The Mount Holly news., 1919-11-25
HThat Wave Caught Me Mapping"


zine. The name of the magazine and
the rest of the poem, if any, refused
to be unearthed.
But there were many things to be
attended to before the start on the
morrow; so the methodical professor
put from his mind the truant verse
and for the moment his thoughts
dwelt, instead, on the course of
study planned for the summer vaca-
ton.
But the mischievous imp was not
to be gainsaid. He dangled the lines
In front of the professors minds
eye insistently all that day. On the
way to the station the wheels of the
car beat them out; the railroad train
took up the refrain. Then Rodger
Cameron did a foolish thing-or per-
haps it was wise one. He COM
promised with the imp; and you
know the old saying about him who
makes compromises Travelling so
miles out of his way to spend one
whole day at shore resort COM
prised Rodgers.
That is why we find him number IS
in a queue of a hundred-odd that
stretched from the entrance to the
lighthouses far back into the blistering
sunlight. He wondered why he had
come.
A short man In gray suit and cap,
bursting with sense Of his own i'm
portance and outraged dignity, stood
Immediately behind Rodger. I'm
tired of standing here" he called out
in tone loud enough to reach the
perspiring man who was doling out
bathhouse keys as rapidly-or as
slowly as they were returned. "Pd
like a house. please. "Pm"-an i'm
pressive pause-"Mr. Geer."
"You may be Mr.. Rockerfellow
vanderastor for all the difference 1t
makes here" threw back the red
faced dispenser of the precious bits
of brass. you take your turn or
you take nothingl"
The gray-suited man stepped out
of the line and stalked away, to the
frank diversion of the crowd.
Cameron glanced around. A girl had
advanced into the majestic persons
place; a girl whose face was con-
cealed from Rodger by wide
brimmed white hat. The professor
turned back; then a thought oc-
Cured to him. 1t wouldn't be any
more than decent! So he addressed
the brim of the white hat: won't
you let me get your, key along with
mine? Then you can sit in the
shade"
THAT'S very kind Of you," spoke a
ripping voice. and the wide-brimmed
hat tilted back little so that Rodger
caught a glimpse of mischievous black
eyes.
Rodger watched the girl walk over
to the pavilion and sit down on a
bench. He kept on watching her. Ev-
cry time he moved up a step she
glanced ever at him and smiled. Il
was a winning smile. Rodger waa
number five in the line now-aDd
wished he were number SOL Anoth'
er smile. Only three more smiles COM
ing now-possibly an extra one when
he should give her her key. Why ne
was actually glad he had comet
The end came too soon. The red
faced man handed Cameron two keys
The girl stepped up and took one OF
them from him pressing quarter into
his hand. With murmured words OF
thanks and a mischievous look as II
she would like to say something more
she vanished toward the group OF
houses set aside for women.
Half an hour later Rodger Cameron
sat dlsconsolately on the beach. Wave
after wave. bright and sparkling ir
the morning sun. spilled its foam
fiecked crest at his feet.
Taking unchallenged all eacf
bright wave brings" The lines rar
mockingly. Without his glasses he
couldn't recognize his own mother ter
feet away. How could. he ever expect
then to find the girl of the ripply
voice and the smilei She might have
been any one Of the numerous womer
he had met and passed on his way
out to the raft and back; she NIGH
be smiling at him from somewhere
about right now. Fool that he wa:
to ruin his eyes by midnight study
Happy laughter and bantering voices
mingled with the splash of waves
What did he know about piayingf
A higher wave than usual deposited
something animate at his feet. Ths
something stood erect and shook 1t