Part 34 (1/2)
”But, June, his wife was untrue to him. Do you think I could be untrue to you?”
”I do not know. Men tire of their wives, as well as women of their husbands.”
”I am sorry you have so little faith in me.”
”Do not think that, Guy, but Scott had faith in the woman he married, though I do not think he would have married for some years, had it not been for mama. But he married her without knowing much about her, and was deceived. His whole life was wrecked by one woman's vanity.” Guy had rowed the boat out upon the lake leaving Scott and Carrie far behind upon the sh.o.r.e. The oars were held idly in his hands, and the boat was dancing lightly up and down upon the waves.
”See, Guy,” June said, ”you and I are drifting on at the mercy of the waves. The oars are at your command, to turn the boat as you will, or to allow it to drift on to whatever lies ahead of us. I am entirely at your mercy, for we are alone in the boat. You have the power to carry me to destruction, or to turn and take me safely back. If I were your wife I should be bound to you for life. Nothing but death could sever the tie, and should your hand and heart fail to perform their duty, I should be left to drift on to destruction or to be cast upon the island of despair. It was the hand of my brother's wife that wrecked his happiness. She held the oars that carried him down the stream, and had it not been for his great strength of body and mind he would have gone down to ruin. But I am not brave like Scott; few people are.
Scott is a hero.”
”Yes,” responded Guy.
”I wish those truants would hurry back and take us to the island,”
said Carrie. ”I am getting tired of waiting.”
”I will row you over there,” said a soft, sweet voice, ”I am going there myself.”
Carrie had noticed a boat nearing the sh.o.r.e, and looking down she saw a woman seated in the center.
”Will you come?” she asked in a very low voice.
”Will you go, Mr. Wilmer?” Carrie asked. ”I suppose those truants will be only too glad to be rid of us.”
They entered the boat and were soon speeding over the water at a rapid rate. ”How beautifully you row!” said Carrie. The young lady made no reply. Carrie looked at her, thinking her very distant or very timid, she could hardly tell which. She thought from what she could see of the face that was almost hidden by a broad hat she must be very pretty. Her hair was decidedly red and hung in graceful curls about her neck, and over her forehead lay little s.h.i.+ning rings of which Carrie only caught a glimpse as she turned her face toward the light.
She wore a gray dress, and her hands were encased in gray gloves.
Scott tried repeatedly to get a full view of the face under the hat, but the red curls and the round fair cheeks were all he could tell of the lady's looks, though he noticed the extremely pretty shape of the foot encased in its kid boot.
”Do you live here?” Carrie asked by way of introduction.
”No,” was answered in a low tone.
”You row beautifully, at any rate,” said Carrie.
She made no reply.
They were nearing the island.
”Oh, it was about here that we all came so near being drowned,” said Carrie.
”How?” Scott asked.
”By the sinking of a steamer. Oh, I shall never forget that time. How frightened we all were.”
”Were any lives lost?” Scott asked.
”No; but there were some very narrow escapes. But the most wonderful of all was that of Guy and a young girl my aunt had adopted. Every one had left the boat but those two, and, of course, we had not the least idea that they could be saved, for the steamer went down before our boat reached the sh.o.r.e, but would you believe it, that young girl swam to sh.o.r.e and reached the island before Guy did.”