It had been a long hot drive down from New York and I was grateful for the ferry ride across the bay to the island for it gave me time to relax and enjoy the cool breeze. I had noticed a few low-hanging clouds as the cars pulled onto the sloping deck, causing the cables to rattle and the piles to groan in resistance to the added weight. As we slowly drew away from the stretch of low land covered with short green pines, the rain began to fall. I was standing by the rail, watching it approach over the water like a grey mist rising, when I suddenly remembered another ferry crossing not too long ago.

ellis donnell

the yellow

sands

The gulls cried as they circled, swooping low to catch pieces of bread in mid-air that I tossed to them. It was a still bright morning; the sky, washed clean of clouds by a sudden shower an hour earlier, reflected the open expanse of water. We watched the busy gulls, laughing at their mad scrambles as they fought over the scraps of food. I still couldn't believe it: Marvin was here . . . standing beside me and he would be with me all this day. We had not had many opportunities to be together since the season began. His roles as leading man kept him very busy and there had only been one time for us to meet, talk and discover something rare and very wonderful. That first night we had planned this trip together and we both had worked very hard during those intervening weeks; enjoying playing scenes together, just for each other. I wanted to tell him how handsome he looked in his uniform for the CAINE MUTINY COURTMARTIAL but only a look, a casual pat on the shoulder-these had to do. Until now! Those endless days of rehearsal, opening night headaches, more rehearsals-all that was over at last and we had an entire day to ourselves.

When we reached the outer banks it was only about an hour's ride along a straight blue-paved road before we reached our destination-a small inlet completely hidden from the beach. Only wild sea oats grew here, their yellow tassels

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