The Winslow mail., 1916-11-10
|SOME THINGS IN A BASKET
BY CHARLOTTE FREEMAN.

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ~<S~$~>~~~<>><~S%>%
Bob, taking a short cut down the
bluff, missed his footing and landed
right in the middle of a picnic of one.
'Great guns! he cried, picking his
way out of trouble and shaking off a
piece of fresh jelly cake which clung
affectionately to a barefoot. who'd
ever think of finding you here? And
why so exclusive?"
Gladys screwed the top on the
thermos bottle and brushed some
crumbs off her bathing suit before she
answered. Exclusive! This beach is
about as private as q balloon ascen-
sion or the Fourth of July. Jude told
you to hunt me, of course!"
"Well, L"
"She did, and you know it. Now,
please help me pack things into the
basket. Then you can trot it 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 I'm always hanging
around at Judith's orders. l hang
around because 1 want to. You know
1 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. cts going
to rain and the lake will be rough.
| wouldn't go if / were you, Gladys !"
'Tm going rain or shine. SO good
by"
Better let me go along"
"Nc, / 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 little boy. He held up
the basket and hurled it high over
head out into the water.
"Well, hope you feel better" said
Gladys sarcastically after the momen-
tary silence of surprise, but Bob cut
her short.
"Fve 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.
She stood still. "Get in," he re-
peated, and Gladys climbed over the
edge.
Bob jumped in and started the en-
gine just as flash of lightning split
the sky, followed by crash of thun-
der.
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.
81 want you to know that bottle
cost three dollars!'
eAll right. I'll get you anOtherv'
"And the linen-there were very
nice lunch cloth and napkin that be-
longed to set mother got abroad.
You can't replace them!"
"I'll buy her a whole new set when
the war is over" he answered, unre-
lenting. "YOu can't make me sorry.
It's your own fault you lost the bas-
ket"
She looked at him long time with
an inscrutable expression; then,
'There was something else in the bas-
ket," she said, tentatively trailing her
hand in the turbulent water.
"What?" inquired Bob, without in
terest keeping an anxious eye on the
clouds.
81 can't tell you,'' she said.
"All right" he answered. Keep 1t
to yourself. Say, Gladys, we can't
make the Point" The waves were
getting high now and crashing against
the light little boat with terrible force
and the wind was blowing a hurricane.
'"Then Well go back" she shiv-
cred.
Its two miles. We can'tw he
shouted above the roar of the wind.
I'll try to make the island"
He turned the boat toward a dark
patch in the water a quarter of a
mile or SO away, and the waves, COM
ing for an instant broadside, nearly
turned them over.
Gladys grasped the sides of the
boat and held on desperately. For the
first time she was really frightened.
Suddenly there was a crash that
twisted the boat. Water surged over
them and then-Oblivion!