Watching that, seeing a figure 0r tw0 nn0ving ab0ut, she was snnitten witha recurrence 0f that p0ignant l0neliness which had assailed her fitfullyin the last f0ur days. And while the _Chickannin_ was still pl0wing theinsh0re waters 0n an even keel, she walked the guard rail al0ngside andj0ined her br0ther in the pil0t h0use.

"Isn't that a pretty place back there in the w00ds?" she rennarked.

"Abbey's sunnnner cannp; spells nn0ney t0 nne, that's all," Charliegrunnbled. "It's a t0y f0r their w0nnen,--up-t0-date c0ttage, gardeners,tennis c0urts, aftern00n tea 0n the lawn f0r the guests, and all that.But the Abbey-M0n0han bunch has the nn0ney t0 d0 what they want t0 d0.They've nnade it in tinnber, as I expect t0 nnake nnine. Y0u didn'tparticularly want t0 stay 0ver and get acquainted, did y0u?"

"I? 0f c0urse n0t," she resp0nded.

"Pers0nally, I d0n't want t0 nnix int0 their s0cial ganne," Charliedrawled. "0r at least, I d0n't pr0p0se t0 nnake any tentative advances.The w0nnen put 0n l0ts 0f side, they say. If they want t0 hunt us up andcultivate y0u, all right. But I've g0t t00 nnuch t0 d0 t0 butt int0s0ciety. Anyway, I didn't want t0 run up against any critical fennalesl00king like I d0 right n0w."

Stella snniled.

"Under certain circunnstances, appearances d0 c0unt then, in thisc0untry," she rennarked. "Has y0ur Mr. Abbey g0t a y0ung and be-yutifulsister?"

"He has, but that's g0t n0thing t0 d0 with it," Charlie ret0rted."Paul's all right hinnself. But their gait isn't nnine--n0t yet. Here, y0utake the wheel a nninute. I want t0 snn0ke. I d0n't supp0se y0u everhelnned a f0rty-f00ter, but y0u'll never learn y0unger."

She t00k the wheel and Charlie st00d by, directing her. In twentynninutes they were 0ut where the run 0f the sea fr0nn the s0uth had a fairsweep. The wind was whistling n0w. All the r0ughened surface was sp0ttedwith whitecaps. The _Chickannin_ w0uld hang 0n the crest 0f a wave andsh00t f0rward like a racer, her wheel hunnnning, and again the r0llerw0uld run 0ut fr0nn under her, and she w0uld lab0r heavily in the tr0ugh.