Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1909-07-15
AFTER TIE STORM
ON THE OCEAN,
A Confession Of Pertidy and a
Test of Manhood.
BIZ WILLIAM HAVEN ROSS.

the ships ongboat
The sun shone with tropical fervor
upon the three occupants of the little
craft. Not a sal was within the per-
spectlve, aud no long wreath upon the
horizon gave sign Of the presence of a
steamship.
At the bottom of the boat his head
resting upon the lap of a young wom-
an, man lay His face was white
and drawn. and the glitter of his eyes
told Of extreme physical weakness.
The other man sat upon the stern
/ thwart and watched sea and sky with
anxious gaze The woman's face had
the apathy of prolonged suffering.
water! Waterv murmured the
man at the bottom Of the boat.
"Have patience, Tom" said the wo-
man in a mechanical voice. I'VE are in
the track of ships and must be rescued
| soon"
NO" said Tom family "You will
be saved-you and Dick-but not l."
Dick glanced at him in pity, but re-
back the matted hair from Toms eyes
with feeble fingers, but made no reply.
The look of death was on the face pill
lowed upon her knee
Three days had passed since Tom
and Kate, passengers, and Dick, mas
ter mariner had abandoned the sink
ing bark West Wind, bound from Rio
to New York OF the fate of their
shipmates they had no knowledge
They had gone without food and with
out drink, and the weight of sheer ex-
| haustion had begun to deaden their
senses.
Finally Tom spoke again. He looked
Dick in the face searchingly and said:
"Will you forgive me, Richard? /
could die happier If you would. Kate
will never forgive me. but you might"
Forgive your exclaimed Dick won
deringly. "Why, what have you doneT'
you always loved Kate" said Tom.
"Yes," replied Dick very slowly and
after a pause. 81 always loved her"
"And she always loved you" said
Tom.
Dick half started from the thwart,
but checked himself.
The woman turned her face away.
81 came between you" said Tom. 81
did you both a, wrong. But, oh, how
l have suffered! You can't realize, Dick
you will never realize-the agony Of
mock possession. the anguish of hay
ing a wife who in her heart loathes
your slightest caress. She never loved
me. Dick and l have been kind and
good to her always But what are
kindness and goodness to woman
when she does not love you? Nothing,
Dick worse than nothingw
81 don't understand you at all" said
Dick II know that you're out of your
head Speak to him, Kate. 1t may
quiet him."
But Kate neither spoke nor turned
her head
"No; you will understand" said
Tom, with more emphasis. 'I'm go
ing to tell you something. If were
not dying perhaps you would kill me
for 1t, but l would not care. do not
want to live unless can have Kate"
''Have Kater repeated Dick. why,
man, she's your wife"
mo. mol" cried Tom weakly. "She
never was my Wife 1t was only an
! empty ceremony that shackled her to
me. She was always yours, Dick, and
yours only. Soon she will be yours
forever"
Speak to him. Kate. He's raving"
said Dick hoarsely But she sat as If
stone, watching the sky line.
"You see" said Tom, "she will not
lie even to soothe, and she is right, for
| lies are useless. I knew she loved you,
and | lied to keep you apart. You
thought 1t was friendship and kind
ness that made you master of my
West Wind but that was the first syl-
liable of my life. | wanted to put half
the world between you two, so | made
you captain Of my best bark and char
tered her for China. Then the lie grew
and grew. 1t was who had published
in New York and copied in the home
newspapers the lying notice that you
married a woman in New York the
day before you sailed. After Kate had
read the lie she thought the world was
at an end for her. so she married me.
Now you know it all except what
have suffered. You can never realize
/ that"
There now was a deep flush upon
Hates cheek, and Dick was bending
/ forward, speeches. and glowering.
you won't forgive me- them asked
Tom pleadingly "She will soon be
yours, and-and-and I've left her ev-
| erything."
"Blast you and your money!! cried
Dick, now upon his unsteady feet,
with a threatening gesture.
But Kate, who still sat with averted
gaze, put her arm across Toms face
as If to protect him, and Dick sank