West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1907-01-24

wills WV sNNf nAN nAi0s
"Will you not even wffh me we'll,
Teheaf' he asked
mo-" she cried. II hope you will
der
lie turned AWAY.
"Slatl!' she cried after him.
lie came back 20 her. downcast and
silent.
Remember" she said In an agony
OF sHee rolenting. ''thnt wherever
thou gocst. however many the years
that may divide us. however wide the
waters or the land. | shall b. here
waiting for thee. here In this house OF
our happiness. and IL / die before thou
contest here thou wilt find my grave"
"Tehea." he said, ''as God sees me.
some day | shall RETURN"
She took his hands and looked up
Into his face with such poignant long
Ing md tenderness tina Jacks com.
rades. already uncomfortable enough,
were quite Overborne by the scene.
Tough old Hatch snufied audibfy. and
Brady could hardly speak.
"Come. come, lad" he cried huskily,
you mustn't keep us longer!"
Jack unclasped the girls hands and
suffered himself to be led AWAY by his
comrades. A few minutes later they
clambered up he ladder, the boat was
holsted I'm and the boatswaIn's whistle
was rousing the watch on deck.
"Mainsail haulT'
BY morning the island Ind sunk be.
hind them. and. standing on the dizzy
main royal yard, with one arm round
the mast. Jack could make out nothing
but n little cloud on the horizon.
At sixty John Garrard was n post
captain, knight commander of the bath,
and within n year OF receiving haG
rank and the command OF n feet. His
career had been more than distinguish
ed, md he had won his way to the
front rs much by his fine personal
qualities ms by his invnriable good
judgment aud high professional ut
talnments. He had earned the char.
acter OF n man who could be trusted
In situations involving tact, temper and
diplomatic skill. and no captain In the
navy was more confidently ordered "a
those scenes OF international tension,
which In spite OF statesmen so often
arise In some distant place to menace
the peace of the world.
He had never married. and when raj.
lied on the subject was wont to say,
with n laugh. that the sea was his only
mistress. No one had ever ventured to
question him much further. though his
friends were often plqued, especially
the women, rs to IN implied romano
I'm the captains earlier life. 1t was
known he supported two old maid sis
tiers. the Misses Hadow, the impover-
ished daughters of his first commander,
but In view Of his considerable private
fortune this drain on his resources
seemed scarcely the reason OF his re-
nunclatiOn.
He was In command Of the Inffcxible
battleship one OF the Australian
squadron. when she developed some de
fects IN her hydraulic turning gear and
was ordered home to England by Ad-
miral Lord George Howard for over.
haul. The captrhn's heart beat n little
faster as he realized his course would
take him south Of the Societies. He
spread out the chart on his cabin table
and sighed as no laid his finger on Bo-
tabora. He shut his eyes and saw the
bnsaltic cliffs, the white and foaming
reefs, the green. stul forests Of that un.
forgotten island. He was n boy once
more, with flowers IN his hair. wander.
Ing beneath the palms with Tehea,
How often had he thought Of her dur
Ing all these years, the years hat had
left him gray and old. the years that
n carried him unscathed through so
many dangers I'm every quarter Of the
world. For him she WINS still In her
adorable glrlhood, untouched by time,
a radiant princess In her radiant Isle,
waiting by the shore for his return. 1t
shocked him to remember she was not
far short OF slXty-n fnt old woman,
perhaps, married to some Swapping
chief and more than likely with grown
children of her own. How incredible IT
seemedI
Dawn was breaking as he slowed
down TO leeward OF the island and
watched the shadows melt away. It
was Sunday, n day OF heavenly calm,
fresh yet MINDLESS. with a sea SO
smooth that the barrier reefs for once
were silent, and one could hear from
across the hushed and shining water
the o of pigeons I'm the forest. Under
bare steeragc way, with the leadsman
droning In the forechains, the ship
Rugged the shore and steamed at a
snails pace round the island.
With every mile the bays and wood.
cd promontorles grew increasingly IA.
mlliar as Sir John was borne toward
Lihua, the scene Of his boyish folly.
lie looked ashore in wonder. surprised
at the yividness and exactness OF his
recollection.
1t was like n home coming to see all
these familiar scenes spreading out be.
fore him. He looked at his hands. hfs
thin, velned, wrlnkled hands, and II
came over him, with n sort of surprise,
that he was an old man.
THAT was forty years ago." he said
70 himself. Forty years agor'
As Lima opened out and he per.
ceived with an lnexpressIble pang the
matched houses set deep I'm the shade
OF palms and breadfrult trees he fel,
himself In the thrOes OF n strange and
painful INDIGESTION. He paced up and
down the bridge. he ne a cigar and
threw Il away again. he twice an
preached Commander StllweIl as
though to give an order, and then, still
IN doubt. turned shamefacedly on his
heel.
by the deep. MINER came the hoarso
murmur Of tho lcadsman.
IL lay with him to stop the ship or
nOt-a word and she would come shlv-
crlng TO a standstlll; n word and the
boatswaln would pipe away his zig
and the crew would be running 10
their places. His heart ached with the
desire 20 land, but somethlng-he knew