Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-04-14

him more than all the world. And you.
DR.. Christobal, you who knew my IA
Their and mother, who have grownup
daughters of your own, you will wish
me happiness? p
It was not easy to bear when it
came. although he had guessed the
truth already. But he choked back
the wrath and despair which surged
up in him and said. with his stately
courtesy:
II do wish you well, Elsie. No man
can hope more earnestly than I that
you have made the better choice"
Then he turned with a certain abrupt
ness which reminded her Of the change
| in his manner she had noticed once or
twice during recent days and quilted
the bridge. She sighed and was sorry
for him. knowing that he loved her.
Courtenay. who had been far too
busy to pay heed to anything beyond
the brief fight between the boats and
the canoes, perceived now that the
gangway was in position. Lights We're
shining on both the upper and lower
platforms.
He stretched out his hand and drew
Elsie to him.
"Are you alone, sweetheart he
asked.
Eyes"
kiss me, then, and go to meet your
| friends They will be aboard in less
than a minute. oh. Elsie. l thought /
had seen the last of your
WAS it SO bad as that?" she muir
/, INJURED, great content soothing her
heart and brain at her lovers admis-
sion that he was thinking of her dur
ing the worst agony of the fray. He
gave her reassuring hug.
With her soul singing canticle of
Joy. she passed from the bridge to the
lower deck. Mr.. Boyle was waiting
there. holding a lantern.
Huh" he grOwled when he saw
her. "Praps you'll believe what l tell
you before your hair turns gray. If not
sooner. Luck! Did any man ever
have such luck MS the skipper Why.
If he fell OF Mong Blong he'd find a
circus net rugged up to catch him."
| Il agree with you so fully, Mr..
Boyle" she whispered, that l am go.
ing to marry him."
II guessed as much" he answered
"At any rate. fancied it wouldn't be
for want of akin OH his part
1t was wan and broken spirited
Isobel whom Elsie led to her cabin, but
Notwithstanding her wretched state
her eyes quickly took in the orderly
condition of the room.
81 left my clothes strewed all over
the floor" she said. with nervous
ness which Elsie attributed to the
hardships she had undergone why
did you trouble to pack them away?"
Il Then Elsie told her of her hunt fol
the powder box and was so obviously
unconcerned about any incident other
than the adventures they had both ex
perieneed since they parted that Iso
bel questioned her no further. A bath
and n change of clothing worked mar
n wells. Though thin and weak for want
of proper food, neither Isobel nor Mrs
: So.nerviile had suffered in health from
/ the exposure and short fare involved
by life on the island. 1t was broad
daylight ere they could be persuaded
, to retire to rest, there was SO much tC
, tell and to hear.
, Meanwhile; the meeting between
{ Tollemache and Gray was full of-racia
subtleties.
{ Tollemache. stepping forward t.
grasp Gray's hand. felt 1t was incum
= bent ON him to utter the first word.
$ Had pretty rotten time of it, 1 ex
2 pect?" said he
$ Poisonous. And you"
. "Oh, fair Beastly close squeak whel
e you turned up"
n Gray became more explicit whel
Courtenay met him in the chart room
e where the table had to be cleared o
8 debris before some glasses and cou
e pie Of bottles of champagne could b.
n staged.
d when those blackguards cast OF
s from the Ship" he said, I'VE scudde
away I'm a sort of ocean mill rae
n which threatened to upset US at an
g momentum fact, we gave up hope 70
d time-but, as the boat kept afoat, MI
e Malcolm and / managed to stir up th
Chileans, and we got them to stead
O her with the oars Some time befor
b daybreak we ran into smooth waite
It and made out land on the port bow
r In a few moments we were ashore o
t. pebbly beach in a place alive wit
L seals. When the sun rose we foun
l. we were on a barren island and. wha
l. was more, that one of the ships lif,
boats had been upset on reef whic
" we just missed and had lost all he
Y stores, though the men had scramble
d into safety With the aid of our boa
l. and helped by fine weather we raise
o the lifeboat and recovered some of he
r fittings. The water casks and tins {
= food were hauled up by chap VIII
y could dive WELL We have been ON tha
II lump of rock until today. when flna
Is ~ persuaded the others that unless "
= made for the land which we could sc
in the dim distance the weather woul
break and our food give out The tro,
, BILE with the Chileans was that the
were afraid Of the natives hereaboui
IL and preferred to wait on the off chans
at Of ship showing up. At last the
saw that Malcolm and We're srirb