Show T N D SYNOPSIS future 0 f tho still youthful comely va barcla re ia howe ly released by de death th fro from m tier her I 1 selfish husband Is a conver anal L tit bit among amone housewives of attle hamlet bamlet of wilton eligible lort ore a and nd w widowers I 1 dowers also aro are ined B barcla aar c 1 desal despite te her anfor a ma matrimonial tri on a I 1 exit experience e rl e nce finds find 8 ire in her m life but Is lonely at and h has as invited invite 1 I her late hus niece sylvia II 11 aden whom as never seen to cibit her the larrives and barcla 1 takes to her oce while sylvia expecting to a 1 somewhat elderly aunts aunt finds a more like a sister II 11 continued 3 jiu in bring a trunk I 1 cut but you fo make a ion long isit child 1 I sure that id want to a r replied plied you see I 1 was a wet pride arald d of you I 1 had no idea vl cihat hat were like it id brought my a id have boon been obliged to stay ciure ure a cautious joung person Jar cias clas dry observation Tw atwould 1 y I 1 you right if I 1 sent aou ou home at aid d of a fortnight ka i please dont do that begged a its in the alton city courle courier I 1 have gone east to isit ielatI vei I 1 1 few weeks if I 1 should conie come back everybody would decide tolen the family aller or done disgraceful resides besides my i Is nil packed locked ive brought the key added she disarming frankness it can ba ifor I 1 tor in case t see nodded marcia tier her lips ng g into a smile in spite of heri bont 1 said you viere cautious ont you ever watch your own i the myriad pros and cons she hall hed and eliminated before smiting guest passed in quick review be Alar rIar cias mind she chuckled ome sometimes tImes I 1 do she conceded CHAPTER III I 1 jie te e store grandiloquently grandl I 1 d d by a red sign the wilton emini emm ecim ini was S thronged thron ged with the usual tite time crowd r ard iwas was a still gray day murky with and the odors of wet oilskins oil oll skins sing ming rubber coats daup damp woolens led with a mixture of tar coffee tobacco smoke made its interior 1 and stuffy long ago the airl stove had bad consumed such rems remis Is of oxygen as the file room contained windows reeked with moisture floor coor was gritty with sand ese dis comforts however failed p e of consequence to the enot of who rain or shine congregated i at mail time they were accas d to them indeed a drizzle far beeping the avay ren w tile the meeting place unusually pop fu filing over to the counter where trends were huddled zenas henri Y joined them es e a sirce sarce therell be so methin in wilton now enoch morton fash man was saying that sand k I 1 goin to be the center of the if I 1 dont miss my guess therell voren noren charlie eldridge fis fishan liln la in channel eh annel r laugh greeted the prediction chos seen her captain denja todd inquired shave have came the piping voice of uel gill me lie and becca rowed from Cel Bel leport saturday the jasons niece all right sames say though she looks no more him than chalk like cheese A iler tier little critter atwould be hard ja and ashes head over heels in I 1 with the place im almighty t ashes come too tor for its goin to rand for barcla who inho must bo be ly y enough out there with nith the r tor for company ats s her own fault she could haie hae r companions was slie she so minded 11 ared captain phineas Ihl tailor big rah I 1 fitly antly ih we all know that phineas Ihl ed the gentle lemuel theres aty Y or of folks hankering han kerin to be coms to marcia il arcla the only trouble is want lew ein ian this girl at her elbow shell t em cm even less I 1 reckon asaph pes ies interposed ebbe still I 1 figger that aint ln to discourage tier her admirers 1 why within the week herec happen to had of clams a catch of floun f an a couple of cuts of sword presented to her ephream wise nall mall carrier announced hat stray bluefish blue fish of charlie edges must a swelled the callec borne too put in lemuel when ed ced charlie what he done with it ald he be left it over at the home L lie said he never wanted to see aher er fish longs he lived chat at aint all the gifts tile tad bad neither volunteered silas dierson li erson the postmaster who now ed d the group moren loren i one lobis J 1 11 been sneaked to marcia after eldont dont so much mind folks makin in cla friendly donations captain 8 3 baker declared with guilty haste my opinion its right an proper should put hut alien lica it comes to zer lei crocker anbu lma 8 head bead of the department lepart ment on an undertaker as hell ell over there tor for the hie entire even the keys to the engine house in pocket I 1 think the town aughter oughter some action bout it spose there to be a fire an him hemmed in by f zy by sara ware bassett ssell copyright by the tha penn pub co the tide vother side the channel tile whole might burn to the ground fore ever lie he could be fetched home well anyhow im glad this niece os of marceas Mar clas come broke in lemuel gill ashes a pleasant little critter fill an vilil kinder stir things up oh theres no danger but shell do that all H light 1 1 it commy Len zenas henry drawled you can generally depend on a pretty girl to raise a rumpus give her a month in ton an shell most likely liao haic all the mate male population cuttin one an others throats thron ts fortunately both barcla anil and alia acre ere sit at the moment too far out of earshot for this aliis menacing prediction to reach them cut olt off by curtains of fog and a title tide that foamed through the channel they iere standing in the homestead mich kitchen ell it was a room bo boasting inting space enough for an old fashioned brick oven an oil stove two s sand alrid scrubbed tables snow white chite nill and smooth as satin a high backed rocker cushioned in red calico braided rugs rug and shelves for plants A regal kitchen truly onu ono that lj lip spoke both comfort find and hospitality 1 before the lire fire stretched upon his side lay adrice ila hal his body relaxed ills his ebes dropsy with sleep while from tier her vantage ground g round on the rocking in chair alime aboe the tl tiger er kitten winkle wee gazed watchfully Natch fully down upon his slumbers it aas as slvia however hoit eier who iho in a smock of flowered hintz lent the room its supreme touch of color she 11 r I 1 L I 1 ir lip k it ashes a pleasant little critter looked as if all the blossoms in all the world had suddenly burst into bloom and twined themselves about tier her slender body with ier her coming a lew bew world had ha d opened to marcia to see sylvia jauntily jau nilly sweep aside old conventions to behold the diffrient emphasis she put upon familiar problems to witness tier her audacious belittling 0 of issues her elders had been wont to grapple with was an experience that continually shocked stimulated challenged and amused marcia round found herself halt reluctantly admiring this splendidly normal outlook this mixture of sophistication and nal vete tier her nieces novel and definitely fo formed railed opinions for youthful though sylvia was she had personality character stratums stra tums tunis of wisdom far in ad advance vance of tier her years A very intriguing companion marcia admitted one of whose many sided n ness she would not dot soon tire now what shall our menu be mar cla eai dear she was asking kemem her according to our compact it Is my y turn to get the dinner anything but fish marcia answered with mith a groan im so tired DC 4 f saltwater salt water products it seems as it if again could I 1 touch another iut but my dear it if you will viii have a line of nautical admirers what ann n n you expect you must pay the penalty besides I 1 think youre ungrateful pouted 1 I lovo love e innis clams and other sea foods 11 youve not dot had bad so many of 0 them in your lifetime as f r have besides I 1 suspect you are not telling the truth come confess arent you a wee bit fed up on clams clam chowder monday rd night ht steamed clams tuesday noon clam fritters tuesday night and then that bl why it wa was s big as a shark I 1 used to think it would be romantic to be a lorelei and live deep down beneath the waves but this avalanche of elsh 1 1 despairingly she shrugged her shoulders silvia laughed 1 I dont feel at all like that ive had a feast 0 of fish and enjoyed it lint but it if I 1 were to express a preference it would be for the hard shelled suitors do select one of those for a husband marcia mania begged she whimsically the T others are all nery ery well indeed that bluefish swain was magnificent in his way but me for the crustaceans silvia you absurd child just consider the clam character tor for a moment so silent so close mouthed never stirring up trouble or wanting to be out nights in my ill opinion nion he would be an ideal helpmate not sensitive either not nor jeal ous marcia do marry one of the clams PI silvia you are ridiculous mar cla protested protest ell you forget I 1 am your aunt my mistake I 1 did forget it ill confess and ili ats more I 1 probably always shall to me you are just i i girl id be licad oner oer heels in love with if I 1 wore were a man I 1 dont blome all ali clams lobsters and flounders for flock locking over here to make love to you stop talking nonsense but it nonsense its the truth you certainly are not deluding yourself into thinking these men come gallivanting liv out here over the flats with aith file mere philanthropic purpose of seeing aou dont starve to death do you sylvia demanded perhaps they come to see you hedged marcia larcia 1 feebly lie 1 now barcla pray do not resort to deceit and attempt to poke this legion of mermen off on me As a re lathe I 1 insist on a truth till fill aunt consider my youth it your christina christian duty to set me a good example whether you wed any anny of these nautical worshipers or not Is bour own affair cut but at least honesty compels you to acknowledge your property A shadow fleet as the rift in a summer cloud passed over marcias face but transient as it was sylvia sensitively attuned and alert to changes change is of mood in others noticed it what a little beast I 1 am barcla slie she cried throwing iNing tier her arm impulsively about the other woman forgive my thoughtlessness I 1 h have hurt you for the world you know I 1 nc neer er saw uncle jason lie ile left home when I 1 was a child arid and Is nu no reality to me even mother remembered him only as he be was when ihen a boy mother felt sorry hurt that uncle jason should have left home as he did and never come back to see tier her ile he was an impulsive hotheaded hot bot headed boy and she said ile ho resented tier her watchfulness and authority cut but even though lip ran away in a moment of anger one would think years of absence would have smoothed away his resentment jason jason loved bour i our mother mirda murmured in a voice scarcely audible 1 I am sure of that lut but if lie he loed her bihy lie he come to see her I 1 know it was a long iong journey but if he could only have come once just once it would have meant so much men are selfish unfeeling they forget replied marcia bitterly you give your life to them and they toss aside your love and devotion as if 1 it were so much rubbish the outburst sharp with pain burst from her involuntarily aien awing syell into silence what did she know of jason that dim heritage of her childhoods childhood i af of marcia of their life to together ethar she suddenly asked herself to cover the awkwardness of th tha moment she bent to caress prince rial hat who had rl risen en and stood alert and listening beside her only an instant passed before mar cla spoke again this time with visible effort to recapture her customary manner suppose we have hare lobster newburg this noon suggested slie she ill get the lie c bating dish the matter matte ual at old man you look worried dont nt tell me you hear bear more fish awl swimming ng our way the nose of the setter quivered and going to the window he be growled de be does hear something asserted sylvia what do you suppose it Is gulls most likely they circle above the house in clouds was mar clas careless answer the prince regards them as his natural enemies lie ile delights to chase them up the beach and send them whirling into the air apparently he resents their chatter again gaan the dog growled almost immediately a hand fumbled with the latch and as the door swung open a man staggered blindly into the room i lie was ha hatless aless wet to the skin and shivering 9 with cold and before I 1 nar mar cla could reach his bis side he eurchel forward and fell at her feet quick sylvia close the door and heat beat some broth the poor fellow li Is exhausted nes iles chilled to the bone who Is he be no one I 1 know a stranger brin that pillow and help me to slip it under his head well let him rest where lie ho Is a moment iier her fingers moved to the bronzed wrist lies iles all right she whispered just cold and worn out uell hell be himself presently she swept the matted hair tightly lightly sprinkled with gray from the mans to and wiped his face an interesting face it was intelligent int eill and highbred high bred with well cut failures pitres titres and a firm determined chin A sweater of blue wool a blue serge suit socks of tan and sport shoes to t match them clung to the tall slender figure and on the hand lying across it sparkled a diamond sunk in a band of vi wrought rought got gold it was not the hand of a fisherman tanned though it was nor let that of a sailor there could be no doubt about that rather it belonged to a scholar a writer Nr lter a painter or possibly to a physician for it was strong as well as beautifully formed sylvia bent beat to adjust the file pillow aej her eyes and Mar clis chils met who tas ai a i tills this mail inin whence crimp iii iio lie IK tto TO LX LT L |