Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1921-03-17

sidewise Of it, and Philip caught at 1
desperately. Slowly lifting himself
uD he thrust his face close to Tony's
She was staring at him blsnkly as Il
his ghost had suddenly risen out OF
the stOrm-tOssed lake.
Don't do that, darling" he whis
| pered as she drew back in terror. I'm
going to take you away"
Then she realized who 1t was, and
reached out and clutched at him
breathleSsly.
Climb through" undertoned Philip
Quick, climb through, and when ! tell
you TO drop, do it, hut not before"
BY holding his body rigidIy erect, he
managed to keep the canoe upright
Then he waited. but not for long. Al
most Immediately a girls bare arm
shot through the window Something
wriggled in her clutching fingers.
| Philip almost lost his hold on the boar
as GuSsie came against his face. He
snatched the pig and dropped it at his
feet. Then a pair Of bare legs fol-
lowed and Tony,'s body began to wrig-
gle through the narrow aperture.
once or twice Philip muttered an
ejaculation as a streak of lightning
crossed the sky only to die and leave
the water as dark as before It was
taking the girl an iDterminnble time to
squeeze herself through that opening.
Suddenly her shoulders were through.
and she was hanging on by her hands.
Just at that moment the tug ahead
became silent, and Philip heard the
two men walking back along its roof.
They We're coming aboard the canal
boat and If He crushed the canoe
nearer, lifted one hand and jerked the
hanging figure of the girl away from
the window. She Topped face down
ward into the bottom of the canoe
and Philip left her there limp without
a word. Then he let go his hold of
the canal boat, and great wave lift
ed his slender craft upon its crest and
they shot away toward the bank
1t took shorter time than 1t takes
to tell it for the canoe to reach the
shore. Under the overhanging trees
where they were shielded from the
wind, Philip turned Md looked back.
A mans face was thrust through the
window which had just yielded up the
quiet little figure at his feet. = Then
two forms appeared upon the stern
deck. From the hand of one Of the |
men hung lantern. Philip remained |
very still. He knew they could not |
see him hidden away there in the dark
ness.
For a long time through which Ton
nibeI never moved. Philip waited The
men on the canal boat seemed filled
with terror. They ran from one end
of it to the other He heard them call
ing to and fro, and once in a while an
oath escaped from Devon as he
screamed his daughters name loudly
1t was not until he saw one of them
climb upon the tug and heard the sud
den clang of the engine that the boy
took up his paddle and moved slowly
along the shore southwark and, as he
was going with the wind, Philip made
rapid progress toward the head Of the
lake.
In little cove he drew the canoe to
the shore and springing out, dragged
II its length from the water
Then he called softly:
"Tony-little Tony"
The girl stirred and lifted her head.
Yep" she sighed Pm here"
Come out" said Philip leaning
over and taking hold of her arm.
There! Child, don't shake so. You're
safe here with me, and suppose they
think you're drowned by this time
Can't you step out, dearT
She was trembling, so he mad TO pick
her up and lift her ont in his arms.
Then he carried her under an over
rock and placed her on the
sand.
Through many sobs and tears. she
old him all that had happened on the
anal boat, and that her father had
said her mother was dead. And so
ouched was Philip MacCauley, he felt
he tears rim his own lashes. For a
ong time, in fact until the rain ceased
o beat upon the rocks and shore, they
stayed under cover. Most of the time
hey We're silent, most Of the time Phil
p held the curly head against his
'reast When the dawn began TO break
rOnnibeI reused herself.
I'm goin' away now" she said.
I've got to go to my friends. And
can't tell YOU just how much I'm
hankin' you"
But If I let you go" protested
'hilip, "Tll never see you again. OH.
ont do that. Tony, couldn't stand
/ now!"
Il couldn't, either" she said under
er breath. "rll be comm back here
D this hole some day."