or,

What a Summer Brought Forth.

by EMMA A. OPPER,

Author of "Susanne," "Barbara and Dill,"
etc., etc., etc.

CHAPTER XVIII.

In the Depths of Woe.

Collin stood staring at Trudy. She had not loosened her clinching hold
for an instant, and, before he had realized it, the last warning had
been shouted, the plank had been withdrawn, and the Sandy Hook was
moving off. And he stood on the pier.

Many emotions were rife in his good-looking, boyish face, but anger was
chief among them.

"Trudy," he said, sharply, "what are you doing? What have you _done?_"

He looked after the moving boat.

Trudy tried to stop her shower of tears, and Collin could but look at
her. It was a rare thing to see Trudy cry, and it was on his account she
was crying.

"Well, what's the matter?" he demanded, gruffly enough. "You've got what
you wanted, haven't you? What are you going to do now? What are you
going to do with me? Tell me that!"

With a reckless laugh, Collin turned into the freight-office and threw
himself down on a box in an unnoticed corner. And Trudy followed her
prisoner.

"I saw you from up the beach, Collin," she said, "and I couldn't let you
run away! How could I? That would have been the _worst!_ How could you
have wanted to, Collin?"

"The worst! Worse than what?" snapped Collin. His head hung in his
hands, and his eyes were sullenly lowered. "The worst has happened.
You'd see things plain enough if you stood in my place, Trudy, and you'd
feel! Do you want me to tell you just how things stand?" Collin asked,
fiercely.

"You know only too well! I've lost my place because I was a fool, and
worse than a fool! That Grand View business is all over town. More than
one fellow has said 'Grand View' to me and snickered. It's got around
worse than the thing was, too! Gus Morey told me he heard we'd started
to steal the best horse and buggy in Conover's stables and got snapped
up at Buxton. I've lost my place, and do you think I can get another,
with a thing of _that_ sort hanging over my head? I guess not!

"I'll tell you the truth, Trudy," continued Collin. "I _have_ tried two
or three places--and it was for your sake I did it--before I made up my
mind to clear out. I'd have done anything. I tried to get something to
do at the Riggs House; and I went up to the sawmill and the canning
factory; and I got the same answer ever