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Show lUtUSTRAttSD BY xSr' RAY WALPTJ$RS ' o. SYNOP3I3. Thrco Rlrls Ellzaboth, Qabrlelle and Ellse started for Canada to spend tho summer there. On board steamer they worn frightened by an apparently demented dement-ed stranger, who, finding a bai; belonBlnB to one of them, took enjoyment In scrutinizing scru-tinizing a photo of tho trio. Tho young Women met n Mrs. Graham, anxiously twultlng her husband, who had a mania for sailing. They woro Introduced to Lord Wilfrid and Lady Edith. A cottage by the ocean was rented. Two men railed. They proved to be John C. Hlalto and Gordon Ronnett, ono a friend of Elizabeth's father. A wisp of yellow Jialr from Mr. Graham's pocket fell Into tho hands of EUso. Mrs. Graham's hair was black. Fearing for tho safety of somo gems, Lndy Edith left them In a safe at the cottage. Mr. Gordon Bonnott was properly Introduced, explained his notions on board ship. EUso, alone, explored ex-plored tho cellar, overhearing a conversation conver-sation thrro between Mnry Anno and a mnn. lie proved to be her son, charged with murder. At a supper, which was held on the rocks, Elizabeth rather mysteriously mys-teriously lost her ring, causing a search hy tho entire party. Gahrlello witnessed a stormy scene between Lady Edith and Lord Wilfrid, Jealousy bolng the cause. Mary Anno brought back Elizabeth's ring. Ellse went Railing with Gordon Hennott. Ho tried to porsuado her to roturn tho Jewels loft In the girl's caro by Lndy Edith. At midnight EUso saw two men one of them Gordon-Bennett attempting to force an entrance Into their bonthouse. Sho admitted to herself that sho had nearly loved him npd bo-lleved bo-lleved herself used as a tool. Mrs. Graham, Gra-ham, sick, told EUso of her husband's love for nnother woman, Gordon Bennett Ben-nett and make returned with Mr. Graham's Gra-ham's body. He had beon murdered. Lord Wilfrid grew sulky. Lady Edith confided to EUso that Wake and Bennett Ben-nett were thieves. Lndy Edith led her to vhero they wera trying to break In. Tho girls were awakened late at night by a nolso In tho cottnge. Tlioy found Blako and Bennett awaiting Lady Edith, who. notorious crook, and Lord. Wilfrid, a smuggler, wanted for murder. They refused re-fused to hellove. Blako proved to bo n government olucor. Bonnott surprised Lndy Edith and Lord Wilfrid taking tho lost Jewels from tho safe. Both confessed con-fessed their guilt. Lady Edith's love for Graham was told, also how Lord Wilfrid had slain him becuuse of Jealousy. The grls prepared to go homo. Bennett proposed pro-posed to EUso and was accepted. CHAPTER XVII. We wore going homo. Our trunkB woro packed and our passage engaged. Wo told each other wo woro glad to go, but If tho truth woro known, wo wero all vory melancholy and wandered wan-dered around picking up Btray last artlclos In a resigned sllenco which . -giow. moxiuuidjni?redoprosslng as the aftornoon advanced. "It might have utson clear, our last lay," observed Elizabeth, flattening hor noso against the window pane aa jho poerod out Into tho gray drizzle vhlch harmonized so woll with our tato of mind. It was then I announced my Intention Inten-tion of walking to tho village, to get any mall which might have accumulated accumu-lated In the two days since wo had visited the post office. So I got my rain-coat and umbrella, and as I fastened ray voll I heard a gloomy voice from tho next room. "What have I done with my llfo? When I get back to Washington I Intend In-tend to mako a fresh start. I will road to tho blind, and" Smothorlng tho first Inclination to laugh which I had had for somo days, I loft Elizabeth to struggle with tho bluo devils which had got possessloh of her alter ego, and wont up to tho village. I was glad I went, for, heavy though the atmosphero undoubtedly was, It seemed loss depressing than our pretty llttlo rooms, and, besides, I wanted to bo alone. So I got tho mall, and wandored slowly back along tho familiar path, with my heart strangely heavy and a very suspicious lump In my throat, which made mo thankful I was not obliged to talk to anyone When I got to the stops loading down to our llttlo slip I paused and looked wistfully toward it, but tho fog was so thick I could see nothing. "I'm going down," I remarked decidedly, de-cidedly, ns though some one had objected. ob-jected. I sat with my face turned toward the ocean, so I did not see a figure follow me down the Btops, cross tho slip, and stand directly behind mo, quite obscured by my umbrella, which I held vory loosely Indeed until a sudden puff of wind almost wrenched It awny from me. I clutched at tho handle In an Incompetent In-competent sort of way, and tried to lower It, since it was difficult to hold and 1 was already very wet, but the catch would not work, and I struggled strug-gled vainly with It until a strong brown hand quietly closed over mine nnd I recognized tho signet ring with tho Bennett crest. "Allow me," ho remarked, Just as he had said to Gabrlollo whon sho was ThlBrngToTTlnricomb; 1 could only staro dumbly, all at onco acutely conscious of my draggled appearance. Ho lowered tho umbrella and calmly seated himself upon the ledge besldo mo, raising his own. as ho did so "This," ho said, adjusting it at an nnglo which lot cold water drip down my nock, "will shield us both." I wriggled ungratefully, and tried to assume a careless air. "I'm not much shielded," I replied, "but, thon, I did not nsk to bo." "Hut you wanted to?" I was not prepared to answer his question, so parried it by anothor. "Whcro did you como from 7" "From the village. I saw you thero, and followed humbly In tho rear, as a culprit should. Hut, on my soul, I don't know what l'vo dono, oxcopt " "Don't," I interrupted; "I do not wish lo talk about it." "Woll, I won't. Hut you might admit ad-mit you wero Just a llttlo unroasonablo that night. Wo really meant well." "Wo tiro going away," I said, abruptly. ab-ruptly. "I know." "And we'ro never coming back any moro." "Oh, yes, you aro noxt summor." "Novor any moro." "I am coming bnclr noxt summor," ho said, positively, "hut not by myself, my-self, I hope. My island is n very Jolly little place, but it's a bit lonely, cvon when a fellow wants to rest aftor his winter's work." "What Is your work?" I Inquired, suddenly conscious that nono of us know or had carod to ask. "Woll, I draw a bit sometimes, Just enough to keep tho Jam-pot full, sinco my parents lusurcd my bread and butter." but-ter." I bat up strulght with surpriso and pushed aside tho umbrella, "Not Hennott, tho lllustrntor?" I ex-claimed. ex-claimed. "Why not, please?" "Woll!" I gasped, quite overcome, for I know nnd lovod his Illustrations In tho. lending magazines, and had read everything about him I could lay my hands upon "And to think wo first thought you Insnno, and I ovon doubted your honesty, while all tho tlmo you were " "A very spoiled, lazy follow," ho Interrupted In-terrupted gravely, "nnd a lonoly follow, fol-low, too, for success liko mino brings many acquaintances nnd fow friends." "You can always have Mr. Blake," I suggested pointedly, as h6 paused. "Blako Is all vory well In his place," ho returned, shifting tho umbrolla to his loft hand and feeling abstractedly In his pocket, "but I want something lols better, and I think I've found my heart'B desire. I wnnt you to see hor picture." "So you aro going to bo married?" I senrcely recognized my own voice, it sounded so strained nnd mechanical. mechan-ical. "I truly hope so, but I havo not ventured ven-tured to nsk her yet. Will you look at tho picture and tell mb whether you think sho will bo kind? You see, I'm by no moans certain, nnd it la vory vital to mo." "How can I tell?" I began petulantly, petulant-ly, thon paused abruptly, for it was our picture ho laid upon my lap, tho ono ho had so shamelessly abstracted from aabrlollo's shopping bag. So I starod wldo-oyed and speechless, with a clutching at my heart I could not understand. Was it Gabrlollo or Elizabeth? "Tho ono in tho mlddlo," ho said, gently. "EUso will sho be kind?" And then I realized ho was not speaking of somo remote, shadowy paragon of a girl, but of me Just as I was, in my old rain-coat and dripping hat. I realized something elso, too, for whon I looked up and met his oyes, I tried to speak, but could not, because be-cause my heart ws too full. But words wero quite unnecessary, for wo wero looking Into each other's oyes, and of course wo understood. "And now," ho romarkod, somo time later, when wo wore back to earth, or rather to water, by tho flno soft drizzle driz-zle changing Into a brisk shower "and now you really must go In, or you will have pneumonia, and then what should I do? But first It's up to mo to return that side-comb. I said I'd do It in my own way, you know, so I'm going to put it in mysolf." "But not now. Think how wet and horrid my hair must be." And thon woll, I don't bollovo It is necessary for mo to say any more. Things which -are vory sweet and natural, nat-ural, and often form cherished memories, mem-ories, aro apt to look very different in cold hard print, and, moreover, what would become of tho llttlo Bhrino wo erected for ourselves that rainy afternoon after-noon if I took tho world into our confidence con-fidence and allowed it to be desecrated by tho critical outsider? CHAPTER XVIII.' Mary Anno mado us our farewell flro that night, nlmost putting it out with tho tears sho shod as she arranged ar-ranged tho driftwood. For Mary Anno wns a veritable NIobo these last' days, poor soul, and every spare moment was given over to weeping. Sho was, sho told us as she struck the match, going homo to England, where sho hoped she might dlo happy some day, If only sho could learn to forgot. She -cou ldlLvaon)j Qrav I ngB, a ml ifjiot; work was always to bo had wllon ono" looked for it. And sho hung lovingly about us, too, with protestations of affection and regrot at all that bad happened! "I looked out fur you,','' she Bald; "I dono what I could, fur 1 como to love , you all, and 'ow could I 'clp It? I mado 'em give back your ring, Miss Elizabeth, which sho took often your finger boforo you very h'oyes, miss, ) whon you was 'oldlng of 'or 'and on tho rockB In tho moonlight. Oh, sho wns clover, sho wns. But I mado 'or glvo It up. I went out that night, but jH sho was away wP 'Arry Graham nnd I couldn't glt It till noxt day. Which it was my shaddor and Willy's you Boon that night, Miss Ellse. He, 'alt crazy, poro lad, becauso Jest as soon jl no you wns out of sight sho up and 'H Jlncd 'Arry Graham and wont out on 'ijH tho wator wl' Mm. And them red 'H rosos, Miss Gabrlellc you scon 'ow It H wns. And sho alwlz 'ad 'em, nlwlz. 'Arry Graham scon to that, nnd Willy couldn't do nothing." 'H Here sho paused for breath. fl "And I never, novor druggod you but tho onco," sho continued "In tho chocolate, you know. I wouldn't do It H for nolther of 'ora, nnd vory 'nrd thoy I'jjl thought of mo for It, too; but 'ow could I go for to do it and you trustln' iH mo. ovon whon you 'card mo and 'H Willy tnlkln' In tho cellar? And I H brought you tho tea myself that last night, Miss Ellse, when sho wanted to glvo it to you 'orself nnd put a powdor in it to scud you to sloop; but I wouldn't lot 'or, for all' sho was my son's wlfo. Oh, Willy, Willy l" Wo got rid of hor after awhile, and cettlcd down for our last ovonlng, while tho flro burned with its green, bluo, lavendor, and rod lights, whore-In whore-In I now found wonderful pictures and not so very remoto either, nnd tho ocean' rolled monotonously outside. in the first long sllenco I told tho girls about it glad that the lamp was not lighted, and glnd also that tho lH firelight did not Bhlno upon my faco. jH Woll, thoy woro vory, vory nico, nnd considerate enough to ask but fow searching questions although thoy havo sluco told mo thoy woro con- - JH suihed with tho desiro to do so. So tho ovoning passed, and at last wo went unwillingly upstairs, careful not to mention that it was our last night In the little cottnge, which, in jH spite of everything, wo still loved. jH I lay broad awake for a long time, jH listening to tho washing of tho JH waves and thinking tho thoughts that como to ft girl but onco In a lifetime when I heard a low volco from tho noxt room, and know tho othors woro wakoful also. "Were you surprised, Elizabeth?" "Yes, I certainly wns" tho ora-phasls ora-phasls In Elizabeth's tone left no room for doubt. "Somehow, I never associated Ellse with marrlago or men elthor, for that matter." "Nolther did I. She'll never bo the samo again, but oh, Elizabeth, if It had been you, Svhat should I havo "And I wns just lying horo thinking how dreadful it would havo beon if it had happenod to you. So long as wo have each other, nothing clsq, mat- "No, nothing elso matters. I hopo she'll ho vory happy, but EUso is woll, sho's EUso, and I can't help won-deriug won-deriug how sho is going to liko mar- rled llfo." And I wonder, too, for, after all, it is always liko starting a very small ship across a very broad ocean. But I am not afraid of the voyage, for Gor- don is going with mo, nnd wo havo- HJ ongnged a pilot whoro name is HJ spelled with four letters; ho Is war- ranted to steer n safo courso through HJ every sort of weather, and wo both HJ bollove he will bring us safo Into port ' HJ at lust. THE END. |