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Show TTTTTT IF A"MTT5) By ETHEL HUESTON Copyright VK7 ly The Bobba Morrill Co. WNU Sri vice. The cottage wns hullt of weather stained shingle mill natural ruck, iiiul stood on it lodge whore llui grassy hlopo dwindled to sol 111 Mono. Before Its tloor stood ono twisted. ernggTy pine, mill behind It, si that Indeed It stood In Its very portal, the Utile for est of birch mid i i tic rustled mid shivered shiv-ered In the sen breeze. The doors of the collage were closed mid their knocking produced no mi swer. The :ad wns loath lo accept this liimlinlssloii. He knocked mid knoeked, frowning dissnt Isl'nel Ion ill the unfriendly sllenee. "Oil, there's nohody here," Gay pro tested. "Our pounding would linve awakened the the druhls hy this lime." "She must lie here," lie Insisted. "She's always here. Auntiiliiilry I" he eiilled. "Autilaludry !" liny laughed tit his iierslsienee. "II slie's here, she's deaf." she snld. mid walked around the cottage, from win- inarrhed before lilm down Ihe grassy slope anil 1 1 1 1 1 1 : : I the orchard. I '.il I lie reassured her iiholit Ihe cot tage, lie said Ihe Captain would sure ly rent It, because It was for rent Nnlimilly, 1 1 1 1 1 1 setlhMl II. If (lay wauled II, II was liei-M. And Cay wauled II. The home to which he look her was hut n short dlslauce up Ihe Name lane "If you make Ihe deal wllh the Cap tain you'll net It cheaper," lie call Honed her. "Hut Ihey may try lo wish you olT on Miss Alice, 'cause she's Ihe administrator, mid she holds out for inoru money. You nsk for the Cap tain nnd stick to II. You'd heller no to the kllchcn door, miss. If you go to Ihe front door they'll think you're coin puny." Cay nodded hack at him. smiling, and crossed n velvety lawn to the kitchen door which was opened to her touch hy a III lie old man, very gray, very frail, very gentle. If he fell , CHAPTER I It illicit have been i lull, straight, slim young hoy who stood alone, far nil In the how of Ihe while sleamer 'is she nosed from Island lo Island In h'"i run mi Casco hay; hoyllke the feel planted siiuuivly In sturdy Fngllsh walking hoots, the hands Ihrust deep Into the pockets of smartly tailored knickers ; hoyllke the set of Ihe straight shoulders In Ihe w ine red suede Jacket with the soft silk niminlsh collar and tie showing nt the throat; hoyllke most of nil the s'.eek hohhed head In Jaunty leather tint. Hut all the hoy Ish cast of Cay Pokiue was given the lie hy the softness of her slender face, the delicacy of her throat as It curved Into the mannish collar, the dark weariness of her grave eyes, the tired drooping of her tine red lips. The rest thai Cay Polane came seek lug in I ho Northland, she had earned Indeed. Years of wilful slavery ro paint brushes and palette, dogged per sistonce nl her easel In the face of physical exhaustion, led Inevitably to relinquishment of hopes, ambitions and plans, and Cay IVInlie was obliged to turn the key nl last upon her prettv studio In Creenwich Village and go In search of recreating rest among the cooling breezes along the pine-girdled coast of the North. Her slender sturdy foot was first upon the gangplank, and II was she who led the stream of eager tourists ashore, making her way. with liupn-liently liupn-liently quick assurance to the head car of a line of waiting taxis. Her brisk gesture of intent to ride brought up a tall. fair, freckled lad who came with slow but willing gait, an ambling am-bling roll to his locomotion that was almost seaworthy. "I want to look at cottages," she said briskly. "Well all right," he assented slowly. slow-ly. In the soft New F.ngland drawl that curiously hannonized with his walk. Cay thought. He cranked the oar and slid into the driver's seat, tiny swung . up beside him. "Now, I'll tell you exactly what I want," she began, "and' you can take me to it. A small cottage, preferably, off by itself somewhere. Willi trees around it. and near the water. (Juict. very quiet. I am going to sleep for two weeks. If 1 can't find a cottage, 1 will take a suite of rooms In n private pri-vate house. With un old couple, if possible, deaf and dumb and a ti;t crippled, if you have them. No hotel no boarding house, no summer colony Now, there it is. First choice, small, quiet, furnished cottage. I don't care if it is only a shed, if it is quiet, atid cool, and alone." "Well, now, that ought to be easy." be said slowly. "How many are there of you?" "One. Me. Just myself, no more.' "You don't want a house all by yourself." your-self." All of outraged New England con vention spoke in his slow low voice. "Oh, yes, I do. Not a very big house, but a house." "Hut you can't stay nights In a house by yourself " Gay cut in brlsuly; "Now. the chances are that 1 know what I want better than you do. All you have to do is to find it." Then, as she noticed no-ticed that his eyes fell and a slow , flush rose in his fair face at her re buke, she added pleasantly: "1 have lived alone for eight years. In New York, too, that den of depravity. 1 fancy there is no more rampant danger dan-ger here than there." "Another one of them, nutty New Yorkers." the boy thought, but his Impassive Im-passive face did not betray him. He drove slowly from house to house descanting on their various virtues, decrying their obvious faults, specify Ing the number of rooms, the condi tion of the plumbing and the amount of rent. Gay was dillicult to suit. While her own notion of what she wanted was doubtfully toward the Captain, who had acknowledged ownership, "Hut It heeiiis lo he occupied " "Oh, no," he denied promptly,' am) for nil his slowness, nnd his gentleness, gentle-ness, he was deft In the Insertion of his opinion. "No yet. Hut 1 never worry abotil thai collage, not that one. II always rents. I'opuhir, the l.one Pine. Well btilll, miug like a boat, something like u boat, but .if course n boat now " Tin; oratorical voice cut In upon li I in. "A most desirable col lage. Only lll'ty ifnlliirs n ii i'ii 1 1 li, my dear. Only lll'ty." "II a'n't wiilh inore'n forty live,'' said Ihe I'apliiln gently. "Now, Alice, .-he don't want to pay lll'ty a month. 'Tain t win I lll'ty a month. We never got llfty for It yet. The young lady '' "John, Fifty dollars. I am the ml ml nlst i n tor." The voice was low and 11 cm. "Il ii n 't will li It, Miss, 1 assure you It a'n't," he persisted. "1 built It mo nnd Itand, Unit Is " "John." "Whose collage Is It, anyway?" Gay put In curiously. "Oil, It's all In the family as you might say," the t'aplaln explained. "1 gel the rent, hut she collects It. She's the administrator. M.v sister. Mis' Andover, Mis' Alice Andover." "The administrator," she amended grandly, trying vainly to frown hei brother Into hllence. 'The co4tage has been llinrntighly renovated, mid mod ern Improvements Installed. 11 Is well furnished, as you know. 1 saw you looking In the windows. Il has electric elec-tric lights, fireplace, out ti only llfty a month. My, dear, think of the view Think of of the fireplace. My dear. II will break your heart to leave the phice. Perhaps you can stay through September. Glorious In September, glorious." llcgardloss of the mooted five dot lars, Cay's mind was made up. She wanted Ihe l.one Pine. She knew thai she could never rest until she felt the pillow's In Its window couch beneath her head. She explained that she had left her bags at the hotel In the city, nnd asked If the cottage could be ready for her arrival on the first bout the next morning. The administrator torn between glowing nt Gay, and glowering at her brother, assured tier that all would be In readiness. "oh. my dear. It Is a happy summer before yon." she crooned. And then, with one of her swifl changes from soft to severe, she turned to the Cap tain. "John, you go right down and loll Auiitaltiilry to move Into the Apple Ap-ple live." At Cay's start the Captain shook with soundless chuckles, nnd the ad ininistrator lapsed Into a severe smile. "It a'n't a tree, child. It a'n't tree," be explained. "It's our house, liown In the orchard. We name all our hou-es for trees, or such. We've got an Acorn, nnd a Cherry Stone, anil a Persian Peach " "John! Go tell Auntalmlry." John reached beneath his big rocke! and pulled out a dusty haltered cap turned It upside down to empty II ol two kittens asleep therein. "I can't go now. Alice." he objected. "Not Just this minute. 1 got to go right up to Mrs. Willoughby's cottage and tlx that leaky roof of hers," Ills eyes strayed lo the clock on the kitchen wall. It was two-thirty. "Gosha'miglity, I promised Mrs. Wil longhby I'd be there nt one. sharp. Good-by. miss. You'll like that cottage, cot-tage, but It a'n't wuth tnore'n forty-five." forty-five." "John Wallace. Tell Auntalmlry " "Looks like rain, miss think? I should 'a' fixed that roof yesterday, or day before. Seems like there's so many things to do that I Just natural ly di'ii'l get at any of em. Good by miss. I'll come and see you." As the door closed beneath the gen tie, frail, dignified little figure, the strong voice called in his wake: surprise nl sight of the boyish girl In khaki gray mid red leather on his step he gave no sign, but In a soft and gen tie voice he greeted her. "May I speak to the Captain?" she began brightly. "Well, now, I guess j on can, seeln s I'm the Captain myself," he said sociably, and stepped out discreetly to the porch, making us If to close the door behind him. Hut his ii 1 1 -m il oil secrecy failed. The closing door was suddenly ur-rcsicd. ur-rcsicd. A linn band appeared In the aperture, aper-ture, and closed upon Ills linn. The Captain looked back with gentle Impatience. Im-patience. "l.ady wishes to ,'onsult will) nit iwrsoiuilly " be protested mildly. "Now. Cramp, you woiildn I keep the lady Mantling," remonstrated u firm voice from within. And Ihe door opened, the Captain was drawn back to the kitchen. "Come right In. miss, and do excuse ex-cuse our looks, won't you? P.ut It Is right In the midst of cleaning and" Cay lightly nodded away Ihe need for apology, and sat down on the edge of u little straight chair beside Ihe stove, wtille the Captain returned to his own big rocker by ihe window be iwcen two iiits uiid n niige dog. wh" curled his thick lips over bis teeth In resentment lit this Intrusion in tils kitchen. The three women retired lit once lo their work In different parts of the room, nnd the Captain filled his Pipe. At Gay's eager Inquiry be udmitted his ownership of the Po.ie Pine, agreed ti n' It was for rent, and said of course she could have It. Gay beamed upon lilm Joyously, beamed ut the unconscious uncon-scious backs of the three women, who. for all their Immersion In their household house-hold tasks, had missed not so much as a syllable of talk, nor n thread of fringe on Gay's smart knickers. Suddenly a sharp knock on the kitchen door, which Immediately opened from without, and before either face or form appeared, n brisk voice called with a great assumption of good cheer : "Good morning, nil !" The words were followed hy a woman, wom-an, elderly, but tall and straight, with a lace which bad carefully schooled Its every line to dogged optimism. "Good morning, all,' she repeated, on her full appearance, and added, rather sternly, "Good morning, John." Then she turned to Gay with elaborate elab-orate affability. "Good morning I saw you looking at the l.i ne Pine, unq hen a? you came on heie 1 knew you wanted it, so 1 came rigid rn er. How lucky you are the dear little cottage I And cheap, my dear, dirt cheap Do you want it for the entire season?" "Well, yes, I think so." Gay turned "A Darling Fireplace," Gay Exulted d.nv lo w indow, peering In. And tl e more her spying showed her, the more war'atj slits wanted it. The lower floor of the cottage con sistcd of one large room, the small kitchen being no more than a glassed in porch adjoining. II was lined throughout with pine, darkly stained Windows opened on the lour sides of it, to the forest, to the orchard slope ann the valley, to the quiet bay, u.'.d to the full Atlantic and the farther islands. The room was chastely furnished, fur-nished, with occasional bright splashes of color on the walls or In the up bolstering. The fireplace was wide and high, built of island stone, with corner benches of the dark pine. "A darling fireplace," Gay exulted. "Hand did that. Folks mostly thought he wasted a lot of time on it," the boy vouchsafed pleasantly. "Come Here," Gay called to him. And directing hi eyes to a bright cor ner of the room she said, "Look I I io you see that wide soft couch with that woolen robe, antl the fat cushions? I shall be sound asleep there in twenty minutes. Do you suppose folks would be surprised If I should hreak the door down and go right in and fall asleep?" "Well, yes, I rather think maybe they would." "Now I Take me to Its Guardian Angel. Rut it is mine already. If he that Is the Guardian Angel-wishes Angel-wishes to rent It, well and good otherwise I shall simply throttle til in. and burn bis remains in my fireplace. Lead on. MacDnfT." The boy eyed her warily as she Indefinite enough, she was quick to decide what she did not want. One cottage was too close to neighbors, one was in a swampy marsh, one looked cockroachy. "1 never heard tell of any cockroaches cock-roaches there." he said thoughtfully. "Seems like folks would have men tinned it." But Gay waved him on. "There's the Lone Pine." he reflected at last, bard pressed for further resources. re-sources. "Hut it's OlT by Itself on the hill, and at the edge of the woods You'd be afraid there. Bui li s high And It looks out to sea." "Ti e Lone Pine." she repeated, and her voice warmed. "1 feel the vibra tion of a responsive chord. Lead me to it." lie stopped the car at last in a nar row lane. A grassy slope rose steeply beyond a small orchard, and crowning the hill, seeming a growth of the rocks themselves like a giant mushroom, a srnjiH cottage showed in the fringe of a little wood. Gay breathed a rapturous "Ah 1' Stie got out without a word, and the lad followed her through the orchard "I will have it." she said, looking up with joy In her eyes, "1 will have it v if 1 have to commit murder. Those birches are going to sentinel my sleep. Those rocks shall be my anchorage. Murdci, arson, theft what are these to me' The Lone Pine will give me sleep." , , "Well, now," he said deprectitingty, with a sidelong look at her Hushing fa. a on n i ii n i a i un i y She was an attractive woman, ad inirable, rather, Mrs. Andover, tastefully taste-fully dressed, with a general air ol well-being, well-keptness. She dismissed dis-missed her brother with a wave of the hand, and smiled upon Gay with more spontaneity now that she was relieved of the necessity of supporting bis sofi-ness sofi-ness with her personal firmness. As an administrator, she was dl rect. ellieietit and businesslike In return re-turn for Gay s check, she sat down ni the kitchen table and from a velvet bag on her wrist took out a fountain pen and a bo:ik of receipt forms, one of which she filled in. carefully, am1 banded to Gay with a .-et of keys for ihe cottage. "And if you can slay In Septetnbei you will love it." she said warmly "You will adore it. When will the resl of yuur family be up?" "There is no family. I am alone." "You you -you are going to live done in a ..house? Without a a man, or anybody?" "It is better than-living with a man who doesn't belong to me. is il nuty Are there no oihei women who live alone on the island?" "Well there are a few. But the. are old." "Less able to protect themselves then, than I Hut art-, they all old'.-lOvery old'.-lOvery one? Think hard." "Well, there are one ol I wo." she confessed reluctantly. "Not so very old. Hut they are queer.' "Ob. so am !.' said Gay sturdily "Very queer indeed " (TO dE CONTINUED.) |