Show L iff L A D CHAPTER I 1 I 1 it might have been a toll tall straight slim glim young boy bos who stood alone far up in tho the bow of the white steamer as she nosed from island to island in her run up casco bay boy lilie tile the feet blunted squarely tn in sturdy english walking boots the hands thrust deep into the pockets of smartly tnt tailored lored knickers the he set of the straight shoulders in tile the wine red suede jacket with the lie soft silk ellk mannish collar and tie showing nt at the throat most of nil all the sleek bobbed head in laun jaun i ty leather hat but but all tile boy tali ish cost cast of guy gay octane delane was given tile the lie by tile alie softness other oiher slender face the del delicacy lency of tier iier throat us as it curve curved into the mannish collar the dark daric wear hiess ix ss of tier her gruve grave ey esthe drooping of tier her line ine red lips the wi rest that guy gay delone rame crime seek ing in the lie northland she lind had earned indeed years of wilful slavery to uru and palette flogged dogged per it stence at tier her en easel sel in the face of phy physical ical exhaustion led inevitably to of hope s it eibl t ions and plans and gay city delate delaie was obliged to lo turn tile the key tit at last upon tier her pretty studio in greenwich village and go in search of recreating rest among tit cooling breezes along the lie girdled roust roast of the north tier her slender sturdy foot was first upon tile gangplank and it was she wlm who led tile stream of eager tourists ashore malting maldrie tier her way with ampa silently quick assurance to the lie head of a line of walting waiting taxis iler her briah gesture of intent to ride brought up a tall fair freckled lad who 1 fame camp with slow hut but willing gait an am filing roll to bbb alg locomotion that was almost seaworthy 1 I want to 1 look k at cottages she said briskly well nil all rl right ait 1 he assented slowly in tile soft new england drawl that curiously harmonized with his walk gity gay thought lie he craD cranked ICed the file car an am slid into the drivers sent seat gay city swung up beside him now ill tell you exactly what I 1 she began ard and you can take me to it A small colt cottage preferably off by itself somewhere with trees around it and near the water quiet very quiet I 1 am going to sleep for two weeks if I 1 cant find a cottage I 1 will take a suite of rooms in a private house with an old couple it if possible deaf and dumb and a alt crippled if you have them no hotel nu no boarding house no summer colony now there it Is first choice cli olce small quiet furnished ebi cottage tage I 1 dont care it if it Is only a shed it if it Is quiet and cool and alone well now that ought to be easy lie ho said slowly bow many are there of you one me ale just myself no more you dont want a house hous all by yourself all of outraged new england convention spoke in ills his slow low voice oil it yes I 1 do not a very big house but ahouse a house but you cant stay nights in a house by yourself ony city cut in br briskly now the chances c are that I 1 know what I 1 want better than you do all you have lure to do Is to flod feml it then as site she noticed that tits his eyes tell fell and a slow lush flush rose in ills fuir fair face at her rebuke slie she added pleasantly 1 I 1 have lived alone for eight years in new york too that den of depravity I 1 auncy f incy there Is no more rampant dan ger libre thun than there another one e of them nutty new yorkers tile the boy thought but ills liu passive face ald dd not betray hint him lie he drove slowly from aliouse li oue to 0 o house de scanting on in their various virtues decrying their otivious faulch specifying tile lumir r of roo ini the condl lion of ifie plumbing and tile the amount of if rent gay was difficult to suit while her owl notion of what she alie wanted wits was Indell indefinite tilte enough she wits quick to decide whal she did not one cottage was too close fo 0 neighbors one wits was in n a swampy one looked 11 1 never heart heard tell of uny tiny cock coal thela aln if ile de sald said thoughtfully zooms seems like folks would have vien cien chilled it hut but ony city wavid waved him blin on theres the line pine he reflected at al last hard pressed for further re sources aul its off by itself on tile he hill und at the edge of tile the woods tie be afraid there out bill its high and AM it looks out to tle rie lone line site she repeated mid and ile tier r voice warmed 1 I feel the lie vibration of a responsive chord lead tile me to it ile he stopped the car at last in u nur nar row lane A grassy slope rosy rose steeply beyond a small orchard and crowning the hill seeming a growth of the lie rocks themselves like a glant mushroom a small cot cottone toge showed in tile the fringe of a little wood nood guy gay breathed a rapturous ah ahl ill she yol got out without a word und the lad followed her through tile the orchard 1 I 1 will have it site ehe said ald lokeng ul up with joy in tier her eyes 1 I all wu have it if I 1 have to commit murder those birches are going to sentinel my sleep those rocks shall be my anchorage murici arson theft whai what are these to anif I 1 the lone pine will give me I 1 sleep W tl now I 1 be said alin m fin a dide nt delong 1 ong look at her lushing flushing rv r v by ETHEL HUESTON copyright 1927 by the bobbs merrill co service the cottone was built of weather stained shingle and natural rock and stood on a ledge where the grassy slope dwindled to solid stone before its door stood one twisted pine and behind it so that indeed it in its very portal the little for or cst cat of birch and pine rustled and shivered in n we the sea breeze tile the doors of tile the cottage wore were closed and their knocking produced no a answer n till alib ad was loath to accept tills this tie ie knocked and knocked frowning dissatisfaction at tile the unfriendly silence oil theres ii nobody here guy protested tested our pounding would have awakened the the drutis druids by tills this time thile she fiust be here lie he In insisted Asted sties always here he railed called gay laughed ut at ills persistence persis it sties here heie sites deaf she sida and walked arduna the cottage cott from fanni jylli wina 0 na darling fireplace gay exulted dow to lo window peering tn in and tle le more tier her spying showed her tile the more warmly she wanted it the lower floor of the cottage cun con eluted d of ione turge large room the 8 diall kitchen being no more than a glassed in porch adjoining it was lined throughout with pine darkly stained windows opened on the four stiles sides of it to tile the forest to the orchard slope and the valley to the quiet bay and aind tp to the alie full atlantic and the farther islands Island 3 the room was chu chastely furnished wilt occasional bright splashes of color on n tile the walls or to in tile the up bolstering the fireplace was wide and high built of island tone 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 if the he boy vouchsafed pleasantly come here guy gay called to him and directing hit eyes to a bright corner co of the room she said look 1 do you see that wide soft couch witt with thul woolen robe tind anil the fat cushions I 1 shall be sound asleep there in twenty liven ly minutes do you suppose folks would lie be surprised if I 1 should breal tile door down dawn tard go right in and fall asleep well yes 1 rather think would now I 1 take roe to its guardian angel but it Is mine already if lie he that Is the guardian angol angel wishes to rent mut it well and good otherwise I 1 shall simply throttle ind burn its remains to in my fireplace l rad on the boy eyed her warily as she marched before him dow down it the grassy slope elope and through tile the orchard but he reassured tier ner nebout the cottage ile he sold said the captain would sure ly rent it because it was for rent naturally that settled it IL if K cay wanted it it was hers and gny gay wanted it it the house to which lie he took tier her was but ashert a short distance up the slime same lane if you make the deal with will the cap tain get it cheaper he cautioned tier her hut but they may try iry to wish you off on alss alice cause sties the administrator and she holds out for moro money you ask for the CLIP cap tain maln and stick to it if better go tu to the kitchen door miss if you go 90 to the front door think youre corn com puny pany gay nodded back at illin him smiling and crossed u velvety lawn to tile the kit elien door was opened to tier her touch by a little old man very gray very trail frail very gentle if he felt surprise tit at sight of the boyish girl in khaki gray and red leather on tits his step he be gave no sign but in a soft and gen tie voice olce lie he greeted her may 1 speak to tile the Captai captaine nl she began brightly well now I 1 guess you can heeln a tin lin the captain myself lie he said bald sociably and stepped out discreetly to the porch making as if to ca cloae ose the door behind him hut but his attempted secrecy failed alie alib closing door was suddenly arrested A firm hand appeared in th the aperture and closed upon ills his arm the captain looked back with gentle tin impatience lady wishes to insult with roe me personally lie he protested mildly now gramp you keep the lady standing remonstrated a a firm voice from within and the door opened ened the captain was drawn back to the kitchen come right in miss and do excuse our looks wont you but it Is right in the midst of cleaning and gay lightly nodded away the need for apology lind and sat down on the edge of a little straight chair beside the stove atille the captain returned to ills own big rocker liy by the he window between two cats and a nuge dog who curled tits thick lips over ills his teeth in in re resentment at this intrusion bif in his kitchen the three women retired at onee to their work in different parts oi of the room and the cop captain alfed W ills hta pipe at gays eager inquiry lie he admitted hla his ownership of the lone pine agreed that it was for rent and said of course she could have it IL gay beamed upon him joyously beamed at the unconscious backs of the three who fur all their immersion in their household tasks lad had missed not so muth much as a syllable of talk nor a thread of fringe on gays smart knickers suddenly a sharp knock on the kitchen door which immediately opened from with without nut and before either face or form appeared a brisk voice culled called with a great assumption of go good 01 cheer good morning aill all I 1 the words were followed by a worn wom tin au but tall and straight with a lace which had 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 with elaborate affability good morning I 1 saw you looking at tile I 1 L ne pine und and lien us as you clime came on hole heie I 1 knew you wanted it so I 1 crine came right over oer allow lucky you are tile the dear little cottage I 1 and AM cheap my dear dirt cheap do yuu you want it tor for the entire sen season sou 1 well yes I 1 think so 0 o gay turned doubtfully toward them the captain who had bad acknowledged ownership aut but it seems to be occupied oh no he denied promptly and for all tits his slowness and his gentleness he was deft in the llie insertion of 0 ilia his opinion not yet but I 1 never worry about that cottage not that thai one it always rents popular tho the loue lone pine well weli built snug like a bout boat something like a boat but of clourse course a boat now dow the oratorical volca voice cut in u upon pun film A roost most desirable cottage only fifty do dollars allars a month my dear only fifty it ant moren forty alve said the captain gently now alice blie dont want to pay fifty a montil month taint fifty a mon month th we never got fifty for it yet yel the young lady john fifty dollars I 1 am the administrator the voice wits was low and inn it ant it miss alias 1 assure you it ant lie he persisted 1 I bull built it me ine and rood rand that hat Is 11 john whose cottage Is 13 it allawa gay put in cu curiously oh its till all in as you might say the captain explained 1 I 1 get tho rent gut she collects it shea ellel j the administrator my sister mis andover mis alls alice andover Ando vcr the administrator site she grandly trying vainly to frown tier hei brothe silence the cottage inis has been thoroughly arnov renovated aad alid eru era installed it if Is well furnished as you know I 1 saw you looking lit in the windows it II has electric lights fireplace buth bath only fifty 4 a month my bly dear think of the view think of of the fireplace my dear it t will break your heart to leave the alace perhaps you can stay through september glorious tn in september glor glorious lous 11 regardless of tile the mooted 80 dollars gays mind was made up site she wanted the lone pine she knew that she could never rest until she fell the pillows in its window couch beneath tier her head site she explained i ed tl that bat site te had left her nags at the hotel inne elty cuy and asked if tile the cottage could be ready for her arrival enllie on lie first boat the next morning the administrator torn between glowing at gay and glowering at tier her brother assured her that all would be in readiness oh lot my lay dear it Is a happy summet before you sou she crooned and then with one of her swick swift from soft to severe slie turned turn d cap tain john you go right down and tell Aunt almiry to wave anto the apple P le tr tree ce r ta i pa at gays start the captain with soundless chud chuckles les find and tle the ad lapsed into a severe smile it ant a u tree child it if ant 9 e tree lie explained its burhouse down to in the orchard we name all our housos for trees or such weve got an A corn acorn and add a cherry sicrie and a persian peach johnl john I 1 go tell Aunt almiry john readied reached beneath tits big rocket and pulled out a dusty batt battered erid cap ap turned it upside down dawn to empty it ol of two kittens asleep therein 1 I cant go now alice he objected not just tills this ail minute nute I 1 got goi to iii go right up to mrs Willough bys cottage and fix that leaky roof of hers ills 1118 eyes strayed to tsie tile clock on tile kitchen wall it was ft us two clifty Gosha mighty I 1 pro promised mused Mrs wll loughry id he be thare ut at one shor charp p good by miss like that cottage but it aint woren forty f fhe I 1 v john wallace tell coolis looks like ruin rain miss think I 1 should a fixed thal roof yesterday or day before seems beems like abe theres res so sn many things bilings to do that I 1 just nu naturally dont get pt at any of ero em goodby good by miss iniss ill tome coine und see you ou As tile the door closed beneath tile the gentle gentie frail fiall dignified iettie figure tua the strong strong olce called in his wake john Aurit almir slie she was an attractive woman ad ni truble tiu ruble ruther mrs andover tastefully dressed with a 0 general air ol of 1 well being k aptness slie d dismissed Is jica brother a anav e odthe tile hand and smiled smile upon gay GU with ti more ore spontaneity mw naw bilat tint she was waa relieved bellev ed of the necessity of supporting tits his softness with tier her personal pers onil firmness fir nines A As 3 an administrator she was direct effi efficient clent and businesslike in return for gays check she elie sat down at tile the kitchen table and from a ve velvet alvet hag bag on tier her wrist took out it fountain pon pen and a book of receipt flims one of which she filled in carefully ond and handed blinded to lay gny with a et t of keys for the cottage arid and if you aan can stay in september you will love it alic said wa warmly |