Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1921-11-30
GUARDING NATALIE
BY MILDRED WHITE.
Copyright. 1891, western Newspaper Union.

Copyright, 1871, western Newspaper Union.
Nesting against the marshy shore,
the lake lay, like mirror. 1t was a
beautiful spot and the man with the
iron gray hair conceded it; but his OBJ
ject in coming was not to view the
scenery. The object was a girl, and
she sat high on a log fence and dis
dained him. AS he parked his car close
to the edge Of the water she continued
busily counting the stitches of her knit
ting; her own small car stood convent
emily near on the green.
Beautiful evening" she remarked,
pleasantly. Don't you like the way
the sun turns the water to goldw
The man frowned
Il don't like" he said angrily, "the
way you 60 roaming about the country
alone This is the third evening you
haYe been absent from dinner. l asked
lilly about It and she told me that you
had ordered an early luncheon and
gone out in your car. So deliberate
ly followed-to find you here. This is
Oil NCIy against lily WlSlSS. 1Ou
know and still disobey"
The girl folded her knitting and,
chin in hand, looked thoughtfully out
over the rejecting waters.
1T is time" she answered decidedly,
that I do disobey. Elise shall con-
tinue the life Of prisoner. For I
have been prisoner, father, in your
house all my life, with neither wish
nor freedom of his own. If mother had
lived l am sure 1t would have been diff
ferent. am past the age of guardian
ship. l want to learn something Of
life-and love. Father"-the blue eyes
challenged him--"do you know any
thing about lover
The man laughed shortly.
$50 that is it." he said. "YOu go
riding around alone each evening in
search of romance-Of love. Have you
found it?"
The girl nodded gravely.
II have" she replied, though did
not seek it. I came here first to be
away from you and your sternness. He
came along one evening on the way to
his little fishing boat, which was tied
along shore. Sometimes" the girl ex-
planned, naively, "they fish all night In
these waters. And something had gone
wrong with my car, so the young man
stopped and fixed it. 1t was a great
deal Of trouble, but he did not mind !;
he smiled" The girl regarded her ia
Their calmly. II loved him." she said,
lin that moment"
The mao jumped from his car, fu-
rious with anger, and strobe to the
spot where she sat.
Natalie" he cried, threateningly,
but she eluded him and, slipping from
her post on the top Of the fence, ran
lightly as some slim boy down the mar
row path Of the shore. Helplessly, her
father watched her. She was like some
woodland maid In her gracefulness.
Far against the sky, 1t seemed, she
waited. until presently small boat
floateyl inward.
The father could see mans tall fig
ure, two strong barred arms reached
out to grasp her, then the two sat sill
houette-like against the sinking sun.
She, his daughter, had defied him for
a fisherman. The gray-haired man
smiled contemptuously, then pityingly.
The scene was like one from the
movies-rhe crude shacks along the
shore, that dark haired Apollo out In
the brightly reflected boat, close, very
close to the girl. Even here, he could
see Natalie lean to him, bend her
witching face to look up into the face
Of the fisherman. did he know any
thing Of lover" John Burrows asked
himself her question. He had thought
that he knew love years ago, until Ma
tales mother confessed to him, after
marriage, that she had given herself
to him because Of his money and
achievements. The man she had loved
was forbidden her because Of his
humbleness. So John Burrows, in their
mutual disappointment, determined as
Natalie grew that she should know
nothing Of love or its heartaches.
John burrows arose ana then
followed down the green trodden path.
All this was unbelievable. He would
see this fellow and force him in his
place. The small boat was just touch
ing shore. The fisherman tossed out
his string Of cleaning fish before he
reached very tenderiy for Natalie.
Even In the dusk her father realized
that tenderness. The man was big,
and good to look upon. John Burrows
saw his flashing smile.
The young man swung sharply
about.
"Why, Burrows" he cried, 80 you
came out to look the place over. I'll
be with you In a minute I have been
practically camping here while
mapped out our job. Now the thing ia
complete. Take you into my shack In
a minute and show you. Natalie"
The young man paused in helpless con-
fusion. The girls arm slipped through
her fathers.
"He doesn't know how to introduce