Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1895-05-04

~ WanNO- 1hu no ouC lain thC hiDh y
heart had beaten with a dull sense OF
pity, the while his baser nature called
out: Fool! it is his place. not yours,
to suffer for her."
At daylight the boat was close in to
the land. and Langton. in his cool. Gym
ical fashion, told his wife and Enderby
TO finish up the last Of the meat and bis
cult - for if they capsized getting
through into the lagoon. " he said. "they |
would never want any more" He had
eaten all he wanted unknown TO the
others, and looked with an unmoved
face at Enderby. soaking some biscuit
ia the tin for his wife. Then, with the
ragged sail fluttering to the wind. Lang
ton headed the boat through the passage
into the CLASSY waters of the lagoon. and
the two lettering men. leading the wo-
man between them. sought the shelter
Of a thicket scrub, impenetrable to the
rays of the sum-, and slept.
And then for a week Enderby went
and secured the reefs for food for her.
One day at noon Enderby awoke.
The woman still slept heavily. the first
sign Of returning strength showing as a
faint tinge in the pallor of her cheek.
Langton was gone. A sudden chill
passed over him-had Langton taken
the BOAT and left them to die on lonely
Ducie? With hasty steps Enderby hur-
ried 10 the beach. The boat was there.
safe. Aud at the farther end Of the
beach he saw Langton. sitting on the
sand eating.
Selfish brute!" muttered Enderby.
Il wonder what he's got?" Just then
be saw, close overhead, q huge ripe
pandanus, and picking up a heavy. fiat
piece of coral. he tried TO ascend the
Implicated bole Of the tree, and hammer
off soine of the fruit. Langton looked
up at him and showed his white teeth in
a mocking smile at the futile effort. En-
derby walked W. to him. stone in
hand. He vas not q vindictive man,
but he had grown 70 hate Langton
fiercely during the past week for his
selfish neglect of his wife. And here
was the fellow gorging himself on tur-
tie eggs. and mis- delicate wife living on
shell fish and pandanus.
"Langton," he said. speaking thickly
and pretending not to notice the re-
mainder of the eggs, "the tide is out,
and we may get a turtle in one OF the
pools IL you come with me-. Mrs. Lang
ton need something better han that in
fernal pandanus fruit. Her lips are
quite sore and bleeding from eating
it."
The inner nature came out. Are
they? Ny wife's lips seem to give you
a very great deal Of concern. She has
not said anything TO me. And have
an idea-' The look In Enderby's
face shamed into silence the SANDER he
was about to utter. Then he added,
coolly: But as for going with you
after a turtle, thanks, / won't. I've
found a nest here, and have had a good,
square feed. II the man-o'-war hawks
and boobies hadn't been here before me
I'd have got the whole lot" Then he
tore the skin off another egg with his
teeth.
With a curious, cultural voice, En-
derby asked: "How many eggs were
left?'
Thirty or so-perhaps forty"
"And you have eaten all but those''
pointing with savage contempt To i've
of the round, white balls; give IN
those for your wife"
My dear man, Louise has too much
island blood in her not to be able to do
better than I-or you-in a case like
ours. And as you have kindly consti.
tuted yourself her provider. you had
better 90 and look for a nest yourself"
you dog!"-and the sharp-edged
coral stone crashed into his brain.
When Enderby returned he found
Mrs. Lang,on sitting up on the creeper.
covered mound that overlooked the
beach. where he had left Langton.
"Come away from here" he said, in
to the shade. have found a few turtle
eggs r.
They walked back q little and sat
down. But for the wild riot in his
brain. Enderby would have noted that
every vestige of color had left Ter face.
you must be hungry" he thought
he was saying to her. and be placed the
white objects in her lap.
She turned them slowly over and over
in her hands aud then dropped them
with a shudder. Some were flecked
with red.
"For Gods sake" the man cried, tell
me what you know!"
Il saw it all, she answered.
Il swenr to you. Mrs. Ian" (the
name stuck In his throat). Il never
meant it. As God Is my witness. I
swear it. II we ever escape from here
I will give myself up 10 justice sss
murderer"
The woman. with hands spread over
her face, shook her head from side to
side. and sobbed. Then she spoke. Il
loved him once. -" Yet it was for
ME and you saved my life over
and over again in the boat. All sinners
are forgiven. we are told. 800 Why
should not you be, 80 and it was
for me you did it. And I won't let you
give yourself up 10 justice or any
I'll say he died in the boat"-and then
the laughter Of Mysteries.
When. some months later, the Joseph
inc, whaler. Of New London. picked
them up on her way to Japan. via the
Carolines and Pelews. the captain sat-
isfactorily answered the query made by
Enderby II he could marry them. He
rather thought he could. A man who
was used ter ketchin' end KILN whales.
the powerfulest creature Of Almighty
Gawd's creation, was ekal to marryin'
q pair Of unfortunit human beans in
SIGH a pre-carus situation as theirs"
And. by the irony of fate. the En-
derbys Chat isn't their nancy are now
living in q group Of islands where there's
quite a trade done In turtle, and whenev-
er a ships captain comes 10 dine with
them. they never have the local dish
turtle eggs-for dinner. we see them
80 Often" Enderby explains, "and my
wife Is quite tired Of them--San Fron-
cisco Argonaut.
Lost Q Customer.