Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-02-04
Observation-Disclosures
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OAA MISSOURI ISLE
ALEX S. BRtScoE.
Observation-Disclosures
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Copyright.
The Frank A. Munsey Co.

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As the boat reeled away from the
sunken snas, her bow ripped open, Al
len spun the wheel and the stricken
craft swung toward the shore,
Hold tight he yelled TO the girl
as the launch, driven by her powerful
engine wedged her splintered hull
deep into the muddy bank. II was half
full Of water. bur could sink no far
rher.
Now you've gone and done il. Matt
Allen, came from the girl How are
Ne going TO get back 10 the others? ~
Tie surveyed the wreck ruefully.
Not In this boat That's cinch,
he conceded.
rhe man was a loose jointed. slen
dar individual, whose marked charac-
terlstics were the size and number Of
his freckles and the extreme redress
OF his hair.
interesting and strayed around over
his face in q manner most dsconcer.
ing to q person who loved regularity
in all things.
Beatrice Martin surveyed him with
disapproval. She also was slender
and bore the marks of days spent I'M
der the sun. Hers was the complex
ion---and the freckles--of one who
played tennis and golf and took adyan-
lage OF every other excuse to live In
Jhe open.
She vas not particularly pretty. Al
first 8 ut sha impressed one as plain,
then m CO ceded he as interest
ing. ally Oh aN Ike t. iull appro.
citation anu protes d 81 wa Won
sderful.
Allen grew nervous under her stare
aud leaped to the bank. He had no
desire to alarm his companion, but he
feared their adventure would prove
more embarrassing than AT first was
apparent.
IN take look around" he called
out cheerluIly as he disappeared in
The timber.
Five minutes OF walking and he
pushed through Il fringe of willows.
His suspicious were confirmed. The
main channel of the river lay before
him. They were on al island.
When he had completed 1t circuit OF
The narrow strip OF land b. went back
, 10 lay the situation before the girl
What kind of castatly do /
il hard, Dec; were on an island, and
can't figure out how we're soine to
get off"
oh, it's not so bad surely" the
other protested: they'll miss us and
make a search.
The man groaned.
but they are expecting Us 10 run
down below Whites Island and take a
car for home he pointed out They
won't know until tomorrow that We
haven't showed up
i Full realization of the situation
caused them to look al each other in
dumb dismay.
\ Half An hour before they had LEFT
the club house up the river intending
10 make u ten-mile run in the launch
and catch train TO, CarrOlton At
/ Wakenda.
l The girl broke The silence.
".Are you sure we're on an island"
Reasonably 50. I've been clear
around H."
l Beatrice Martin was regarded as q
| remarkably self-posse. sed youni
xomun, aud never had she come ~
| near TO losing that reputa lion ms wher
Allen made plain their predicament.
The tortuous channels between Tn,
many islands were visited but rarely
/ even by the few fishermen in the vi
entity. They were as effecually cast
aways as though they had beer
wrecked on a coral island In the Pa
ciflc.
! The girl spanned the narrow chan
mel with her eyes.
YOU might swim across" she sug
rested
There was silence. then Allel
rolled a clod into the muddy stream
with his heel and stood up. "As lonl
ss we're here, why. we're here" HI
said. "The first thing is 10 start
signal fire or put up a flag. incidcn
tally, how about eatsr
bee waved hand toward n box o
chocolates on the padded seat besid
her
/ Il see" be aruntedi satisfying IN
der normal conditions. but hardly con
stituting what is known as rectant
ular mesl"
II believe you are tho man in III
csse" she observed, Isn't il tn