The Adair County news., 1921-01-05

going 10 take you away
Then she realized who it was, and
reached out and clutched at him.
breat hlesSly.
eCilnsb through undertoned Philip.
-Quick, climb through. and when ] tell
you to drop, do it, but not before"
By holding his body rigldly 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 cIutching fingers.
Philip almost lost his hold on the boat
as Gussie came against his face. He
snatched the pig and dropped II 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. 1t was
taking the girl an interminable 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 were 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 a great wave lift
ed his slender craft upon its crest and
they shot away toward the bank.
1t took a shorter time than 1t takes
to tell 1t for the canoe to reach the
shore. Under the oyerhanging trees
where they were shielded from the
wind, Philip turned and 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 a 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
nibel never moved, Philip waited. The
men on the canal boat seemed filed
with terror They ran from one end
of It to the other. He heard them call
ing to and fro, and once In 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 a little cove he drew the canoe to
the shore and, springing out. dragged
il its length from the water.
Then he called softly:
"TOny-little Tony"
The girl stirred and lifted her head
yep" she sighed. "I'm 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, dear?"
She was trembling, so he had to picI
her up and lift her out in his arms
Then he carried her under an over
hanging rock and placed her on the
sand.
Through many sobs and tears, she
told him all that had happened-on the
canal boat, and that her father had
said her mother was dead And so
touched was Philip MacCauley, he felt
the tears rim his own lashes. For a
long time, in fact until the rain ceased
to beat upon the rocks and shore, they
stayed under cover. Most of the time
they were silent, most of the time Phil.
Up held the curly head against his
breast. When the dawn began to break
Tonnibel reused herself.
"I'm gOin' away now" she said
I've got to go to my friends. An6
l can't tell you just how much Tn
thankin' you"
"But if / let you 60" protested
Philip. ''PI never see you again. Oh
don't do that. Tony. l couldn't stand
it now"
81 couldn't, either" she said under
her breath. ''Tll be comm back here
to this hole some day."
"When2% asked Philip. eagerly. ITO
day?"
TOnnibel shook her head.
"Nope," she replied YEARLY. I'm
dead beat out"
And l forgot that" cried the boy
Tony, darling, will you-will yol
kiss me before you go?"
Two arms shot out and claspe'
around his neck. Two eager lips me
his in such passionate abandon tina
for long time after Tony and Gussi
had gone away~toward the bouleyar'
Philip MacCauley lay face downwarl
on the shore. the sun peeping at hin
from the eastern hill.
1