Show valah a 01 44 laici ut goy ethelbert COPYRIGHT CHAPTER V continued I 1 5 of course I 1 expected that but obell blame me and not you th fits why im m sending the yacht back to get the servants taking the responsibility upon myself you see mr air cutter cutler may rave and tear around hut 11 hell quiet down hows the medicine working inga did alster say no he tell me much I 1 I 1 dont know but miss alice Is worried about her uncle more than about the lie servants too bad for her sake there was genuine sympathy in the he voice and biaglo turned quickly and glanced at him why should you be b sorry for her she bhe asked with awakening jealousy why 1 oh no reason whatever wake stammered then halting abruptly he added we roust must go back now youre youie lucky it if you can re reach tell your room without disturbing miss alice why go ln in marle murmured the moon Is beautiful yes but its getting late come now you must leave ill see you to the door no well say good night here it was a perfunctory kiss he glive gave her but it awakened slumbering emotions in thy the girl she flung both arms around his neck and drawing tits bla lien head d town down lavished als kiss after kiss on his lips lipi cheeks and forehead youre roy my man she ehe said emotionally you love me and I 1 I 1 love you it if yau ever love any other woman id die no id kill her kill you youl im that kind allan ilan you understand dont make a scene marle marie replied clake blake trying awkwardly to als ril en enago gilge the arms around tits his neck this Is no time for such talk of course we love each other are you sure quite surp sure she demanded unexpectedly looking him in the eyes what a question 1 he said why do youash it because she replied slowly sometimes I 1 think you you ou care for miss alice and if you vou had tho the money you would rather have tier her than me tile the moonlight must have affected your brain marle marie he laughed uneasily 1 i I cant li linail nazine ne what else put such a notion in your head licad I 1 have lieve to he pleasant and companionable to miss alice I 1 owe it to tier her because of my position with tier her uncle all there Is to it hither either satisfied by this explanation or unwilling to pursue the subject further marle made nodded and they retraced their steps to the front door or of the gloomy house dick waited until they had disappeared tin and then drew 0 long breath of surprise things Ti lings are getting as muggy mid and thick as tit alid weather ho he reflected illoud and th ats saying a good danl eat for therell be a before morning in 1 this prediction proved true arid vit liln half nn an hour the rain fell dick hiiri Ilir led ried down to tile the dock and found shelter in it a boathouse tilled with r canoes a and eatn in artin 4 in one of tha th cornier lie curled up tip and fell asleep it wits morning when he woke tho the sun was shining directly in tits his eyes anin ing through tin an open doorway in which stood a fl burc that he did not Int instantly witly recognize it was apparent from tier her eyes ees and face that she had seen him first and had been dubiously antt watching hing him film as tie he slept hello 1 he said sitting up with a grin und and blinking tit at the strong rays raya of you got the surprise on me I 1 was out late last night it what time Is it its early was the calm reply so you ou apologize the suns i just tip 1 you rise with it he added recognizing tile the speaker for the first time alice cu cutler tier she wits dressed ian in nn ath letle outing outing sult suit with tier her hair confined I 1 in n it a jaunty cap yes she replied 1 I gen generally orally rise with etli the sun when down here and take a 4 paddle before breakfast dick intercepted her glance and enill L id and im in your anti canoe de lie he gilld id Its the one you wanted it yes site she replied gravely when he attempted to alij carb mb out mit but never mind I 1 dont think ril ill take a puddle paddle this 1 I hope finding me here going to apoll your mornings sport ill leave right fight away w she sat down on art an overturned row raw bout vier ner feet squarely on tile the floor or or of the ine boathouse to give tier her body support and in III tills this attitude she fiel I 1 irined silent fora for a few moments while I 1 I 1 dick put gut to ills his feet and prepared to I 1 leave i alt milt pl please easel 1 she commanded VIlt aie rethe nip wiio who rescue rescued my 1 I froin the river three days daya ago ort ayi il you 7 car cutler he grinned fish ing in its his pocket for tier card and heres the reward you lia landed tided ule me she glanced indifferently nt lit it but it i tiny frown creased tier her forehead did you come ns as one of the crew she asked suddenly arid and ns ai dick thought 1 I cant li imagine how else you got here no lie answered frankly 1 I annii aled myself aboard the yacht and canio came ns is a stowaway why 7 dick shrugged ills shoulders A slow gush flush cattle came into tier cheeks cheeka when lie he did not answer she rose from the upturned bout boat 1 I wont question you further she ehe added fl a little stiffly but now that youre on the island ill see that youre youie property properly fed and housed hoi Ked ill see mr wake and tell him dick cut in with a laugh if you dont mind he imald id rather lie ha know I 1 was here As for feeding and housing me I 1 wont put you to that trouble I 1 brought enough food along to last several more days and I 1 can sleep anywhere outdoors in this climate slie she was quiet again watching him closely all he added uneasy under tier her scrutiny ill go now where wilt wilf you go oil anywhere I 1 want to explore the island suppose she ehe began 1 I forbade that why lie he asked in genuine surprise slie she did not answer for some time but studied him front from hend head to foot with slow appraising eyes dick grew restless and moved toward the door again 1 I suppose you know she began quietly that were practically alone on this island that Is uncle doctor aws when he old did not answer she arose arcs from the upturned boat A alster ister mr ime blake and my maid the servants arent here its a little mysterious to me I 1 dont understand it they were supposed to have been here a week ngo ago to have everything in readiness ness tor for us if they were here howd they get away dick asked they go on strike and just walk off the island no and they had no boat nothing but these c endres endues kioes and rowboats and all here queerly Que queer erl mused dick his mind busy with the of mr blake and captain brent 1 I cant account for it you dont jiwa anything about it then dirk turned a startled pair of eyes tit sit ills his fair questioner the blood rp mantling tits his checks at the expression in tier her face she suspected him of being involved in some way with 4 dc I 1 e mysterious disappearance of the servants v ants 1 I see he drawled affectedly to conceal his anger you belle believe vt im up tip in some plot to deprive you of tha services of your employees and fearing that ive hidden them some where or on the island you dont want me to get out of your sight lie hesitated it second and then added d antl suppose I 1 awl am I 1 what would you do a awat t ampt to hold me a 11 soller again slie refused to give him film a direct answer but sifter a pause countered with another question did you know tile the yacht left unexpectedly and vory very mysteriously in the night yes I 1 saw saly it go heri he replied plIed saull ing at denst east I 1 saw tier her light moving out on tile the ocean nn and d I 1 tok it fu fur r franto it 11 was leaving I 1 alien will wil I 1 it return i perhaps you can anaw L lemr cnn ann I 1 III u ue it tion she replied better than I 1 when will it return re rl dick turned ills hh buck back to tier her all d da sire to confide lit in tier her and tell her tho connema con t tons lie to had overheard io iet tween mr blake and captain brent vanished llor ller attitude of suspicion piqued alid tin angered ered him ask mr air make lie said turning in u th tile L doorway then riffling ling mock in y tie added im going now but ill be liere on the island with elio yacht guile gone even I 1 cant set got orf CHAPTER VI walking from the boathouse leaving alice cutler white and quiet behind dick ninde it cottilli complete ete tour of tile hie island before any of the others were ero up tip it was MIS a larger island than lie he had been led to think in all it comprised at least se several verill hundred acres half of it low anti and hut flat und and tho the rest reat rough anti rocky with the south side ending in a precipitous blurt bluff the rambling house was built on tile the lilg highest hest point commanding tin ain unobstructed view of 0 tile the ocean in all directions tile the west side was anti and a dock had been constructed inside LIO an artificial stone breakwater ter that formed it a safe basin for b boats ants it was in this basin that the pelican find its passengers the night before lit in the early morning glow the island was a jewel of rare beauty rising abruptly from the sea half trop lent leal and half temperate lit in its climate and vegetation the air was neither sultry nor chilly but of just the right temperature to soothe jangled nerves without enervating the owner part of tho the flat side was under cultivation showing considerable expends expenditure of time and labor la in advanced agriculture ri agni gardens dens of fruits and vegetables bloomed in tho the warm sunlight trees bearing flowers and buds of future crops tulips oranges and lemons along with presses cypresses cy and oaks were planted tn in orderly array along the slope elope of the hills and on tile tho lower levels buildings and runs for poultry game In closures pens for sheep and cows anti low rambling barns and sheds took up considerable space on 01 the west and south sides but the north and cast which received the brunt pf af the storms and pounding sens seas were left almost un tin touched by civilizing hands clere wat MI a touch of primitive nature wild rugged and ed the gray walla wall of rocks beat back the wildest surges of the sen sell and the gritty gnarled led twisted trees that grew on their sides and tops were mute testimony to their long defiance of wind and waves dick found this side of the island more to his taste it was possible for ono one to seek sti elter from th storms at any time in the caves fissures durei and depressions between the rocks and in an emergency one could find a spare living there sea birds had their rookeries rook eries in sheltered places screeching and squawking intermittently the day long and in the pools below left there by the receding tide whole schools of dizh and crusta beang were cati conglis glit I 1 with ten an occasional raid on a hen coop and the dairy I 1 could live here like u king dick observed whimsically smiling A veritable paradise flung down in the ocean 11 not exactly sure of ills his next move and unwilling io 0 o force matters dick lazily explored the rough side of tile the island hiding in the caves caes whenever any suspicious noise alarmed him and enjoying himself to the in this way lie spent the morning and early afternoon toward sunset ho be was watching the shimmer of the ocean on tho the noth when a tiny speck bobbing up mid down don on the waves attracted tits his attention ile he watched it indifferently at first and then with more inore concern ile he shaded ills hs eyes eoa with both hands tind canie came to ills his feet with an exclamation of surprise bin prise its somebody clinging to a life rafal lie said lie watched it a few moments longer and then added iles hes nearly all in and trying to reach the island hurrying down dowil the rocks he reached the edge of the water the shipwrecked man on the raft wan swimming freely nov and with pow paw erful strokes propelling his frail support toward the island dick waved tits his hands and shouted this way ill help youl there seemed to be a moment ot of in decision on the part of the swimmer and then nt ns j if dicks words had been the signal lie he threw up both hands and palled called faintly help I 1 help dick lost no time tn in throwing oft his superfluous garments gunnen ts and ing into the sea eca the surf wits not heavy and he had no great dl in III reaching the exhausted swimmer ile he caught the frail raft with a hand and began towing it in can you pou hang on it he called TO HE BE CONTINUED |