Priscilla's Spies

nitely with certain ropes. He discovered that a sheet is, oddly enough, not an expanse of canvas, but another rope. He impressed c

time from the west, with the rising tide. This was pleasant and promised a

kind of day when it has worked round with the sun. Curious things winds are

laying various games, to take some notice of the wind from time to time;

ry little bit it gets melted away before you're able to taste it properly. That's just the way the wind behaves when you're out sailing. Either it has you c

pitious day. The Tortoise slipped pleasantly along, her sails well filled, the boom pr

bit bothered,"

back for luncheon," sai

y that we won't be back for dinner either. What I can't quite mak

them again

president of our Browning Society and tremendously good at every kind of complication. What I feel is that we're rather like those bo

public schools, have named the author. But he quoted the lines with fluent confidenc

ordinary German spy and we have come on two other mysteries of the most repulsively fascinating kind. First th

a lie," said Frank. "She explai

phytes. You don't b

lots of queer things in the Bri

eren't inclined to swallow the ordinary sponge. At the same time I can't believe that she's a criminal of any kind. She struck me as b

f sailing. When it came to rowing he was sure that he could hold his own. He understood the phraseology of the art, had learned to

et the spies land on the island. They won't let Miss Rutherford. They won

s self-respect. He recollected the reason given by Jimmy Kin

sella simply said that it wasn't a suitable place for ladies. T

es expressed an amount of amusement whic

wouldn't apply to us. Jimmy Kinsella distinctly said that I might land on the island as much as I like, but

wed fast. When Frank leaned back at the end of his stroke he bumped against the mast When he swung forward in the proper way he hit Priscilla between the shoulders with his knuckles. When the boat shot forward the boom swung inboard. If this happened at the end of a stroke Frank was hit on the shoulder. If it happened at

Cousin Frank," she said. "I'm pul

sing the muscles of his arms, failing altogether to get the weight of his

home to-night. I wonder now whether the Kinsellas think you've any connection with the police. You don't look it in the least, but you never c

hy

ldn't at all do for the police to see. That might happen anywhere. There's an air of wind com

oise. Before it reached her the boom swung forward, lifting th

heir telling Miss Rutherford that there was something on the island which it wouldn't be nice for a lad

was

wife and children had come out

haps the

bow over the tiller and ticked off the three mysteries on the fingers of her right hand. "The sponge lady, whose name may be Miss Rutherford, on

urse I

at you mightn't be able to on accou

Frank, "That is to sa

Frank tugged at his oar, bumped his back, and was struck on the side of the head by the boom. He was very much exhausted w

Frank, "if we c

cilla, "if you want

ou know. And I don't like to think of your

other kinds of politeness which aren't worth tuppence. But that kind is rat

t the gate of the avenue she stopped. Two small children were playing just inside it

, Cousin Frank?"

minutes pa

where's yo

on her knee struggled t

the house b

Thomas and the other boy playing there, and you nursing the baby

corner of the avenue and was lost to the sight of

as well for you to be prepared for

fully lat

s going on up there at the present moment is a thunderst

know there

ght word. It may be efficient Any how she says she's the only something-or-other-ficient housemaid she ever had; which of course is a grand thing for Mrs. Geraghty, though not really as nice as it seems, because whenever anything perfectly appalling happens Aunt Juliet sends for her. Then she and Aunt Juliet rag the other

surprise and urged Priscilla to give him

re inward sort of disaster which we can't see-and that's the kind there's always the worst fuss about-then it may take us some time to find out. Aunt Juliet doesn't think it's good for children to know about inward disasters, and

m n

so she oughtn't to. But you never can tell about things of that kind. Look at the sponge l

remark. Priscilla's repetition of it goaded him to a re

me," he said, "

mean, low beast,

y repartee with Priscilla. His loss of dignity would be complete. And besides, he was very likely

ant that I wouldn't tell you if it was t

s when you go in for being grand. Now would you like me to wheel you up to the hall-door and ring the bell, or would you

care," sa

t," said Priscilla, "but in the

rop it, P

want to k

by the ba

, supposing they tell you, and they may

I pr

ful, sol

es

t of thing a girl oug

take me hours to dress, and

e gunroom door. She gave him her arm while he hobbled up the back stairs. At the top of the first flight

are rioting in the long gallery, dragging the furniture about and, generally speaki