The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-03-14
Eoening Story
The Rift in the Fog.
BY DORA NOLAN.


had been a glorious month Summer
residents were lingering along, 10th
to leave. Huge woolsacks Travelled
ma eAically across the deep blue sky
and were reflected in the waters be-
meath. Never were the sands of the
beaches more dazzlingly white. From
a mile out to seward came the lazy
ding dong of asz bell buoy Orderly
little waves Tapped the shore as regu-
larly as the ticking of a clock. 1t was
the beauty of perfection that cannot
last.
AS the clerk in the office at the
end of the long row of bath houses
looked up from his book long enough
to hand Millicent Garrish a rubber
band from which dangled a stable
key he remarked confidentially
That's the only one out this after
noon and we close tonight for the sea-
son.
The sun was shining brightly when
Millicent emerged from the bath
house, but far out to sea a thick bank
of mist was visible. The little stretch
of public beach was deserted. There
was no one to admire the slender,
shapely figure revealed by the brown
jersey bathing suit. as it ran down the
sands and plunged into the water.
A hundred feet off shore floated a
! bathers' raft. With long easy over
hand stroke Mildred made the dis
lance in short order and, climbing the
wooden ladder, seated herself on the
canvas covered floor, bare knees
drawn up and hands clasped around
them, looking straight out to sea. Now
she could think.
There was not boat in sight and
the fog had already shut from view
the outlying islands. With no details
| to distract ones thoughts. the propo-
lrit ion oh nYr16 h n Idya n
decided. She had only to imagine
colbert Graham there beside her; and
| if the thought of his presence brought
with it a thrill, if it made the water
, seem bluer and the clouds whittier, then
the answer she had promised him that
evening would be the one Gilbert had
sought all summer.
Wisps of mist scudding on a light
| east wind, flew by, The parent bank
of vapor drew closer to the shore.
To the ceaseless song of the bell buoy
was added the eerie below of a fog
syren somewhere IN the distance. And
| Millicent's imagination failed in ma
| terializing Gilbert Graham sitting
| these beside her on the raft. OF a
sudden she realized why she was I'M
able to conjure the picture. Gilbert
disliked the sea. He did not even
swim.
Then Millicent realized something
else. The raft was hemmed in on all
sides by the fog. The ding-dong of
the bell buoy seemed to come from
behind her now@and yet surely that
was the shore side of the raft. Could
she be confused in her sense of di-
rection No, for there were the life
lines leading to the beach. Anyway,
sounds were often deceptive in the
fog; she knew that. 1t didn't matter
anyway. What mattered was whether
she really did love Gilbert Graham
or didn't
But what was that new note, that
steady undertone? Why, it couldn't be
anything but the throb of powerful
engines. That too seemed to come
from the wrong direction, for there
was not depth of water between the
raft and the shore for any small boat.
Whatever it might be was coming
nearer. Perhaps the craft had lost
its way and was in danger of going
shore!
Then abruptly the noise ceased
and of a sudden came a rift in the fog.
Something huge and black foemed. A
voice called, We're right on it, Then,
close before Millicent's startled eyes.
clearly outlined against the drop cur
tain of mist that obscured the rest of
the craft as completely as tho it did
not exist, lowered the PROV of a big
tug boat. And ON it stood man.
For the fraction of a minute these
two. the man and the girl, stood alone
in that rift in the fog before Milf
cent, abruptly turning, plunged into
the water, just as the bow of the YES
sci touched the raft, and made straight
for the shore. Yet they would have
known each other in eternity.
Even as Millicent disappeared the
man called to some one behind him,
There's a girl on her" AS he spoke
he jumped to the raft. But Millicent
was already well on her way ashore.
The fog lifted as quickly as it had
come and the man saw the slender
figure emerge from the water and run
up the beach. Millicent heard him
call out, shes all right"
AS the girl gained the bath houses
the clerk called to her: Game near
to taking yoH along. didn't she =?
That some of the Graham Wrecking
company's tug, came to take the raft
away. Forgot to tell you"
Millicent dressed, drove her rum
about home, dined and costumed her
self for the last dance of the season
at the club house with a curious sense
| of elation. 1t was IS tho she saw
| everything about her thru a mist and
the only thing that stood out clearly
was the figure of the man on the bow
of the boat. Every detail of his ap-
pearance was stamped indeIib1y on
/ her mind. He was an outdoor man
| for the sun had tanned his skin and
faded his khaki clothing to the same
warm tan. 1t had even bleached his
'wavy hair in spots. His eyes were
deep blue.
Afterward Millicent decided that she
must have spent those hours in some
thing resembling an hypontic state
"a walking dream. 1t lasted until
| Gilbert Graham led her determinedly
out into the darkness of the club YER
anda after the first dance, and de-
manded his answer. Out at sea the
| fog was closing in and again the dis
tant syren took up its muffled note
of warning. Without realizing that
she had never yet formulated de-
cision. Millicent's lips answered NO
| to Gilbert's plea. The man she could
love would love the sea; would sense
| the romance of work like that or the
wrecking company Gilberts father
owned Il would revel in the physical
! toll and risk of saving ships-human
| lives perhaps!
at see" interrupted Gilbert Tt
hecause l prefer to be treasurer of the
| concern rather than wear khaki and