Page:Rideout--Beached keels.djvu/128

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114
BEACHED KEELS

these things to myself. And two persons I met this morning, one on the island, and one in the water.— Let's not talk about it. But I'm not going to let things go to waste any longer, or run away. Old Kellum's happy; there's a beginning, and there are lots of chances. You 're at the bottom of it all. If we could only do something for Peter"—

Helen looked thoughtfully down toward the house and the cove.

"Poor fellow," she said at last. "I'm glad you told me. I must talk with him, though it will be very hard for us both. Let's go back now; and good-by, for a while, dear. Oh, you 'll tell my father soon, won't you? It's best not to keep the truth hidden. Good-by. You 've no more doubts?"

"Not one!" he answered earnestly. "I wish I could do it for you—this"—

"No," she said. "You did your part this morning. There are other hard things that only a woman can do."

From the little flower garden, all crushed and torn with the recent scuffle, they saw the men moving away, part climbing the hill