The Lexington intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1901-1949, 1922-09-22

II was mysterious and, oh, so rest,
full just the rhythmic dip DIP Ol
the paddle; no Earring eolors' no
fussy detail. One could think mere
But She didn't want to think. uncoh-
s%ciously Carol piled her paddle S"i''
er and swifter.
or a sudden the canoe qulVereu'
came to a dead stop. Yet there was
no jar of impact. Carol peered ahX-
iously into the mist. Close ahead she
made out a bulk, indistinct, formless
save for the dim outline Of a iOgsy
arm which surprisingly terminated IL
a strong brown hand grasping the
prov of her craft.
1t was a man IN a boat, OF courSe'
and he had put out a hand in time
to prevent a collision But why dldnt
he speak? There was something IA
millar about that hand-but suppoSlng
ii wasn't?
"Who is it? Why don't you say
something? Let 60. please There
was a slight Quaver in Carols words
only a lone fisherman came the
answer. Then, after a moment "oh!
As to letting you gO-when the sun
rises the mist will lift; until then II
is not safe for you TO paddle around
alone"
Ii was Stanley Merrlck, Of course.
Why play with herself at being sur
prised, when it was the very thing
she had hoped would happen! But
now, when what she had longed for
had come TO pass, Carol perversely
determined to spoil it all. She would
not answer. When it grew lighter she
would just paddle away with n MUIR
INJURED Thank YOU Then it would
be overland she would have to con
triye another chance to see him.
What was il 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 Il ish-rod in his other hand,
with a thumb ON the reel. His eyes
were on his line. Grasplng her paddle,
Carol thrust it into the water, Per
haps If she were to start ahead sud
denly that hand must perforce loosen
its grasp and she would be free. But
her muscles refused to work,
Then there were two hands on the
rod and none on the bow Of the canoe
Nevertheless Carol sat mOtiOnless,
"Perhaps it's clear enough 10Y for
you to get around without humping
into the other boats on the bay" said
the a
Stung by a fancled %inslnuation in
Merrick's words, the girls paddle was
poised, when again the brown hand
grasped her canoe, Had your break
fast?"
The tone was casual. as though he
were asking this thing for the first
time.
AS though she had not refused to
accompany him many times on such
a trip. "Why not join me? Have my
coffee pot along, and some bacon.
Caught a couple of fish before you
came"
Carol was sure afterward that she
did not answer, yet she found herself
being helped into the skiff and her
Town craft was made fast to It's stern
They landed at a fiat rock, and Stan.
ley built a fireplace OF stones. anC
in II a fire Of little sticks. He cooked
the bacon aud fish and made coTe,
in a battered pot. They sat close to
getheri and ate. Surely nothing OF
earth OF in heaven ever tasted betteI
than that breakfast!
The mist cleared, to disclose thu
sun some distance above the horizon
Its golden light turned the tide-stalne,
rock a mellow brown as Carol some
how found her hand in one tina
matched the rock in color. Then tn,
owner Of the S%un.browned han,
turned his eyes from the ~sun-ieeke,
waters of the bay into the dark we'll
Of Carols eyes and meditated ON tn,
4 mysteries OF the deep-those con
cealed by the waters Of the earth an.
: by a woman's eye.
t why" he began, did YOU" Blu
4 he got no further, A robin singing Il
a tree top and a slight pressure of tn
I hand he held was answer enough 70
any question.
Il