Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1921-12-24

1t was mysterious and, oh, So rest
.ul! Just the rhythmic dip, dip OF
The paddle; no Jarring colors, no
lussy detail. one could think here !.
But she didn't want to think. Uncon-
sciouSiy Carol piled her paddle swift
~ uld Swifter.
OF sudden the canoe quivered,
came 10 Il dead stop. Yet there was
nu jar Of impact. Carol peered anx-
.ouSIS into the mist. Close ahead she
.uade out bulk. indiStinct, formess
save for the dim outline OF foggy
iulu which surprisingly terminated in
a strong brown hand grasping the
PROV of her craft.
1t Wa~ II man In Il boat, OF course,
.Hd he had put out Il hand In time
~ pt,Acit collision But why didn't
uc >peukt There was something fa-
m.iar about that hand-but surprising
It WasutI
Who IS it, Why don't you say
something: Let 60 please" There
WA, slight quavrr In Carols words.
only lone fisherman" came the
answer. Then, after II moment. oh
A> to letting you go-whcn the sun
rises the mist will lift; until then il
is not safe for you To paddle around
alone"
II was Stanley Mcrrlck, Of course.
Why play with herself at being sur.
priScd, when it was the very thing
She had hoped would happen! But
now, when What She had longed for
had come To pass, Carol pcrversely
determined to spoil ii ALL She would
not answer. When it grew lighter she
would just paddle away with muir
INJURED THANK YOU. Then 1t would
Lee over ANA she would have to con-
trive another chance 10 see him.
What was it She was saying? She
would do no such thing.
The mist was thinning. The figure
of the man in the boat took shape.
He held It iiSh-rod In his other hand,
with thumb on the reel. Ills eyes
were Oh his line Gra~ping her paddle,
Carol thrust it into the water. Per-
hapS If she We're To start ahead sud
denly thai hand must perforce loosen
its grasp aud She would be free. But
her muscles refused TO work.
Then there we're two hands on the
rod mud none Oh the bow of the canoe.
Nevertheless Carol sat motionlesS
perhaps its clear enough now for
you to get around without humping
into the other boats on the bay" said
thr man.
Stung hy fancicd insinuation in
Mcrricl,'s words. the girls paddle was
poised. when a.an the brown hand
-ra>pod her cauoc Had your break
faet:"
The tone WAS casual. as though he
Wer, a~kin. this thing for the first
time
- though She had not refused to
accompany him many times on such
- trip. "Why not Join me? Have my
coffee pot along, and some bacon.
Caught Il couple of fish before you
came"
Carol WAS sure afterward that she
did not answer. yet She found herself
being helped into the skif and her
own craft was made fast to its stern
They landed at Hat rock, and Stan
Icy built u fireplace of stones. and
IN II fire Of little sticks. lie cooked
the bacon and fish and made coffee
Ii Il battered pot. They sat close to-
e"thcr and ate. Surely nothing on
earth or in heaven ever tasted better
han that breakfast
The mist cleared. to disclose the
sun some distance above the horizon
Its golden light turned the tide-stained
rock Il mellow brown rs Carol some
how found her hand in one that
matched the rock IN color Then the
owner of the Sun-browned hand
turned his eyes from the Sun-ilecked
Waters Of the bay into the dark wells
of Carols eyes ana meditated on the
mysteries OF the deep-those con
r";tlcd 10y the waters of the earth and
hy wonan's eye
Why" lie began. did you" But
he -ot no further. \ robin singing in
a tree top ANA slight pressure of the
hand he held was answer enough for
amy question.