Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1920-11-08

W HltHkt IUtt.
The face, however, was elsewhere
when the fist reached the point for
which II had been aimed; and Whit
aEer closed in promptly as the fellow
body followed his arm, thrown off bal
nnce by the momentum of the unob-
structcd blow.
What followed had entered into the
| calculations Of neither. Whitaker felt
| himself suddenly falling through air
! thick with n binding, choking cloud OF
dust and sand. The body Of the other
WAS simultaneously wrcnched violently
| from his grasp. Then he brought NJ
| against soldity with a bump that
seemed To expel every cubic inch OF
mir from his lungs. And he heard him
Self cry ont sharply with the pain of
| his weak ankle newly twisted.
He sat up, gaspng for breath
| brushed the sand from his face and
| eyes, and ms soon NJ his Whirling wits
| settled Il little, conprehcnded what
! had happened.
| Half buried in the debris of Il mini
! allure landslide, he sat at the foot OF
, the bluff. immediately above his head
Il ragged break showed where the sand
held together solely by beach grass
| had given way beneath the weight OF
! the antagonists,
A little distance from him the other
| man WAS picking himself up, apparent.
| ly unhurt but completely surfeited
/ Without delay, with not even So much
Ms II glance at Whitaker he staggered
off for a few PAGES. then settled into
heavy, numbering tro, westward
| along the beach. He did not wish the
woman 10 recognize him; therefore he
was putting himself out Of her way
For she was approaching.
When Whitaker caught sight OF her
she WAS already close at hand. She
had been running. Now rs their
glances met, hers keenly inquiring of
| Whtakcr's still bewidered ewes. she
pulled up abruptly and stood astare.
He saw. or fanCied, something closely
akin to fright ana CONSERVATION in her
| look. The flush in her cheeks gave
way to II swift palor. The hands
trembled that drew her beach cloak
close about her. She seemed to make
an Intellectual effort to speak.
ON his part, Whitaker tried to get
up. A keen twinge in his ankle how
ever, Wrung an Involuntary Srunt from
him. and with wry grImace he sank
back.
"oh :" cried the woman. impulSively.
you're hurt" She advanced a pace
solcltous and sympathetic
"oh, not much Whitaker replied
in tone more of hope than of assur-
nncc. He felt tcnderly of the injured
member. "Only my ankle-twis'ed 1t
a few days ago and now again. It'll
be all right in a moment or two"
Her gaze travelled from him to the
edge of the bluff.
81 didn't sce--I mean. l heard some
thing, and turned, and saw you trying
to sit up and the other man rising"
"Sorry we startled you Whitaker
mumbled, wondering how the deuce he
was going to get home His examina-
ton of the ankle hadn't proved greatly
encouraging.
"But I--ah-how did 1t happen?'
"a mere Misunderstanding, he said
lightly. 81 mistook the gentleman for
someone I knew. He resented il, so
We started to scrap like a couple Of
schoolboys. Then I wish to
heaven it had been his leg instead Of
mine :"
But still I hardly understand :"
"Well, YOU see, I--ah--Im visiting
Embcr-the cottage next to yours,
believe. That is, if I'm not mistaken,
You have the Fiske place."
She nodded.
"And so, this morning, it struck me
as fine young idea to swim over here
and have n look nt the beach. And
then found that chap watching you-"
That startled her. "lIow do you
mountaineering me?'
ny illll = wat ht cNNiiN"
to be doing"
She shook her head. "You must be
mistaken
"Darcsay. l generally am when l
jump at conclusions. Anyway, he didn't
like It much when called him out Of
his name. gathered, In fact that he
was considerably put out. Silly, wasn't
it2'
Rather :" she agreed gravely.
For n moment or two they eyed one
another in silence, Whitaker wonder
ing Just how much of a fool she was
thinking him and obviously consider
Ing various eXpcdients to ingratate
himself
Il don't seem to think of anything
useful TO say" he venturcd. "Can YOU
help me out? Unless you'd be inter-
estcd to know my names Whitaker.
Hugh Whitaker-?'
She acknowledged the information
merely by brief nod at seems to
me- she said seriously. chat the
pressing question Is, what are YOU 90.