The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-09

W youi Aicuub. IOu uluSC come D8Ck
with me. can't let you CO."
Valentine" said the woman, quiet
ly. 'if you do not instantly release
me, / will kill you where you stand,
You don't realize how strong l am.
Sect"
With quick, sudden movement she
caught his arms with her free hands
and literally tore them apart. To her
1.-THE and vigorous body she added
spirit and determination which made
her indeed more than a match for the
slender, somewhat broken man before
her.
you see," she cried. She stood be.
tween him and the doorway, one hand
outstretched, the fingers open. 81
could kill you before you left this
cave. You told me that you had sent
your men back to the ship and that
you were alone upon the island, and
could hide where l hid before and
they would find your dead body here
upon the sands. That would be ALL"
Kill me if you WISH" said the man
recklessly. Il don't care Perhaps
that would be the better way"
NO" said the woman, Il respect
you too much for that"
Respect me?"
Yes. You have shown me what
you are by what you have done. all
but this mad action Of a moment
since, and can understand that. my
friend, for too love, and it seems to
me that ! would brook anything, ev-
erything, for one moment like that
you fam would have enjoyed. But we
are not children, neither are we saw
ages to act like beasts of prey. I for
give you. trust you" She came
close to him and laid her hand upon
his arm. Il respect you, l admire
you!"
Everything" said the man, but
love me-"
Everything but that" assented the
woman quietly.
Il shan't offend again." returned
the man. Neither by force nor per.
suasion can l effect anything. Kate"
he said after another pause, come
back to the United States or to some
civilized land. The world is. before
you. I will land you where you please
and give you or lend you money
enough to enable you to get where you
like. You shall be on the yacht to me
as my sister,"
1T can't be-" said the woman. Don't
you see that I can accept no favors
from you?"
But no one need ever know: I will
discharge the crew of the yacht in
some South American port. They
will scatter"
God would know and would
know and when l see him again. I
would have to tell him. 1t would make
1t harder for me. And I don't want
to go back. will wait here for him. "
Kate" said the man impulsively,
1T was ungenerous of me not to have
told you before. They took him away
from the islands senseless, raving with
brain fever. He collapsed stricken as
II dead on the sand by that little heap
OF clothes and the Bible which bore
your message. He thought you dead.
He left the ship in the early morning
to seek you. The shock was too much
for him."
He loved me, them" said the
woman.
Yes" said Langford, wringing the
admission from his lips, "he loved
you enough almost to die for YOU"
But he is not dead. He was not
when you left the cruiser?"
mo, they signaled me at noontime
In answer to my inquiry that the doc
tor thought he would finally pull
through. although it would be a long,
terrible siege; but if he dies, Kate,
II got back and found that he is
dead and come here"
Don't come back" said the woman.
Don't tell anyone that l am here.
Let no one ever come back unless the
promptings of his heart and the lead.
ing OF God should bring him to me-"
rs this your fnal absolute de-
cision?"
MY final and absolute decision.
Nothing can alter it, nothing, abso.
lutely nothing
20 Kate!"
Don't" said the woman. TT is USE
less and only breaks your heart and
wrings mine. Now, you must go. No
one has seen you from the yacht.
This cave is sheltered from where she
lies. No one need know that you have
found me. Indeed l want you to give
me your word of honor, to swear it by
all that you hold sacred that you
will never tell anyone, much less him,
that you came back and found me
alive"
You set me hard task" faltered
the man.
But am sure continued the
woman, at is not too hard for you to
accomplish. Come, you have said you
wanted to make amends. That is all
past now, forgotten and forgiven, but
If you really would make me happy,
you will promise what l say"
And what is that again.
On your word of honor as a gen.
tleman, by all that you hold sacred,