Chapter 16
chapter sixteen of green eyes by roy j snell this libriox recording is in the public domain chapter sixteen ships that pass in the twilight that evening while the sky was still pink and the water changing from blue to purple and then to gold florence went for a row alone she wanted to think the events of that day had stirred her to the very depths she had not believed that there were such persons in the world as those three young people who had attempted to drive them from tilly's fishing-hole rich that's it she told herself yet in the depths of her heart she knew that this was not all tilly called them crooks gamblers she told herself a professional gambler must have a cold heart he takes money in an unfair way from men who have earned it and need it how can one expect to find a warm heart in the breast of a gambler's son
as she asked herself this question she rounded a small island that lay a little way out from the point upon which the palatial summer home of erie the millionaire had been erected she barely missed bumping into a canoe that lay motionless in the water the canoe held a solitary occupant a girl of sixteen instinctively florence knew that this was the millionaire's daughter she who had lost the three priceless rubies in a gambling den instantly her heart warmed the girl was beautiful she was rich yet on her face was a look of loneliness and sadness such as florence had seldom seen on any face it's not so much the disgrace of losing the rubies she told herself this girl is young she is just launching out into life she has found it strange and rather terrible she doesn't understand her first impulse was to pause close beside the girl and tell her that she had heard much about her that she longed to aid her that she and the lady cop would help her
that if she would but allow it they would explain life to her that in the end they would restore the rubies to their proper place but she is rich thought florence with a quick intake of breath i am poor her family is in society i never will be ah yes society that mysterious something to which people have given this name she did not understand it there was a barrier she must not speak so she passed on and the twilight deepened into night she was just turning the prow of her boat toward the lights of home when a speedboat came roaring by just as they were opposite her the searchlight from a larger boat played for an instant on the faces of those in the speedboat she recognized them instantly
green eyes jency jameson and that boy who sometimes rides in the spank me again she exclaimed beneath her breath so she is truly here could it have been they who ran us down that night green eyes perhaps but not that boy i'd trust him anywhere yet even as she thought this she was tempted to question her judgment surely she told herself i have placed every confidence in other persons and in the end have found them unworthy why not this boy she rode silently and rather sadly back to their little dock surely this was a puzzling world perhaps after all she understood it as little as the poor little rich girl back there in the canoe chapter
