Show Sonnet Serial MAIDEN I Cf r r By SAMUEL AUTHOR OF HOPKINS ADAMS IT HAPPENED O SAMUEL HOPKINS ADAMS ONE NIGHT CHAPTER XIII Continued 21 21 Kelsey Marne voice was firm Yes Is there any chance of our not coming through Oh I 1 dont don't think to so She faced him pale and stead steady in the fluctuant beam of the candle in her hand You do think so 0 Well yes ye theres there's a chance against us of course urse The admission admission sion was slow low and reluctant The waters water's still rising I 1 bate hate to have you afraid he burst out in a shaken shak shak- en voice Am I 1 afraid I 1 suppose I 1 am I 1 dont don't want us w to die Is the canoe dried out Not thoroughly It may be by daylight better tell teU me the truth Kelsey she said with a quiet courage courage cour age that made his throat feel stiff stif Will the house stand that long I It ought to Better get some some more sleep I All AU right Ill I'll try 11 if you want me to to I It was no more than a fitful doze that she achieved A light shock followed by a strange scrabbling noise brought her to her feet A Abig Abig Abig big tree twisting and writhing inthe In Inthe inthe the powerful grasp of the current was scraping along the side of the mansion thrashing at it with desperate des arms as it passed A window win dow crashed in Its nothing Kelsey reassured her as she cried out What time is it she asked stu Almost four Glunk Clunk Clunk Glunk Is better betler I 1 think lie He drank some water They sat in silence Without warning warning warn warn- ing the floor subtly shifted beneath them Kelsey stood up and shook himself Wed better be rigging the canoe he said in a quiet hard voice She may leak some he continued and brought a small pail lie He propped a paddle in the stern then lifted lilted the craft forward through the door until the bow projected over the unseen water Where do you want me Marne was now ready to take orders The only thing she could do now to help was to prove herself amenable to discipline In the stern stem She moved forward one step Kelsey Well Kelsey dear I 1 thought I 1 wanted want ed to wait walt until tomorrow to to-to to to have things said Have I 1 waited wafted too long Her voice trembled We may have ten minutes We may not have ten seconds he said with the curtness of controlled fear Get in Ill I'll take the ten seconds Tell me dear anything could happen couldn't it asked Marne Yes replied Kelsey We might be separated if it did happen Yes he repeated but in an altered altered al ale voice Youre wasting time that may mean mean- It wouldn't be so good she persisted per if one of us UI came through and the other No not so good good he agreed heavily Then I 1 want you to hold me if it comes and not let me go Will you Will you promise Ill promise anything If only you'll get in She became practical at once You want me in the stern you said Wheres Where's Glunk Clunk to go Flat in the bottom Hell He'll ballast the canoe take paddle bow-paddle then Ignoring this he said Theres only one bad spot Its It's where the bank dips down to the lake Hold her bow on whatever you do Kelsey I Marne had ceased to tobe tobe tobe be practical Why are you giving me all these directions Keep her away from the mouth Df of f the brook he proceeded with nis his instructions As soon as you reach open water water- Kelsey I Answer me Please listen Marne All good resolutions as to discipline pline Aline and aDd obedience went down windI wind I 1 wont won't listen Youve You've put only one paddle in Wheres Where's yours your Her IIer hand went to her heart in a gesture of such like child and piteous appeal that he looked awa away Where is it she ahe demanded The canoe cant can't carry more than two For Gods God's sake lake Marne Marne- Youre not Youre not going with me The words came still stiff and slow alow Dont you understand Three of ofus ofus ofus us would sink Ink her ber sure ure Youre going to stay Itay to be car cat tied ried away with the house Is II that It Il No it See that clump of willows willow Ill I'll swim wim for it Im I'm a good sWimmer You might as well try to swim Niagara Youre You're lying to me The house hOWie quivered and sagged a little Theres There no time to argue Marne Youre asking me to to- to Im not asking you Im I'm telling I you I wont Won't I Are you trying to make it harder for me I But I 1 wont won't go You cant can't make me I Im I-I'm Im I'm afraid Who lying now he retorted with a wry grin Its It a the best beat I chance for all aU of us us he argued Three in that canoe means mean three dead people sure ure We could leave Glunk Clunk she he whispered He lie leaned forward to stare at her There was incredulity in his eyes Could we Marne She buried burled her face in her hands But he could see the head shaking In shamed negation and he smiled again All right That's That better Now if H you'll look at the situation logically No Not I Nol No No Nol No Not No Nol she he walled wailed She struck down the hand that he stretched out toward her I I know what youre you're doing she declared declared de de- passionately Youre paying pay ing me out out idiotic Paying you out for what For calling you a coward Youre You're making a grand gesture to prove me wrong once more a pretty rotten thing to say Oh I know it I 1 dont don't know what Im I'm saying She beat her arms against his I cant can't go and leave you here I cant can't I 1 wont Marne He lie set both hands on her shoulders She slipped between them pressing breast and lips to his hi in a kiss too long and passionate and surrendering for any preta lionIs lion Is that plain enough she cried with a kind of desperate triumph Are you going to send me away from you you after after that thaU Yes It was as if it had been wrung out of him by torture She loosed him but one hand still clung All right right she said in tn a voice of calm resolve Im not afraid any more Get Glunk out Put on your sweater No coat You might have to swim She obeyed Is everything in she asked going forward as if to inspect the canoe There was never never nev neve er a chance for him to stop her so swift and violent was her next mo mo- tion lion Under the impetus of the sudden sudden sud sud- den tilt and thrust the little craft shot out into the darkness and van van- There Therel she gasped What about that Oh you fool he groaned You deadly little fool She came to him Dont waste time calling me names Something of her reckless abandon abandon aban don passed into him He lie laughed for forthe forthe forthe Anyway were we're together now the duration of the war Tough on old Glunk though Glunk Clunk rolled his head and mum bled He lie seemed to be striving for utterance He lIe tried to get conversational once or twice while you were asleep Kelsey observed What did he be say queried the girl languidly Nothing coherent Just Juat Boat Boat Very good idea too commented commented com eom Kelsey if it were onI only practicable Boat Boat repeated Marne Mame with stupefied stu eyes eyel Boat Oh m my fool soul souls Jumping to her feet she caught her ber companion by the wrist and convoyed him along the hall down the din din- the steps splashing across room ing-room wading through the kitchen kitch kitch- en to the back A sound of dull intermittent in in- knocking punctuated the fury of gale and flood What that thaU Clunks boat In the work shed Trying to break awa away Id I'd forgotten forgot forgot- forgotten ten all about his hi telling me Imbe- Imbe Hallelujah Well We'll lick this up set yet Together the they released the cap up- live tive flat and floating and dragging got It through the house to the front porch Staunch as II a liner exulted exulted exult exult- ed the expert after a careful n ny All aboard Were We're off of Mooring it in the backwater formed by the angle of the porch they got Glunk safely stowed towed Kel Kel- Kelley Kelsey say sey took the oars giving Marne Mame the paddle to steer with Keep her clear of trees were his final instructions and hang tight when we reach the bank And and and if anything should go wrong Ill I'll get to you some ome way I know you will said the girl deeply and kissed him as he passed her A strong shove sent them out into the current A thousand devils from the hell of watery blackness reached out to snatch the boat and make it the plaything of their demoniac glee cada rg x f S 'S n M M xo- xo 7 4 i ye c. c sy I y rF 4 z 3 r s d Mw Ignoring this he said Theres only one bad spot The next few seconds was blind struggle against the powers of imminent imminent nent death Marne Mame felt a splash o of I cold foam in her face The fla flat leapt and swerved like a mad thing I plunged to an unknown depth anc and then moved evenly and steadily forward for ward upon the rhythm of waves All right Marne Yes The wind was dying in long Intermittent intermittent inter Inter- gasps A faint soiled strip of light tight showed above the crest o of I the hill Kelsey gestured for her to turn and look back I The west wing has gone So has the gateway Good-by Good Maiden Malden Effort Ef fort Anything symbolic In the crash think queried the girl slyly I think I 1 get your allegory He shipped oars and gave over the conduct conduct con con- duct of the boat to the diminishing I waves A heavy mist had comedown come comi come comedown down and was enveloping the lake Marne turned her head slowly from side to side Its another world said laid she in a dreamy voice Yes Stepping carefully across Glunk Clunk he sat down by her I If If we ever get back to the old one one one- Im I'm not so 0 sure I 1 want to get et back What's What the matter with toll this one ond Maybe youre you're right But I ought to give ive you fair warning If If and when we do get let backWell back back- Well Wen Im I'm waiting she he prompted prompt prompt- ed ed as a he paused pawed Im never going to let go 0 of you That been my idea for the last lat few hours bours too said ald she he amiably So what are we going to do about it itt in Im going to like it Quite a good deal Enough to go through with It All AU the way Why not nott I 1 always did prefer weddings to funerals An anxious han hall reached them through the fog swirls Martin and Gloria still Ull on the trail They must have bave found another another an aa- other boat He returned a Jubilant Hi wi Are you all aU right called Martin Mar Mar- tin Do you want a doctor No shouted Kelsey We want wanta a minister And well we'll adopt Clunk Glunk purred Marne Mame At the sound lound of his name that indestructible indestructible in in- destructible hireling raised his hi battered battered battered bat bat- I head A slow low grin revealed the familiar triangle of fangs fang Gal Gall GaU he said aid weakly registering register ing lag Joyous recognition Nice gal gall gaU Right assented Kelsey Nice gal My gaL Get it said Glunk and tactfully went back to sleep leep THE TIlE END I |