Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-04-14
CHAPTER XIV.
The seaeon.

dark with speculation, and oddly lam
bent He ate on, unconscious OF her
| attitude. When he had finished, he
leaned back little In his chair, sur
prised her intent gaze, laughed sheep
ishly, and laughing, sighed with reple-
ton. A smile OF sympathetic under
standing darkened the corners Of her
lips.
ITS coming on night" said he.
''You haven't forgotten our signal
fires? rye got my work cut out for
me, to forage for fuel. must get
right at It,"
The girl rose quickly. do you
mind waiting littlef / mustn't neg
lect my dishes"
She worked rapidly above the steam
ing dish-pan. busy and intent, the fair
! head bowed, the cheeks family flushed.
Whitaker lounged. profoundly In
trigued, watching her with sober and
ssudious eyes. What did 1t mean. this
impression that had come to him 30
suddenly, within the hour. that he had
known her, or someone strangely like
her, at some forgotten time-as IN
some previous existence?
1t was her voice that had made him
think that. her voice Of marvellous
allure, crystni-pure. as flexible as tenn
pered steel. strong, tender, rich, COM
passionate. compelling. Wnere
had he heard II before, and when?
''It's almost dark" her pleasant ac-
cents broke In upon his revery. Tm
quite finished" The girl scrubbed her
arms and hands briskly with dry
towel and turned down her sleeves,
facing him with her fine. frank. friend
IL smile. IF you're ready
whenever You are" he said with an
oddly ceremonious bow.
To his surprise she drew back, her
brows and lips contracting TO level
lines. her eyes Informed with the light
Of wonder shot through with the fash
ings Of resentful temper.
"why do you look at me soT she
demanded sharply. what are you
thinking r She checked, her
frown relaxed. her smile fickered soft
ly. "Am l such fright"
II beg your pardon" he said hastily.
II was merely thinking. wonder
ing 5 80 "a ~
she seemed about 20 speak. but said
nothing. He did not round out his
apology. A little distance apart. they
stood staring at one another in TINT
weird. unnatural light, wherein the
glow from the lamp contended garish-
~ with the ebbing flush of day. And
again he was mute In bewiidered In
quiry before that puzzling phenome-
non OF inscrutable emotion which
once before, since his awakening, had
been disclosed to him In her mantling
color, in the qulckening OF her breath,
and the agitation Of her bosom, in
the timid. dumb questioning of eyes
grown strangely shy and frightened.
And then, in q twinkiing. an i'm
patient gesture exercised the mex
plicable mood that had possessed her.
and she regained her normal, self
reliant poise as II by witchcraft.
Whist q quaint creature you are,
Hugh" she cried, her smile whimsical.
you've way Of looking at one that
gives me the creeps. II You don't
stop Il, swear I shall think you're
the devil. Stop lido you hear me,
sir? And come build our bonfire"
She swung lithely away and was out
of the house before he could regain his
wits and follow.
on In the north, where Whitaker
had marked down the empurpled head
| land during the afternoon. white
light lanced the gloom thrice with a
sweeping blade. vanished, and was re-
placed BY glare Of angry red, which
| In its turn winked ont.
what is itf'' the girl asked. "a
ship signallingy
"No; a lighthouse--probably first-
order light--with its characteristic
flash, not duplicated anywhere along
this section Of the Atlantic coast. II
knew anything Of such matters, It
would be. easy enough to tell from
that Just about where we are. II that
information would help u.s.
"But, II We can zee their light,
they'll see ours,-won't they land
send to hnd out what's the matter"
Perhaps. At least-let's hope so,
They're pretty sure Of II. but they may
think the natives here are merely cele.
brating their silver wedding, or Roose'
velts refusal Of a. third term, or the
accession Of Edward the Seventh OF
anything"
"please don't be silly-and discour
aging. Do get to work and build the
IRE"
He obeyed with humility and e1
petition.
There was no lack. Of fodder fol
the flames. BY dint Of several wheel
barrow trips between the knoll and the
far,nyard, he had presently construc
ted pyre Of impressive proportions
and By that time. II was quite darl
80 dark, indeed. that he had beer
forced to hunt up. Z yard lantern
carrying the which the girl had &C
companisd him on his two Anal trips.
| aHsrs,s No said clumsily. when ~
was ready. offering her matches. sYor
light II, please-fqr luck. Il
Their fingers touched AZ she tool
the matches Something thumped II
his breast, and l door opened in the
chambers Of his undsrstandlng, LETTING
IN light 49, I "
Knee,i19 q ~ 80 II ~ pyrs
- - ~ s,ea4 - at,r,1i6ia ~ n