Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1917-02-23
CHAPTER xv-continued.

fastening back TO the farmstead,
he secured a spade from the barn
and made his way quickly down to the
beach by way of the road through the
cluster of deserted dshermen's huts.
Fifteen minutes walk brought him
to the pool. Ten minutes hard work
with the spade suf1iced to excavate
shallow trench In the sands above
highswater 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 strengthening light, feel
ing giddy and faint.
What the gulls and the crabs and
the SCATTERING surf had left had been
little, but enough for indisputabie
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, siri" she called heartily over
her shoulder. "And where, pray,
have you been all this long timer"
II went for a SWIM" he said
evasively-'thought it might do me
good.'
you're not feeling wellT She
turned to look him over. He avoided
her eye. 81 had bad night"
"Stil got the hump, eh?'
"Still got the hump" he assented,
glad thus to mask his unhappiness.
Breakfast and 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
maIly short of conviction. After two
or three false starts he gave it up
and took refuge In his plea Of indis-
position. She humored him with a
covert understanding that surmised
more in a 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 while with the
dishes and things, won't your" he
asked with an air meant to seem guile
less.
"Oh, yes; for some time" she re-
Piled quickly.
IL think til take q stroll round
the island. There might be something
like boat hidden away somewhere
along the beach,"
"You won't go out of sight?" she
pleaded through the window.
1T 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 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 OF the elaborate
~ casual glances which he had from
time to time cast inland had discOy-
cred any sign of her. But now she
appeared in the doorway, and after u
slight pause, as of indecision, moved
down the path to meet him.
He was conscious that, at sight OF
her, his pulses quickened. Something
swelled in his breast, something tight
ened the muscles of his throat. The
way Of her body in action, the way
of the sun with her hair /!
DiSmay shook him like an ague; he
felt his heart divided against itself |;
ne was so glad of her, and so afraid
-. He could not keep his eyes
from her, nor could he make his desire
be still; and yet and yet
They paused beside one Of the low
stone walls and the girl sat down
upon the lichened stones, then looked
up 70 MIN with smile and slight
movement of the head that plainly in
vited him to a place beside her.
Il watched you, off and on. from
tho windows. You might have been
looking for pin, from your pains
taking air, of there along the cliffs"
he nodded again, gloomily. Her
comment seemed to admit of no more
compromising method of reply.
"Then you've nothing to tell me7"
He pursed his lips, depreciatory,
lifted his shoulders not quite happily.
and swung one lanky leg across the
other as he slouched. morosely eying
the sheets OF sapphire that made their
prison walls. There was little silence.
She watched him askance with her
fugitive, shadowy. sympathetic and