The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1904-04-06

y
"ITc'pe got itm
bow The line by which she was TO
be warped off was run out to the ledge
of the rock, fresh water was taken on,
provisions for the marooned beach
combers were cached upon the beach,
the dory was taken aboard, gaskets
were cast off and matches battened
down.
At high tide, all hands straining upon
the warp, the schooner was floated off
and under touch of the lightcst airs
drew almost impereeptibly away from
the land. They were quite an hour
crawling out TO the heads Of the bay,
but here the breeze was freshenng
Moran took the wheel, the flying jib
and staysail were set, the wake began
10 whiten under the schooner's stern,
the forefoot sang, the Pacific opened
ont more and more and by 1890 o'clock
Moran put the wheel over and as the
schooner's bow swung 10 the northward
cried TO Wilbur:
"Mate, look your last Of Magdalena
bay"
Standing at her side, Wilbur turned
and swept the curve of the coast with
a single glance. The vast. heat scourged
hoop Of yellow sand. the still smooth
shield of indigo water. with its beds Of
kelp, had become insensibly dear to
him. II was all familiar, friendly and
hospltable. Hardly an acre OF that
sweep Of beach that did not hold the
Impress Of his foot There was the
point near by the creek where lie and
Moran first landed 10 fiji the water
casks and to gather abalones; the creek
itself, whore he had shared quail, the
sand spit, with its whitcned whales
skull, where he and Moran had bcachcd
the schooner, aud there, last Of all, that
spot Of black over which still hung
haze of brown gray smoke, the charred
ruins OF the old Portuguese whaling
cabin. where they had outfought the
beachcombcrs.
For Il moment Wilbur and Moran
looked back without speaking They
stood on the quarter deck in the shad
ow of the mainsail, shut of from the
sight of the schooncrs crew ana for
the instant quite alone.
"Well. Moran, it's goodby To the old
place, isn't IT," said Wilbur nj length.
Yes" she said. her deep voice pitch
ed even deeper than usual Mate,
great things have happened there"
1T doesn't look like a place for a
tong row with Chinese pirates, though.
does itf' he said. but even rs he spoke
the words he guessed that that was
not what he meant
oh what did that amount tor she
said, with an impatient movement OF
her head 1T WIS there that ! first
knew myself and knew that. after all.
you We're man and was q woman,
and that there was just us you and
in the world. and that you loved me
aud | loved you, aud that nothing else
was worth thinking Of"
Wilbur shut his hand down over hers
rs it grippcd spoke Of tie wheel.
"Moran. I knew that long since" he
said "Such a month as this has been!
Why. | feel as though bad only be-
gun to live since began to love YOU"
"And You do. mate?7 she answered.
you do love me and always VIII? on.
you don't know she went on. inter-
rupting his answer. "you haven't q
guess. how the last two days have
changed me. Something has happened
here" and she put both her hands over
her breast. Pm all different here,
mate. It's all you inside herc-all YOU.
And it hurts. and I'm proud that it
does hurt oh, she cries Of sudden
Il don't know how to love yet and /
do it very badly. aud | can't tell you
how | feel because | can't even tell it
to myself. But you must be- good to
me now" The deep voice treInblcd
little Good to nae. mate. AMI true 10
me. mate. because I've only yuu. and
all Of me is yours. Mate, be good to
me and always be kind to me. I'm not
Moran any more. I'm not proud AMI
strong and independent and | don't
want to be lonely. ! want you want
you always with me. I'm just wom-
an nov. dear-juSt a woman that loves
you with a heart she's just found
Wilbur could find no words 10 an
swer. There was something so pathetic
and ut the same time 50 noble in No
rams complete surrender Of herself
and her dependence upon him her in-
questioned trust in him AND his good