Middletown transcript., 1916-02-12
CHAPTER XIV.
~
Gail Breaks a Promise.

GdBt 0TGdRS q EtONHSSs
The Whitecap would have been un-
der way except for the delay Of the
gay little Mrs. Babbitt and her admir-
ing husband, who sent word that they
could not arrive until after dinner, so
the yacht, long and low and slender
and glistening white, lay in the riddle
Of the Hudson river, while her guests.
bundled warmly against the crisp
breeze, gathered in the forward shelter
deck and watched the beginnings Of
the early sunset.
Il like Doctor Boyd in his yachting
cap" commented Lucille, as that
young man joined them, with a happy
mother on his arm.
TT takes away that deadly clerical
effect" laughed Arly. His long coat
makes him look like the captain, and
he's ever so much more handsome"
'I don't mind being the topic of dis
cussion so long as I'm present" COM
mented Rev. Smith Boyd, glancing
around the group as if in search of
someone.
1T rather restricts the converse
tiOn." Mrs. Helen Davies observed.
The cherub-cheeked Marion Ken
meth glanced wistfully over at the rail
where Dick Rodley, vying with the
sunset in splendor, stood chatting with
easy Ted Teasdale and the stiff Ger
aid Fosland.
Where's Gail?" demanded the
cherub- checked one.
Its time that young lady was up
oH deck" decided Arly, and rose.
She's probably taking advantage of
the opportunity to dress for dinner"
snrmised Mrs. Davies. In fact.
think it's a good idea for all Of US.
but the sunset was too potent to leave
for few moments, and she sat still.
Where indeed was Gail? In her
beautiful little curly maple bed, and
digging two small fists into the maple
brown coverlet. The pallor of the
morning had not yet left her face, and
there were circles around the brown
eyes which gave them wan pathos;
there was crease of pain and worry,
too, in the white brow.
Gail had come to the greatest crisis
In her life. So far she had told no
one of what had occurred that morn
ing. When she had rushed into the
Fector's study he had sprung up, and.
seeing the fright in her face and that
she was tottering and ready to fall. he
had caught her in his strong arms, and
she had clung trustfully to him, half
faint, until wild sobs had come to her
relief. Even in her incoherence, how
ever, even in her wild disorder of emo
ton, she realized that there was dan
ger, not only to her but to everyone
she loved, in the man from whom she
had run away; and she could not tell
the young rector any more than that
she had been frightened 1t was strange
how instinctively she had headed for
Rev. Smith Boyd's study; strange
6hen, but not now. In that moment of
flying straight to the protection of his
arms, she knew something about her
self, and about Rev. Smith Boyd. too.
She knew why she had refused those
others who had wooed her; Willis
Cunningham and Houston Van Ploon
and Dick Rodley; poor Dick! and AL
TisOn and all the others. She frankly
and complacently admitted to herself
that she loved Rev. Smith Boyd. but
she put that additional worry into the
oh crrnnn6 Ont11I ho
later. She would have been very hap
py about it if she had had time, al
though she could see no end to that
situation but unhappiness.
Where could she turn for advice. or
whom could she get to share in the
burden which she felt must surely
crush her. There was no one. 1t
was burden she must bear
alone, unless she could devise
some plan of effective action. and the
sense Of how far she had been respon-
sible for this condition of affairs was
one which oppressed her, and humbled
her, and deepened the circles about
her woe-smitten eyes
0dl4 IOOh hCA AoCo LAOu lu6IT pres
sure into the brown coverlet, and held
her temples between the finger tips
Of either hand; and the brown hair,
springing into wayward ringlets from
the salt breeze which blew in at the
half-opened window, rippled down over
her slender hands, as if to soothe and
comfort them. She had been wasting
her time in introspection and self
analysis when there was need for
decisive action! Fortunately she had
a respite until Monday morning. In
b.e past few days Of huge commercial
Movements which so vitally interested
her, she had become acquainted with
business methods, to a certain extent,