Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1923-05-03


1t was the evening of Nav Hes
keth's picnic supper, small but MEM
orable; and now the clocks, had there
been any on the island, would have
pointed close to midnight. What was
so rare as this night in June? Sailing
wfsps of cloud shredded the face of
the high moon; the blackness of the
woods, the glades and dells, the vine
covered rocks and the empty quarry,
were stippled and patched with silver:
the lake was sheet of silver stretch
Ing far away to lose itself in lovely
dusk. Through the verdure soft
breeze whispered; from the water
fioated voices of the merrymakers re-
ceding; and the woman stealing on
light feet up the path, a slim and not
incongruous elre in her white bathing
dress, witlY unbound dark hair
streaming to her waist, reflected that,
for an hour at least, she would be
alone here.
But 1t was not so. From the i'm
penetrable shadows, as she neared the
ruined cabin, the figure of a man alb
ruptly emerged upon the path; he
stood confronting her. She started
little, and then she saw, with a wild
shoot of satisfaction, that this man
was her husband
Your she said, with the family
hooking air she had long ago learned
for him; "but fancy meeting you
here"
"YOu-you looked like a" he be-
gan a little confusedly; and then,
breaking off, he cleared his throat and
started again, more authoritatively:
Il don't say I approve of that suit,
but-but it does seem to fit in with
the surroundings somehow. You might
3 almost have been mistaken-at a dis
! lance, that is-for-a hamadryad.
\ But"
AND what may they be? Something
very nice to be mistaken for, may
hope? But I supposed you'd gone in
the launch"
"No-no. I'm tired of drunks," said
he, continuing to stare at her. "And
besides, swimming at night-ah-
AFFECTS my SinuS-aS you once used to
know. But you-why did you come
back? You-you forgot something's
She was smiling family; her dark
eyes derided him.
Il almost forgot pyself, If you count
that! But not n your sense. I'm
not forgetful, only punitive My sinus
is sound, but my temper uncertain.
So didn't go. A sweet night, isn't
1t? WE'LL
"But-what is it? Why, what hap
pened?" h
"Oh, that. Yes, to be sure. l was
unexpectedly kissed, you see. In the
dark behind the boathouse, just as we
were ready to start-oh, most fero-
ciously, I assure you. Really that
made me angry, though of course not
so angry as I seemed. So I'm letting
him paddle himself over alone"
Her husbands dim, heavy face
seemed to darken. Him? Who was it? ?"
my dear Horace, you'll agree that
kissing and telling isn't quite the act
of lady? No, no! But I'm inter-
rupting your reverie-"
mo tell me! II want to know"
"Your air of interest Is awfully
civil, Horace. But I can't really be-
iieve that you've begun at this late
hay to take an interest in my private
Rifev'
Her merriment exasperated him,
clearly.
Howard Witheredge. I suppose
Pm his impudence! What you can
pee in that"
"Oh, name me no names, please
And the Incidents really not worth
Enentioning-I'm merely discipiiuing
beau, that's all. So we two have the
pretty wilds all to ourselves, only
think Charmingly coniugall But he
ress-goodbyw
No, no! Don't go. /"
Having conG9lled himself with an
bvious effort, ZIG man resumed with
Fkward Ss'slesssSss.
Ah-it seems too bad for You to
SIS your moonlight dip, when you
n!oy it so-merely on account of the
ehavior of an alcoholic cad. | was
Pout to say-I'll paddle you over to
Pc Pulpit myself
Sho eved lin, o,,;1,IcoIf,, o-J III ~