The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-11-05

CONTINUED from page d,


Ito turned away.
"Hlati." she cried after him.
\ IIe came back 10 her, downcast and
silent
Remember shc said In an agony
of sweet relentlng, that wherever
thou gocat however many tho years
that may divide us, however wide the
waters or the land. l shall DO here
waiting for thee, here In this house
Of our happiness. and II ! die before
thou CONTEST, here thou wilt fnd my
grave"
''1chea." BIO said, "ag God secs mo.
some day | shall returnr'
She took hla hands and looked up
Into hia facc with such poignant long
Ing and tenderness that jacks com
radcs. already uncomfortable enough,
were quito oycrborne by tho scene.
Tough old Hatch anuiIIed pudibly, and
Brady could hardly speak.
"Come. come, lad" no cried huskily,
you mustn't keep US longerw
Jack unclasped the girls hands ana
suffered himself to bc led away BY his
comrades. Stumbling and falling
against one another In tho dark. they
made shift to find the uncertain path.
Winterplea In the lead co.ceing like o
bushfcllow for them 70 follow. Little
by little they gaincd the sleeping VII.
lagc and pressed on to the beach be-
y0nd, where their boat was already
aGoat on the incoming tide.
They took their places without q
word and pulled out In tho direction
Of tho ship. In tho pass. rising and
swelling IN the swell, they burned a
blue light, which the Dauntless an.
swcrcd with another and ran up q
masthead lantern 10 guido them. A
few minutes later they clambered up
the ladder. the boat was hoistcd In.
aud the boatswain's whistle was rous.
Ing the watch on deck.
"Mainsail hauiv'
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 a little cloud on tho horizon.
At sixty John Garrnrd was post
captain. n knight commander OF the
Bath and within a year OF receiving
Gag rank and the command Of o tieet.
His career had been more than distin-
guishcd, and he had won his way 10
the front an much by his hne personal
qualities us BY his invariable good
Judgment and high professional attain.
ments. lie had earned the character
Of man who could be trusted In situ-
atoms involving TACT temper ana
diplomatic skill.
IIe had never married and when raj
He'd ON the subject was won't 10 say,
with n, laugh. that the sea was his only
mlstrehs, No one had ever ventured
to question him much further though
his friends were often piqued. especial
ly the women. as to an implied TO
nance ia the captains earlier life. II
was known be supported two old maid
sisters. the Misses Hadow, the impov'
crished daughters OF his nrst com
mander, but In view Of his consider
able private fortune this drain on bill
resources seemed scarcely the reason
Of his renunciation. Nor did II seen
to his admirers that any woman could
have had the heart to refuse him. fol
even at sixty he was a noticeably
handsome man and was endowed. be
sides. with more than the advantage
OF good looks--a charm OF manner. q
distinction. n captivating gallantry
thnt made him everywhere favoritc.
But, you see, Jack Isn't q marrying
man." his friends explained
He was In command OF the Inaexiblt
battleship, one OF the Australian squad
ron. when she developed some defects
In her hydraulic turning gear and was
ordered home to England by Admira
Lord George Howard for overhaul
The captains heart beat little faster
as no realized his course would TAX,
him south Of the Societies. Ho spreat
out the chart and sighed as he laid hls
finger on Borabora. He shut his eyeI
and saw the basaltic cliffs, the whit
and foamlng reefs, the green, still for
ests Of that nnforgotten island. III
was boy once more, with flowers Ii
his hair, wandering beneath the palm'
with Tehea. How often had h'
thought Of her during all these years
the years that had left him gray ant
old, the years that had carried hin
, unscathed through so many dangers II
every quarter OF the world. For hin
abe was still In her adorable girlhood
untouched by time, a radiant princes
In her radiant Isle, waiting by III
shore for his return. II shocked him I
remember that she was not far snor
Of sixty--a fat old woman perhap
married to some strapping chief an'
more than likely with grown childrel
Of her own. How incredible II seemed
But a word. and he might land ant
. nee her. But word, and the question
Of forty years might yet be answered
Answered, yes, TO shatter as like q
, not, with pitiless realities, the tende
flgment of dream. No, he said, b
dared not expose himself to possibl
disillusion, to play into the hands Q
sardonic nature, ever mocking at mar
n No. but he. ~s;sld carry his ship clos
-.