The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1935-09-06
CHAPTER l


'jutting out into Crocker's cove.
Just why she should have been SIN
gled out by this significant sobriquet
was a subtle psychological problem.
There were other women in Belleport
and in Wilton, too, who had lost hus-
bands. Nevertheless, despite the vari-
GUS homes in which solitary women
reigned, none of their owners was
designated by the appellation allotted
to Marcia Howe.
Moreover, there seemed In the name
the hamlet had elected to bestow upon
her a ring of satisfaction, even of re-
jolcing, rather than the note of con-
dolence commonly echoing in the term.
Persons rolled 1t on their tongues as
Il Haunting it triumphantly on the
breeze.
Marcia ought never to have mar
died Jason Howe" asserted Abbie
Brewster when one day she reminis-
Gently gossiped with her friend, Re
becca Gill. "She was head an Shout
ders above him. Whatever coaxed her
into 1t never could understand. She
could have had her pick Of half a
dozen husbands"
'She was nothin' but slip of
thing when she married. Mebbe she
had the notion she could reform him."
Rebecca suggested.
"Mebbe," agreed Abbie. "Still, young
as she was, she might "a known she
couldn't. Ten years ago he was the
same, unsteady, drinkin' idler he
proved himself to be up to the last
minute of his life. He hadn't changed
q hair. Such men seldom do, unless
they set out to; an Jason Howe never
set out to do, or be, anything. He was
too selfish an to lazy. Well, he's gone,
an Marcia's we'll rid of him. For
most three years now, she's been her
own mistress an the feelin' that she
is must be highly enjoyable"
"S'pose she'll always go on Twin
there on that deserted strip Of sand"
speculated Rebecca. "Why. it's most
an island In fact, It is an island at
high tide"
$50 tits. An Zenas Henry says it's
getting to be more an more so every
minute" Abbie replied. "The tide
runs through that channel swift as
race horse an each day it cuts wider
path 'twixt Marcia an the shore. Be-
fore long, she's goin' to be as COM
pletely cut off from the mainland at
low water as at high"
1T must be a terrible lonely place."
81 wouldn't want to live there"
shrugged the sociable Abbie. 'But
there's folks that don't seem to mind
solitude, an Marcia Howe's one Of
'em. Mebbe, after the life she led with
Jason, she kinder relishes bein' alone.
Furthermore, dynamite couldn't blast
her out of that old Daniels homestead
Her father an her grandfather were
born there an the house Is the ap-
, pie Of her eye. 1t is a fine old
place If only 1t stood somewheres
else. OF course. when 1t was built
the ocean hadn't ct away the beach,
an who'd "a foreseen the tides
would wash round it It'll they'd whit
tied it down to little more'n sand
bar, an as good as detached 1t from
the coast altogether"
"Well, say what you will against
the sea an the sand, they did good
turn for Marcia all them years of her
married life. At least they helped her
keep track of Jason. Once she got him
on the Point with the tide runnin'
strong 'twixt him and the village she'd
paddock the skiff an there he'd be!
She had him safe an sound" Abbie
chucEded
eyes," acquiesced Rebecca. "But the
scheme worked both ways. Let Jason
walk over to town across the flats an
then let the tide rise an there he be.
too! Without boat there was no
earthly way of his gettin' home. He
had the best of excuses for loiterin'
an carousin' ashore
swell, he don't loiter and carouse
here no longer. Marcia knows where
he is now" declared Abbie with spirit.
~ reckon she's slept more durin' these
last three years than ever she slept In
the ten that went before 'em. She GER
tainly looks it. All her worries. seem
to have fallen away from her, leavin'
her lookin' like girl of twenty. She's
pretty as a picture"
"She must be thirty-five If she's
day." Rebecca reflected.
"She amt. She's scarce over thirty.
But thirty or even more, she don't
look her age"
"S'pose she'll marry again?" ven
tured Rebecca. leaning forward and
dropping her voice.
aAfarry? There you go, 'Becca. ro-
mancin' as usual"
Il amt romancin'. / was just won
derin, An amt the only person In
town askin' the question, neither" re-
torted Mrs. GIN with sniff. there's
scores Of others. In fact. figger the
thought Is the uppermost one In the
minds Of most everybody"
Abbie laughed.
'Mebbe. In fact, reckon It's con-
ceded she "It's the thought that come