Beverly banner. [volume] (Beverly, N.J.) 1877-1964, 1925-01-02
CHAPTER xvIII-Continued
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COpyisht by Kathleen Morris

CHAPTER XVIII-Continued
20
Then they were at the beach, and
the center of joyous activity. Gibbs
was settled, with the plaid, on warm
curve of rocks, where he pulled his cap
over his eyes and watched them all
plaeidly. Lizzie found another natural
chair, where she sank down with her
baby gazing with dreamy content at
the glittering water, stepped in the
peace that the Juggling, busy little lips
at her breast seemed to enhance rather
than interrupt Then little Ellen was
settled on the pillows under the UNI
brella, and Lizzie gayly Joined the
workers A hundred times, on this
memorable happy day, Ellen found her
self watching Lizzie's little white fig
ure. her happy, youthful face. Lizzie
was just twenty: what might have
been her destiny at twenty?
The tireless, sweet green water rose.
and fell; each wave formed an emerald
arch of itself before 1t broke with a
long, splitting crash, to rush in, level
and incredibly swift. flinging upward
against impeding rocks, and curving
over the white sand Gibbs watched 1t
a delicious lull of body and soul So
much of it-such spIendidly wasted
beauty and energy, year after year.
How pitiful was even the fullest, even
the longest human life, against this
glorious miracle that went ON year
after year throughout the centuries,
that had been as old as the world when
Padre Junipera Sierra walked along
these shores.
Joe clattered near him on the rocks.
He tilted the cap over his eyes tritle
and glanced at the absorbed group by
the fire
Manage to speak to me alone
Gibbs said.
Joe, not moving his eyes from the
defiant crab that had wedged his little
body tightly in crevice of rock,
cleared his throat
"Surel he answered gruffly.
Ellen also had her word alone with
bON. ~ was ullCi iuBtliCVAi, WITCH A~AA-
zie had curled up like child on a
patch of warm sand, and fallen asleep.
and Gibbs was apparently doing
Tommy was wading along the bubbling
line of foam, and the baby slept on.
'You knew Harriet and George were
here last summer, Joe?" Ellen ven
tured 'Do you ever see Harriet now?"
hn .lgA
"She's queer sort of girl. What's
she doing-colecting plates?"
"She has a remarkable china collec-
tion," Ellen admitted.
"China collection! What's that for
woman to dot" Joe stretched COM
fortably in the sun. "Oh. WE'LL" he,
said leniently, that's all right, If she
likes it. Harriet's nice enough. but
she's spoiled by too much money"
yet you liked her very much once
Joe,' Ellen suggested, from the depth
Of deep amusement and satisfaction.
'Oh, yes-kid Lowell | never really
loved any one but Lizzie" said Joe
Ellen saw that he really believed It,
and with a great sigh of thankfulness
she laid one of life's ghosts to rest for
ever. I'D like to go down to Los An
t0nios some day." Joe unused, land
see what sort Of opening there might
be-well, for instance, in starting pa
per there. / haven't said anything to
Lizzie, but talked to Gibbs about It,
I'd like to live here, and have little
bungalow, and bunch of kids, and
think Lizzie'd go crazyl I'm seriously
thinking about it. could have little
jitney and go back and forth"
You could have slice of Already"
Ellen promised eagerly we've twenty
acres here, and there are dozens of
house-sites!"
''Well see." Joe yawned again,
blinking at the sun. by the way,
Ellen" he added. more animatedly.
''You knew that Lillian had remar-
ried?
"Just that through George Have
you heard anything more? 1t was Lind
say Pepper, OF course?"
ut was Lindsay Pepper. But the
strange thing, young George Lathrop
told me, was that she didn't really
want to do 1t. She and the old lady
don't hit it off at all we'll, and all his
money comes from his mother. Be
sides that. Lillian would rather have
been a rich widow, you know--at all
events, she did deliberately try to gel
out of it,"
But, Joe. don't see why she
couldn't!"
"Oh. he had tremendous hold on
her. You see his name was mixed up
with hers in the whole business. If
she didn't care for him, she never
should have been away from home the
night Of the accident! ! suppose he
simply forced her hand. Funny thing"
Joe added. reminiseently. when |
FIRST met her she had all the cards:
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