United States or Saint Martin ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
These structures, located on a splendid site, brought exclamations of astonishment and pleasure from all who had not seen them before. Then they saw Merry Home setting back amid the tall trees which surrounded it. The old Colonial house seemed to open its arms to them in welcome. And on the veranda were Inza, Elsie, Jack Diamond, Bruce Browning, Bart Hodge, and Berlin Carson.
This figure started back, uttering a low exclamation, turned suddenly, and almost fled round a corner of the building. Frank laughed. "You gave him a start, Inza. The phosphorus skeleton shows plainly here, you know." "Somehow I didn't fancy that was why he fled so quickly," she said. "What other reason could there have been?" "I don't know, but there seemed something familiar in his movements.
"Take gal that way," urged the Indian, with a jerk of his head. "Git out of cave that way! Quick! Ben him foller." Merry did not delay. Grasping Inza, he hurried her into the darkness. The cave narrowed, the walls closed in, and the roof came down. Crouching and feeling their way, they pressed on.
"Oh, what's the matter with them, Merry?" asked Inza. "Now don't get worried, dear," he answered, over his shoulder. "The sun is very warm to-day, and I'm afraid they're suffering from it. We must get them into the shade before they have sunstroke. Come on, fellows."
"Yes, señorita," he murmured, with that strange sweetness in his voice, "I am Porfias del Norte." "Not dead!" "Far from it, fair one." "But Frank said " "He thought he had left me dead in the old hut where I was shot down by a treacherous dog who shall pay the penalty with his life. The bullet struck me here, but Heaven changed its course and spared my life. My time had not come, Señorita Inza."
"Look out for the girls guard them," commanded Frank. Then he sprang away with the speed of a deer, quickly disappearing from view in pursuit of the mysterious man, for he now knew that twice that day had that man made an attempt on the life of Inza Burrage. In the meantime, Elsie was kneeling on the ground, her arms about Inza, trying to learn what had taken place.
Without having paused to utter a word of explanation, apology, or regret, the man was hastening away. "Further proof that he's daffy," muttered Frank. He longed to hasten after the stranger, but felt Inza clinging to him in weakness, which prevented such a move. And now their friends, having discovered for the first time that something was wrong, came hurrying to the spot, asking many questions.
However, she leaned on the arm of Bart, and they retreated from the immediate edge of the rapids. Frank watched them, unaware that Inza had stepped out on a stone that lifted its damp crest in the edge of the water. Suddenly he was startled by a cry. He whirled, and saw something that sent his heart into his mouth. Inza was lying across the rock, with both feet in the water.
So Inza skated a great deal with Paul, hoping to arouse Frank's jealousy; but, to her overwhelming dismay, after he began to skate with May, Frank seemed to forget there was any one else on the pond. "I believe he really likes her better than he does me!" thought Inza. "And she, knowing all my secrets, knowing how much I think of Frank, is doing her best to cut me out!
It was almost, if not quite, May Blossom's first attempt at skating, and, although she was doing very well, her company was not in such demand as that of Inza. Seeing May alone, Frank immediately skated to her side, and he was soon doing his best to instruct her in the correct handling of her feet.
Word Of The Day