Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1920-09-30

she saw a spiral of smoke emerging
from the trees.
She ran along. falling once 10 hei
rush, and stopped. painting. before a
fire over which a young man was lean.
ing.
Her islandI Her sole possessioni
Her n loop to freedoms
II think this is simply outrageousT r.
Sylvia said. her cheeks flushing with
sudden anger.
The young man lifted a smiling
face: Il beg your pardon"
what are you doing on my island?"
Sylvia demanded.
That's just what ! would like to
know-what are you doing on my Is
land?" the man in the rough suit In
swered, brushing some twigs from his
knees and standing up.
II discovered it first. and l do
think"
Sylvia was suddenly aware of two
laughing blue eyes that studied her
with more than a sparkle of amuse-
ment. "Of course, l dent wish to be
rude" he said. but since you find
yourself t~respassing and feel that you
are in the way"
But Sylvia had stopped down and
held up her copy of The Three Mus
keteers," which she had missed for the
last week.
as that yours? never knew girls
read that kind of thing!"
Sylvia had forgotten everything. and
she sat down and put her rms about
her knees and fell into d deep discus
sion of the three heroes with this
young man.
whats that?' he shifted.
A blue smoke was rising from the
fire and Sylvia saw with dismay that
some bacon ~cleyerly coiled on sticks
was only a crisp black memory of ba-
con.
"Oh. and I'm so hungry" she sighed.
Never mind, can you come tomor-
row." he asked her.
Sylvia, with bright eyes, answered.
"Yes," and padded away into the sun
set with a new warmth at her heart.
The long summer days slipped away
and Sylvia found that the most de-
lightful time of day was in the late
afternoon when a camp fire sent up a
blue plume of smoke into the clear sky
above her. She thought, with a little
ache. that soon her summer of tutor
ing would be over; after this summer,
life looked very tame, indeed.
The last week fled by with the We
locity that happiness seems to give to
time. And Sylvia knew with the GER
tainty of instinct that the young nan
with the laughing eyes was going to.
let 1t slip away-into the limbo of
summer days-without saying those
three words that meant ecstasy to the
girl.
The very last afternoon she padded
to the island and, dragging up her ca
noe, saw that the camp fire was not
lighted. Dickie was not here. He had
not wanted to say good-by to her; he
had known, then, how she felt.
He had wanted to spare her
Sylvia, with chin dropped on her
hand, saw a tiny white arrow at her
feet. 1t was made Of pebbles and
pointed to the tree above her. Curl
ously she walked toward it and then
saw the arrow again, this time carved
in deep with a pen knife. She put her
hand into a small hollow and drew out
a sheet of paper.
Sylvia, my little love, I want to
ask you something very much; but l
haven't dared. 1t is this-will you
come some time and spend a honey
moor on this little island of ours?
Tonight / am going to paddle over
to Mink island and introduce myself
to your Worths.
"-Yours-well. that all depends on
you! DICKIE."
Sylvia pressed her cheek against the
letter and did not mind even the jeers
that the jay cast down at her.
FAIRY godmother forgive me-" Syl-
via sighed; you had the best gift at
the bottom of your basket"