Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Previous Page
–
Next Page
OCR
nee
er.
24
. for yourself, man! . Don’t you see that it hain’t
“mo use?” -
Lou saw now. ‘The course of the wind had
slightly changed, and the overturned sailboat was
being blown out upon the lake.
“T guess you are right,” said Lou. - “Here, lend
a hand, Tim, and we will carry-her up to the
hut. She has only fainted from fright, but we
must give her a chance to get out of these wet
clothes or the case will be more serious than
that.” .
But the boys did not have to do this either, for
while they were talking about it the girl revived,
~» and Lou helped her to rise. . .
— T-that is,
o: now.”
iw : “I suppose that is true, miss, but as
= ~-pens I can swim, so you_have nothing to thank
“My boat!
she said. .
name?” | .
“Don’t ask me that.
reply. “You can call me Lily, though!”
* Sure, and you came near being a water lily,
then,” chuckled Tim. “There’s your boat going
out over the lake at forty miles an hour speed,
more or less. But come up to our hut. We will
‘lend you some dry clothes. You will get your
_ death of cold unless you make_a change.”
_« Was it you who saved me?’ demanded the. girl.
“Do I look it?” replied Tim. “Sure, I’m as dry
as a bone except for the snow that’s on me, but
look at that feller there!”
“T had that honor, miss,” said Lou, bowing po-—
litely. . oo , .
“How can I ever thank you? I can’t swim.
only for you I should be drowned
it hap-
me for; but you must change your clothes. We
oS » have nothing to_offer you. but a ‘spare suit of
..; :: either mine or Tim’s, which. you can use until
__.. yours are dry, and—well, really, if you will ex-
' my friend.”
cuse me for saying’ ‘so,. your own clothes are not
.So much different that——”
“That I ought to mind putting
that is true,” she added, looking down at her short
skirt and long bear-skin leggings. “I accept your
his clothes. What’s-your name?”
. “Lou West is mine. Tim Murphy will do for
“ “And I’m Lily. Call me s0,” said the -girl
oe ‘pertly; “and now, show me the way to the hut.”
. Apparently she did not need any showing, how-
, ever, for she walked off by herself and seemed
ele,
to know just where to go up the bank. °
“She’s a high-flyer, so she is,” whispered Tim,
: - as the boys followed her. :
<- ..-“Hush!l” breathed Lou. “I don’t take any stock
in this girl. It’s my belief that she was sent here
Bo Spy on us.
im.”
“Trust me,” said Tim; “but I may do a little
+." ‘bit'of flirting with the little dame, all the same.”
Arrived at the hut, Tim laid out a suit of
:-, clothes for Lily, and tho girl retired to the back
“> ’ yoom,-while Lou went up in the left end and made
his change. . -
.. Meanwhile the snowflakes had grown smaller,
“but the wind kept up. /
It had apparently settled down into a regular ~
PLUCK AND LUCK
Is-it gone?” was the first thing
“That’s what it is,” replied Tim. “What’s your
I can’t tell you,” was the
“-D ‘elothes,”” broke in Lily, with a short lau i wat 7
’ ’ ugh. “Well,
offer, boys, and‘as you must change, too, I’ll take
Don’t give yourself away one inch, -
old-fashioned snowstorm, which bid fair to keep
up all night. : ‘ :
When. Lily came into the main room of the hut.
dressed like a man, she certainly looked very
jaunty and. engaging.
“Build up a fire, boys, and V’ll dry my clothes,”
begins to look as though I
should have to stay here all night, so we may as -
she exclaimed. “It
well make the best of it.
storm, that’s sure.”
“Where do you live?” asked Tim, as Lou started
I can’t go home in this
“for the shed to get wood.
“Now, don’t bring about trouble’ by asking
~questions,” replied Lily, with a laugh.
“I’m. not
going to tell you where I live any more than I am
going to tell you my full name. I didn’t intend
to come here, and seeing that I am here, by acci-
‘dent, you must just let me have my own way.”
“You shall have it,” said Tim. .
“Yes,” replied Lou, coming in with an armful
af wood. ‘Make yourself at home here, Lily; but
you will have to excuse us, for we have much to
do, and we must go about it, storm or no storm.”
“That’s right,” laughed Lily. “You own this
mine?”’: “ ,
“yy do.”
‘So I heard.
West.”
“Everybody around here. seems to. know all.
“about my affairs,’ replied Lou.
what a popular person I was until I came out here
to Washington.” 4, .
“Oh, you are popular, all right,” said Lily, with.<
a short laugh, and then she fell to asking the boys
all sorts of questions about New York and the
different cities of the East. _—
It was quite evident that Lily was strictly a
child of the wilds of Washington, and knew little
or nothing about any country except her own.
Tim found her immensely entertaining, and Lily
seemed to ‘find him the same way, but Lou, now
that the excitement was all over, was very much
tired at the girl’s presence.
She went about the hut, peering and prying into
everything, and while she utterly refused to an-
swer any questions about herself, she asked them
by the score, and the worst of it-was Tim ap-
peared to be ready to tell all he knew.
Growing tired of it all at last, Lou walked out
into the storm and returned to. the shaft-house,
where he stood in the blacksmith’s shop, examin-
ing his samples of ore, when all at once-he was. -:
startled by hearing someone singing outside in'a
full, round tenor voice.
To Tim it would not have been so peculiar, for:
Tim would not-have recognized the fact that the _
singer was giving one.of the most difficult parts
of Wagner’s opera of “Lohengrin,” as Lou did.
“What on earth!” exclaimed Lou.
I-knew you were coming here, Lou.
“T didn’t know °
“An opera’
singer-out here in the wilderness! He sings well, -
too! I'll be hanged if he doesn’t!” .
Pocketing his samples, Lou hurried to the door
and looked out, but could see nothing but the
whisking snowflakes.
Yet' somewhere close by the voice of the singer
sounded rich and full. ‘ se
' CHAPTER VIII. ,,
: Thad... Se
- “Can that be'the girl?” Lou asked himself.
But he instantly realized. how foolish was tho
‘%