The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1902-12-04

Ludu IudL, L ndu COdoCu " hOiu
her responsible, and even if l had not
forgiven her before. it was time l did
now. For had she not died for me?
Yes, died for me, and with broken
heart, too. Cant we touch these
bubbles but they break? Love Is so
different with us mem"
But you have solved the great mys-
terry now, my child" thought. "You
have gone through the shock of it, and
the pain of it, felt the fog in your
throat, the mist in your face and l
almost envy your knowledge" Then
l kissed her and rose to go.
Hurriedly | wrote out four mes
sages, all worded in the same wa1:
'"The nurse has taken poison, and her
dead body has been found in cave
on the ocean side" One, and the first
| sent to ADELAIDE, directed to Colonel
Pelham, to meet the vessel in which
found he had taken passage; one
sent to DR.. May adding to his: Tell
Phillips" and so insuring Colonel Pei
| hams receiving the news; the third
sent to the Treasury; and the fourth
! to the senior government medical of
/ ficer, adding to this last request that
| might hear at once what steps were
| to be taken.
! Then / went to the store, with the
object of telling the superintendent
I heard Cbarley's voice as l nearei
the place; he was speaking loudly, and
| had evidently had some misunder.
standing with the old man. AS I en-
| tered, he said, addressing me- The
superintendent declares he will re-
port me for not returning to Sydney
when ordered to- sir, and l say that
by doing so he will only get me into
great row without doing himself any
good; it can't do him any good, can
it?"
81 don't think he will report you,
Charley; but won't you go away now?
| want to talk to the Superintendent"
When Charley left the store | fol-
lowed him and told him to go up TO
my hut and wait till l came, and on
no account to go away. Then | came
back and told the old fellow my news,
and the steps | had taken to inform
the authorities.
There is nothing to be done. |
suppose" he said "but to wait the
government reply; and when it comes
will you kindly have it sent up to
ne?"
Then l walked quietly in the direc-
ton of my house. wondering how the
news would affect Charley.
From the window he saw me ap-
preaching, and came down to meet
me.
Whats the news, sir?"
'She is dead, Charley"
Dead, doctor, dead! All! well
knew it; but where is she? Where is
it?"
'Tn Warren's cave. Will you go and
see herr"
Not alone"
well. will come with you"
And together we went silently
across the hill, with the Jealous eyes
of the old man upon us. The sun was
setting now in all those majestic
splendors, and with that luxuriance
of colors that this country, and this
country only, sees with any frequency
the winds were hushed; the sleep of
the ocean only broken by little wave
let's leaping restlessly in their dreams
of bygone days; when they had been
made to dance to the winds piping.
The absence of all life on my rock
below and in the caves around, the
hushed and silent mournfulness of
everything, formed a fit setting for
the sadness that hung around our
hearts and made even breathing diff
fcult. Not word was exchanged be-
tween us till we reached the mouth
Of the cave; then Charley, putting his
hand on my shoulder, said: 81 won't
go in doctor; can't stand it,"
Nonsense, my good fellow I will
go first; you follow"
For several seconds we stood with
out movement or a word. Then
looked up into Charley's face and saw
the tears streaming down his cheeks.
Half ashamed of them. he wiped them
hurriedly away with the back of his
hand, and shook himself from head to
| foot, to regain, if possible, his self-pos-
| session.
The following morning I instituted
an inquiry into the cause of death Of
Miss Milne. alias Nurse Emily
Charley administered the oath to the
witnesses, and as he enjoined them to
tell "the whole truth" l said to N.Y.
self: "The whole truth? No man but
myself knows, or will know that, and
II will hold my peace"
That afternoon the best of the cof-
fins was selected, and Charley and J.,
with loving hands placed her. still in
her sleeping attitude, into it, and COW
cred her for shroud with the sea-
scented ferns that she had chosen for
her last bed. And then, when the
men had lowered her into the grave
and gone again, took from my peck
ct the prayer book that now for the
sixth time was called into requisition,
and with Charley for chief and
only mourner, standing at the