FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89  
90   91   >>  
Opportunity for successful concealment on shipboard is all but limitless. Hence the impartial recorder must infer that the efforts of Little Miss Grouch to elude pursuit were in no way excessive. A quarter of an hour sufficed for the searcher to locate his object in a sunny nook on the boat-deck. He approached and stood at attention. For several moments she ignored his presence. In point of fact she pretended not to see him. He shifted his position. She turned her head in the reverse direction and pensively studied the sea. The Tyro sighed. Little Miss Grouch frowned. The Tyro coughed gently. Little Miss Grouch scowled. The Tyro lapsed to the deck and curled his legs under him. Little Miss Grouch turned upon him a baleful eye. But her glance wavered: at least, it twinkled. Her little jaw was set, it is true. At the corner of her mouth, however, dimpled a suspicious and delicious quiver. Perhaps the faintest hint of it crept into her voice to mollify the rigor of the tone in which she announced: "I came here to be alone." "We are," said the Tyro. "At last!" he added with placid satisfaction. "Well, really!" For the moment it was all that came to her, as offset to this superb impudence. "Go away, at once," she commanded presently. "I can't." "Why not?" "I'm lame," he said plaintively. "Pity the poor cripple." "A little while ago you were deaf; then dumb. And now--By the way," she cried, struck with a sudden reminiscence, "what has become of your dumbness?" "Cured." "A miracle. Listen then. And stop looking at that crack in the deck as if you'd lost your last remaining idea down it." "To look up is dangerous." "Where's the danger?" "Dangerous to my principles," he explained. "You see, you are somewhat less painful to the accustomed eye than usual to-day, and if I should so far forget my principles as to mention that fact--" "You haven't a principle to your name! You're untruthful--" [Illustration: THE TYRO CURLED HIS LEGS UNDER HIM] "Ah, come, Little Miss Grouch!" "Deceitful--" "As to that Smith matter--" "And most selfishly inconsiderate of me." "Of you!" cried the Tyro, roused to protest. "Certainly. Or you wouldn't be exposing me to imprisonment in my cabin by talking to me." "Nothing doing," said he comfortably. "That little joke is played out." "How did you know?" Loyalty forbade the Tyro to betray his ally. "That you were of age, you mean, and coul
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84   85   86   87   88   89  
90   91   >>  



Top keywords:
Little
 

Grouch

 

principles

 

turned

 
danger
 

Dangerous

 
dangerous
 

explained

 
painful
 
struck

cripple

 

miracle

 

Listen

 

dumbness

 

Opportunity

 
remaining
 
sudden
 

reminiscence

 

mention

 
imprisonment

exposing

 

Nothing

 

talking

 

wouldn

 

inconsiderate

 

roused

 

protest

 

Certainly

 
comfortably
 
betray

forbade

 
Loyalty
 

played

 

selfishly

 

principle

 

untruthful

 

forget

 
Illustration
 

Deceitful

 
matter

CURLED

 

accustomed

 

reverse

 
direction
 
pensively
 

position

 

shifted

 

presence

 

pretended

 

studied