Polk County news. [volume] (Benton, Tenn.) 191?-1983, 1921-04-21

|
The canoe almost crashed agains
the side of the bigger boat as it cam,
sidewise of it, and Philip caught at 1
desperately. Slowly lifting himself
up he thrust his face close to Tony's
She was staring at him blankly 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 1 tell
you to drop, do it, but not before"
BY holding his body rigidly 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 boat
as Gussie came against his face. He
SlIdlNHtu lllc PIG anu ulOppCu IL a. mo
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 it takes
to tell it for the canoe to reach the |
shore. Under the overhanging 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 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
his daughters name loudly.
1t was not until he saw one of them
climb upon the tug and heard the sud
len clang of the engine that the boy
ook up his paddle and moved slowly ;
along the shore southwark, and, as he 4
vas going with the wind Philip made |
'apid progress toward the head Of the I
axe.
In a little cove he drew the canoe to l
he shore and springing out, dragged {
t it's length from the water.
Then he called softly: {
"TOny-little Tony" O
The girl stirred and lifted her head. {
"Yep," she sighed. "rm here" S
"Come out" said Philip, leaning 4
yer and taking hold of her arm. n
There! Child, don't shake so. You're 1
afe here with me, and I suppose they Il
link you're drowned by this time. t,
ant you step out, dear?"
She was trembling, so he had to pick m
er up and lift her out in his arms, n
hen he carried her under an over fl
angling rock and placed her on the
md.
Through many sobs and tears, she
Id him all that had happened on the :,
lnaf boat, and that her father had -
i'd her mother was dead. And so =
uNhSu was illllp huCS0uieys NC lCit =.
e tears rim his own lashes. For a y
ng time, in fact until the rain ceased e :,
beat upon the rocks and shore, they -
aged under cover. Most of tho time "
ey were silent, most OF the time fhil- - =,
held the curly head against his =,
east. When the dawn began to break -,
onnibel reused herself. =. ~
I'm goin' away now" she said, n,
We got to go to my friends. And ~
can't tell you just how much I'm ~ ~
ankin' you" y.
"But If I let you CO." protested - -
Flip, "I'll never see you again. Oh. ~ ~
MT do that Tony, 1 couldn't stand g.
now" -
Il couldn't, either" she said under
r breath. an be comm back here M
this hole some day."