Janet of the Dunes

feet on the railing. I tell you, you may travel the world over, and there is

being thus given the freedom of Yankee position, planted his feet upon the high rail

where else, another word would have done; 'drifting' applies here. No one 'runs do

s eyes rove over the wealth of color

fter all, it is while it is sleeping, or beginning to stir, that it charms. Two years from now, when the rabble get onto the racket, the glory will be

ll that he settled the library and general fixtures for a home, living winters at a hotel in town. But the old place was too lonely for me in the past. I'm just beginning to have visions, like my forebears. I'm sick of travel. Town life ought never to charm a na

ionary work," Thorn

our eyes hith

a cabin on the dunes and live here summers, but Madam and the girls almost had hysterics. They have just built a gingerbread affair at Magnolia, and so Mason added a den to the structure. A huge room overlooking the sea! It has s

?" asked Devant. Thor

slowly flicking the ashes that

ortune in getting rid of your work, Dick. Your pictures are sellers, I hear. How proud your father woul

mother could have known.

At least, I suppose, th

arine; and our relations are the sa

proud o

." Thornly smiled. "There'

like to see the child again. Is she

very h

life and

h, and undiminished scent for pleasur

d. I'll write to Katharine to-night and plead my friendship

th End, with

r man smoked in silence. The sun set in d

" said Thornly; "that and an open fir

lt if the temperature is below seventy. Since I came here I've taken to this side

ched himself and took to

of the Light?"

hat. I'm trying to reinstate myself in their good grac

he Hills to-day," said Thornly irrele

found

just here. It's called the poor man's weather glass. Where it grows most common, it is not especially noti

t lau

relation, same family, you know, of a p

in contract

up at approach of storm,

on, and I cannot account for this one. I don't know whether, in my position as friend to you, I should bri

this pimpernel of yours," Thornly pu

nt her. I don't know but that

yawned s

ome, i

criminal 'hain't.' Her English is good, she reads like a starved soul, for the pure pleasure of it; and she thinks like a child of ten. By Jove! she was here in my library, the day I arrived. She had a secret method of getting into the house by a cellar window,-had done it for years. She almost froze my blood when I saw her. I thought I'd

and laughed loudly; "

or shote, according to the gossip! The women have a sort of pitying contempt for him; the men keep their mouths shut, but you can fancy the training of

ome untoward wind bore it from its original environment; it may be that

you don't want to go back to a dish o

n my shanty to-night. I've got a chafing dish there. T

him until the s

ather's sake, as well as his own, I'll try to keep him and the pimpe

on Bluff Head, it also did its duty by a lone

ane, with almost occult power, had seemed

'bout you. If you can't stop an' do fur me, I'll call David. I've had a bad night an' I ain't

edroom an hour before. "But I cannot gossip, Susan Jane, I don't know how; and all the other folks a

my legs an' arms, He strengthened my eyes an' ears. I can see an' hear considerable, though

g, Susa

f his'n. Who would have thought of Mark's bein' smart enough to set his Pa on that tack? The way these city folks eat anyt

ed the cake she was making by

ulkhead, Janet! I b

Jane, envious

e had yer ey

d me about her

, an' she cooks. Jo G. sails the boarders, when they pay him enough, an' that girl just sparks around an' acts real entertainin', evenin's. I shouldn't wonder, with such a smart ma, if she caught a beau. I

't wan

rk ain't good enough fur you. You'd better look out, Janet, I tell yo

ns with his gloomy face, too, so Janet had been obliged to

ht in the Light,-so, unseen and unsuspected, Janet loosed the Comrade, unfur

moon, full tide, and a steady west

any with the burden of Susan Jane's peevish egotism. She looked back at the Light and thought, with

d Light! Cap'n Daddy and I do not need you to

ly had the midnight patrol, going east; so she planned to make for the little cove, mi

hungry to feel the comfort of Billy's understanding love and trust. The

the cove. The girl secured the boat and ran lightly over the dunes to

s storms she knew the coast's every phase of beauty or danger. It was hers, and she belonged to it. A common love held them together. She crouched close to the sandy hillock. The night was growing old, the tide had turned, and still she sat absorbed in thought and tender memory. How beautiful the world and life were! She took

dy, as she lived again, under the ca

he whistle in its hiding place, and

tiously he gazed seaward, scanning with his far-sighted eyes the bar where dan

, but he had a soul sensitive to a brother's need. If he gave heed at al

and raised his head. "Help! help! H

an's face, a smile that drove a

owin' in the sand an' scarin' one of the government off

the rugged neck. "You were just going to se

n, girl, I've been takin' it easy. I ain't as young as I once was. We must make the h

he accommodated her step as nearly as

sick?" he as

ed to be near you. I want

lazy little tormint; an' ye want t' cozzen yer Cap'n Billy. Why can't ye jine the army that's plain fleecin' the city fol

ech, Cap'n Billy. It's simply awful to see her greed in money matters. Sitting in her chair, she can manage to want more, strive to get more, and make more fuss about it

arder, that Janet should inform Billy as to her money-getting; but once the f

o the man's face. "It's uncommon clever of ye t' help ye

rself up magnificently. "Do

see that ye don't furgit yer trainin' over on the boarder-

p to entertain the boarders, and tak

ly wrinkled

nothing. Cap'n Daddy

y's insistence was

anced in front of him and walked back

d her beauty in a witchlike brightness. It

e," he said, "you an' me is enough

ddy; I'm-

dil-w

e above the lappi

t you think I'm a

blind, gal, ye ain't what most folk

artists t

min in bonnets and sm

ut her promise to Thornly held her. She stopped her merry dance and c

il of?" asked the man, and h

y don't want any one to know until the pictures are done. It would spoil the-the-

the Hills, it turns his stummick sick. Well, long as it is innercent potterin' like that, Janet, I don't know but as yer considerable sharp t' trade yer looks fur their money. It rather goes agin the grain with me t' have ye git the best of them. But Lord! as the good

uff Head's open an' Mr. Devant an' a party is there. Must be

tered, "I'm going to t

lky, it seems t' me.

dered why I talk better than mo

," Billy replied; "ye talk differenter, s

en crawling in the cellar window of Bluff Head, when no one on earth knew, and I've read five shelves of books! I've thought like those books, a

stock still. "Did he fling ye out,

s a nice ol

n' he use t' have a bit of pepp

ront door. He reads with me and tells

e've caught the mainland fever, eh, gal? Ye don't wa

hold her prize. "I'm perfectly happy! And I

ain't never thought openly on it fur years, not since ye was fust borned. But as

hem. Andrew Farley, who served on the crew

tow, Billy?" he

of driftwood, Andy." Bil

uld, stuck there t' see the show. By gracious! Billy, ye jest oughter see how things is altered." The t

lls lately, Janet?

Cap'n Daddy, I'm going to stay on

day, an' I held off an' let her. Lord! ye should jest have seen wot she done t' my likeness! I nearly bu'st when she showed me. I ain't handsome, none never accused me of th

h, across the sand hills, and set her sail toward the mainland. She had had her breakfast in the Station with the men and, recal

e sail set away from home; and something heavier than sleep struck c