprise to the man on the
bluff; horror alone. He seemed to
| have known all along that such would
| be the cause. But he shrank shudder-
| Ing from the thought Of the work
that lay to his hand-work that must
| be accomplished at once and COM
pletely; for she must know nothing
of it. She had suffered enough, as
| 1t was.
Fastening back to the farmstead,
| he secured spade from the barn
and made his way quickly down to the
| beach by way of the road through the
cluster of deserted fishermen's huts.
! Fifteen minutes walk brought him
to the pool. Ten minutes hard work
with the spade sufficed to excavate a
shallow trench in the sands above
| htgh-water mark. He required as
much time again TO nerve himself to
the point of driving off the gulls and
moving the body. There were likewise
crabs to be dealt with.
When 1t was accomplished, and he
had lifted the last heavy stone into
place above the grave, he waded out
! into the sea and cleansed himself as
best he might, then lay down for
time in the strength giving light, feel
ing giddy and faint.
What the gulls and the crabs and
the shattering surf had left had been
| little but enough for indisputable
Identification.
| Whitaker had buried Drummond.
By the time he got back to the
farmhouse, the woman was up,
dressed in the rent and stained but
dry remnants of her own clothing (for
all their defects, infinitely more be-
coming than the garments to which
she had been obliged to resort the
previous day. and busy preparing
breakfast.
"Well sir!" she called heartily over
| her shoulder. "And where, pray,
have you been all this long timer"
~ went for q SWIM" he said
evasively-"th thought 1t might do me
good"
you're not feeling wellT' She
turned to look him over. He avoided
her eye. II had bad night"
"Still got the hump, eh?"
"Still got the hump" he assented,
| glad thus to mask his unhappiness.
breakfast and a strong cup Of tea
or two will fix that" she announced
with confidence.
His stout attempts to match her
| cheerfulness during the meal fell dis
! mally short of conviction. After two
or three false starts he gave 1t up
and took refuge In his plea of indis-
| position. She humored him with
covert understanding that surmised
more il second than he could have
| compressed into a ten-minute confess
sion.
The meal over, he rose and sided
awkwardly toward the door
You'll be busy for a while with the
dishes and things, won't your he
asked with an air meant to seem guile
less.
ooh, yes; for some time" she re-
| piled quickly.
Il think I'll take a stroll round
the island. There might be something
like a boat hidden away somewhere
| along the beach"
you won't go out Of sight?" she
| pleaded through the window.
ut can't be DONE" he called back,
strolling out of the dooryard with
much show of idle indecision.
His real purpose was, in fact, de-
finite. There was another body to be
accounted for.
To his intense relief, he made no
further discovery other than a scatter
| ing drift of wreckage from the motor
| boats. He turned at length and
trudged YEARLY back toward the farm
house.
Since breakfast he had seen moth
| ing Of the girl none 81 the elaborate
| ~ casual glances which he had from
time to time cast inland had discov-
cred any sign of her. But now she
| appeared In the doorway, and after a
! slight pause, as of indecision, moved
down the path to meet him.
He was conscious that, al sight Of
| her his pulses Ouickenpd Something
swelled In his breast, something tight
ened the muscles of his throat. The