Evening star., 1927-11-23

grin. so he's been talking behind
my back, has he?"
I'm afraid so," she admitted.
And may / ask why you agree
with him-why / am condemned?"
Because" said Polly Wickes. ''it
would have been ever so much nicer.
instead of saying what you did, to
have expressed delight that the tour
of inspection wasn't over-something
about charming company, you know,
even If everything you saw bored you
to death"
"Unfair." Locke frowned with mock
severity. Most unfair! l was going
to say something like that. and now
I can't because you'll swear you put
the words into my mouth and I sim
ply parroted them"
"Sirt" she said airily, will you see
the bungalows and the pickaninnies
next, or the boathouse?"
81 am contrite and humble" he
said meekly.
Polly Wickes' laughter rippled out
on the air.
9 Come on, them" she cried, and.
turning. began to run along the path
through the grove of trees where they
had been walking.
Locke followed. She ran like a
young fawn! He stumbled once awk-
wardly-and she turned and laughed
at him. He felt the color mount into
his cheeks-felt a tinge of chagrin.
Was she vamping MIN; did she know
that il his eyes had been occupied
with where he was going and not
with her, he would not have stumbled?
Or was she just little sprite of ma.
ture, full to overfiowing with life, buoy
ant and the more glorious for an un.
conscious expression Of the joy of liv.
ing? Amazing he had called what
he had seen on this island since he
had been installed here as a guest
that morning, but most amazing of
all was Newcombe's ward. New.
combe's ward, 1t was rather strange!
Who was she? How had girl like
this come to be Capt. Newcombe' 8
ward? Newcombe had not been COM
municative save only on the point
that since she had gone to America
to school, NeWcombe had not seen
her. Rather strange that, too! He
was conscious that she piqued him
one moment, while the next found
him possessed of a mad desire to
touch. for instance, those truant
wisps Of hair that now. as she stood
waiting for him on the edge Of the
shore, little out Of breath, the color
glowing in her cheeks, she retrieved
with deft little movements of her
fingers.
Her color deepened suddenly.
That's the boathouse over there,
she said.
II beg your pardon" said Locke
in confusion. And then deliberately:
"No, 1 DON'T
Polly Wickes stared. Again the
color in her cheeks came and went
swiftly.
"Oh" she gasped; then hurriedly
well, perhaps that is better! Don't
you think those two little bridges from
the rocks up to the boathouse are aw
fully pretty?"
"Awfully" laughed Locke
you're not looking at them at all,
said Polly Wickes severely.
Yes, l am," asserted Locke. "Anc
Just to prove it, l was going to ask
why that amazing structure-you see
I said amazing again-that looks more
like the home of yacht club than
private boathouse is built out int
the water like that. and requires these
bridges at all? Is ii on account of the
tide? I see there's no beach here"
I'm sure l don't know" said Poll,
Wickes. But they are pretty. aren'
they?-and the place does look ik'
a clubhouse. And it looks more lik'
one inside - there's lovely littl'
lounging room with an open fire
place, and | can't begin to tell yoi
what else. Shall we go in?"
Yes, rather" said Locke.
He was studying the place now will
q yachtsman's eye. 1t was built ou
from the rocky shore a considerable
distance, and rested on an outer series
Of small concrete piers, placer rev
feet apart; while. by stopping down
he could see, beneath the overhan:
Of the veranda, a massive center pier
wide and long. obviously the mail
foundation of the building. At tn
two corners facing the shore were tn
little bridges. built in shape like
curving ramp and ornamented VIII
rustic ratings that she had referre'
10. These led from point well aboV
high water mark on the shore to IN