The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-04-20
THE PINK SHELL
BY JANE GORDON
10. is23. western Newspaper Union. }

Dlue, ldke.
There had been so few idle hours
In Patience's life. If her parents, at
her naming. could have foreseen their
daughters ,unselfish future they could
not have named her more appropriate
ly. This winter had called especially
for that virtue. Uncle Thomas, grow.
ing querulous In his aged affliction,
had taxed even his faithful pieces pa.
tience, while Aunt Tilly-well, Aunt
Tilly was always just her tyrannlcal
self.
Patience, in the safe quiet Of her
small room, had darlngly lined her
! dark cape with CHEEKY red. She in
tended to keep the red side hidden
from her aunt's watchful eyes. So to-
day, as she fastened its collar about
her throat, her tired blue eyes bright.
ened at the glow the red lining gave
to her pale cheeks. She fuffed out a
little of theNsoft brown hair that was
streaked with silvery strands. The
rock that she knew, against the pro-
tecting cliff, was warm with sunshine.
Patience let the lake breeze lift her
waving hair, so that gold-brown curl
tossed close to glinting silvery one
then, her gaze half on her sewing and
half on the scarlet Of her wrap thrown
back at the shoulder, she gave herself
to pleasant dreams and happy memo
ries.
There was one never-fading mem
ory glowing fresh each springtime,
for this memory was the one approach
to romance that she, In her buried life.
had known. Such a poor little excuse
Of romance living on so brightly In
its glamour. On just such day as this,
years ago, Patience, In new cotton
frock. had sat on this same rock by
her sea. And red-cheeked young
sailor had stopped for a moment to ask
direction to q shore boarding house.
He was to have but few hours leave,
this young sailor, and 1t was his first
stopping. And with an eager, unusual
impulsiveness, Patience had offered to
him the hospitality Of her mothers
home. Mother had been so under
standing. so kindly serving. She had
welcomed the lad as she would have
own-and Richard Dawn was grateful.
1t was a happy dinner party-just
the three around the white kitchen ta-
ble-the young mans dark, steady
eyes continually on the girls face
Patience, in her pink frock, with pink
al. 10 oh 10 ictn
own eyes wide in their first hero wor-
ship, to his stories of adventure. She
had walked with him afterward, very
slowly through the afternoon sunshine,
down to this same sheltered rock,
where they had fingered in their good
bys. Then he sailed away. Only that.
But Patience. through all the stifled
years, had not forgotten. Neither had
she been unhappy. He had left with
her a little pink she'll ut is my
talisman," he told her. Never through
stormy waters, or in far dangerous
places had he been separated from that
pink shell. Now he gave 1t to her.
his charm.
His possession Of the pink shell was
part of one of the tales, of adventure
that had widened the young girls eyes
In hero worship. She kept 1t still,
the dresser in her room. facing the lake.
And surely, to her, 1t had been charm
evoking in trying hours-one past hour
of happiness.
The wind lifted her scarlet-llned
cape, Haunting its color like a flag;
the wind, too, whipped scarlet color
into her wan cheeks. Patience lifted
her eyes to see a man standing before
her-a sailor, undoubtedly.
"If you please" he said, rcould you
direct me to a near boarding place, or
does this Isolated spot boast hotel 2"
Patience arose, trembling, staring.
You see. she had mover forgotten, and
she was untaught in the school of dis
sembling. The big, smiling man mis-
understood her hesitatlon-
"Your red cape sort of tagged me-"
he laughfngly explained. "Set you out,
as 1t were, from the rest of the folks
on the beach-so l came straight to
you for information"
Patience put up her hand with
characteristic gesture, then she. too.
smiled.
If Richard Dawn Of the past had for
gotten, then she must feigli to forget
an episode Only an episode after all.
and the world Is wide. The man had
Travelled and--lived. She had stayed
In the cove by the big rock--and
dreamed.
II think" she faltered. "that my
aunt will serve you dinner IL you
WISH" She srose, leading the way.
II Richard---if this big. pleasant man
OF the sea wished to remain over night.
her own little room might be arranged
for his occupancy; she could sleep on
the couch In the lower hall, as she had
done many times before.
Dawn, coming down to breakfast
the following morning, told her that
he had made the discovery. II remem-
bered you," he said gravely. "when you
smiled yesterday--when you touched
your hair. Queer how a man can re-
member smell things like that
through years--across q world"
T~aval hod ohuoy-hod bfru--fro x,on