The DeSmet leader. (DeSmet, Kingsbury Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-02-01
FOUL LPLAY.
A NOVEL.
BY CHARLES REAnA.


CRATER LXv.-CoNTlEuEn.
wHEs the Springbok weighed anchor and
left the island, a solitary form was seen on
Telegraph Hill
When she passed enst ward, out Of sight OF
that point solitary figure was seeu on the
cliffs.
When her course brought the island dead
astern of her. a solitary figure stood on the
east bluff of the island, and ~as the Last oh
ject seen from the boat "a she left those wa
ters forever.
What words can tell the sckcning sorrow
and utter dssolation that possessed that
yearning bosoml
When the boat that had carried Helen assay
vas out Of sight, he came back with uneven
stsps 10 the cave, and looked at all the ia.
milial elects with stony eyes. and scarce
recognized them. for the sunshine OF her pres.
cncs was there no more. He wandered to
and fro in heavy stupor. brokcA every now
and then by sharp pangs Of agony that al
most made him scream, And so the poor
bereaved creature wandered about all day.
He could not eat, he could not sleep, lis mis-
cry was more than he could bear One day
OF desolation succeeded another. And what
men say so hastily was true for once.
His life was q burden" lie dragged il
about with him he scarce knew how.
He began to hate all the things he had lOve cd
whilst she was there. The beautiful cave, all
glorious with pearl. that he had made for
her. he could not enter il the sight killed him.
and she not there
He let Paradise Bay altogether at Last
and anchored his boat In a nook OfSeal Bay.
And there he slept in general But tsOmetimes
ha NIL lin "a hnpa hR ia lHC
be- and sleep as long as lie could.
To him 10 wake was calamity. And,
when lie did wake, II was always with dire
sense Of revivlng misery, aud Il deep sigh at
the dark day he knew awaited him.
His flesh wasted on his tones, and lie
clothes hung loosely abOuthim The sorrow
Of the mind reduced him TO that miserable
condition in which he had landed on the isl
and
The dog aud the seal were faithful to- him
used 20 lie beside him, and often whImpered;
their minds, aCcust omed TO communicate
without the aid Of speech found out, Heaven
knows how! that lie VAS in grief or in sick.
negs
These two creatures, prchaps. saved his
life or his reason They came between his be-
reaved heart and utter solitude.
Thus passed a month Of wretchcdness utl.
speakabI
Then his grief took less suen form.
He came back to Paradise Bay, and at
sight OF it burst into passion OF weeping
These were his first tears, and inauRurated
a grief more tender than ever but less akin
to madness and despair.
Now he used to go about and cry her name
aloud, passionately, by night and day.
20. Helen Helenl"
And next his mind changed in one respect,
and he Clung to every remnisCerce of her.
Every morning he went round her haunts,
and kissed every place where he had seen
her put her hand.
Only the cave he could not yet face.
He tried, too. He went TO the mouth Of il
again and again and looked in; but go into
il and fsce 1t, empty Of her-he could not.
He prayed often.
One night he saw her in n dream.
She bent look Of angelic pity on him,
and said but these words. Live in my
cave" then vanished
Alone on an island in the vast Pacific, who
can escape superstitionH IT tiIIs the air. He
took this communication as q command, and
then next night he slept in the cave.
But he entered in the dark, and left II be-
fore dawn.
BY degrees, however he pluCked up courage
and faced 1t in daylight But 1t was a sad
trial: he came out crying bitterly alter q
Jew minutes
Still he persevereL because her image had
bade him; aud at last. one evening. he even
lighted the lamp, and sat there looking at
the glorious walls and root his hapless love
had made.
Getting stronger by degrees, he searched
about, and found little relics OF her-a glove,
a needle, great hat she had made out of
some large leaves. All these no wept over
and cherished
But one day he found at the very back Of
the cave a relic that made him start "a il q
viper had stung his loving heart. 1t was a
letter.
lie knew it in moment It had already
caused him many pang; but now it almost
drove him mad. Arthur Wardlaws letter.
He recoiled from it, and let it lie. Ho went
out OF the cave, and cursed his hard fate.
But he came back. 1t was one Of those hOr.
rible things a man abhors, yet cannot keen
away from. lie took it up and dashed 1t
down with rage many times; but II all ended
in his lighting the lamp at night and tor
turing himself with every word of that loving
letter.
And she was going home TO tho writer o
| that letter, and he was LETT prisoner on the
| island. He cursed his generous folly, and
writhed in agony at the thought. He ragged
with jealousy, 50 that his very grief as blunt
| ed for time.
| He felt as if he must go mad.
| Then he prayed-pTaged iervently. And
| at last, worn out with such fierce and con
tending emo otiors, he fell into deep sleep
and did not wake TIL the sun was high ia
| heaven.
| Hewoke: and the hrst thing he saw VA
the fatal letter lying at his feet In marrow
stream OF sunshine that came peering in.
| lie eyed IL with horror. This was then tc
haunt him by night and day,
| He eyed it and eyedit. Then turned his fac
from it; but could not help cycling IL again
And at last certain words in this letter see m
ed to him to bear an affinity to another piec
OF writing that had also caused him Grea
woe. Memory by its subtle links connoCtet
| these two enemies Of his together. He eyedi
still more keenly, and hatimpressiOn becam
| strengthened. He took the letter and locke
| at it close, and held il at arms length, aut
| devoured il; and the effect Of this keen exam
| instion was very remarkable. II seemed I,
restorB The man to energy and to something
like hope. His eyes sparkled, and a triumph
ant "Ahl' burst from his bosom,
He became once more q man OF action. IL
rose, and bathed, and walked rapidly 10 ant
fro upon the sands, working himself up TO
darI & enterprise. He took his saw into tn
jungle. and cut down tree Oi kind comm ol
enough there. il was wonderfully soft, anC
almost rs light as cork. Tho wood OF thi
was literally useless for any other purpos
than that to which Penfold distinedit He Gu
| a great many blocks OF this wood, an
drilled holes In them. and, having hundred
OF yards OF good line, attached these quas
corks To the gunwule, so as to make life
boat. This work took him several days
during which time an event occurred tha
encouraged him.
One morning he saw aboGt n million bird
very busy In the bay, and 1t proved TO be
spermaceti whale come ashore.
He went out to her directly with all hi
tools, for he wanted oil for his enterprise, an
the seal oil was exhausted.
WaeD he got Eear the whale in bis boat, h
observed harpoon sticking in the animal
back. lie cut steps with his aS in the slip
perry carcass, and got up to it as we'll "a h
could, extracted IL by cutting and pulling
and threw it down into his boat, but not I'll
he had taken the preCuutiOn to stick q grea
piece OF blubber on tha barbed point. III
then sawed and hacked under difficulties, be
ing bufFpted and bothered with thous ands o
birds, 30 eager for slices, that II was as mucl
ss he could do TO avoid .hs making OF mincet
| howl; but, true TO his gentle creed, he cor
triyed 10 get three hundred weight OF blut
her without downright killing any Of thes
| greedy competitors, though he bnfated som
| o: them, aud nearly Knocked out what littl
sense they had. lie came ashore with hi
blubber and harpoon, aud when he came T.
examine the latter, he found that the nam
I nj . ,... Ia. tEaa