The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-05-23
THE ISL LAND OF REGENERATION

we do now, perhaps his life, too"
so. God.1 cried the man, recurring
again to that bitter thought, - had
him in my hands and spared himl''
''But you spared him for my sake, y
, said the woman; think of that.
pointedly. "'I would and should have
killed him. y
"Tbou shalt not kill,' said the wom-
an. softly.
IAN eye for an eye. and a tooth
for tooth returned the man, che
and you between you slew my heart.
His death would be no murder but
retnhution,
'But it was in part my fault re-
| turned the woman. bravely making her
confession.
~ will never believe it. 1t cannot
be -
"And vet it was, but YOU shall have
the whole wretched story today, and
! YOU shall Judge. This much I Will
say, that though all that he said was
| true. yet L hold myself blamelcss and
innocent, The world Judges me harsh
| ly and it may be that you will find
its Judgment Just. Yet I do not hold
myself as on trial at this moment, but
you.'
'I do not understand
"There are many things that you do
not understand, my friend.
II would that l had been left in ig-
norance. -
May, that is not 4 man S wish, but
child as. -
''Of one thing | am certain. "
"Aud what is that''
That I should have killed him'''
Nay said the woman again, "that
is not child s wish, but a brute s. -
You said YOURSELF he flashed at
her. ''that there were some things a
woman could not forgive, and this is
one that man puts in the same
class -
The woman sighed. There occurred
10 her at the moment no answer which
was adequate TO the stark realism Of
this fact. The conversation had reached
an lmpasse beyond which IT could not
progress without the full and complete
explanation which now there was
neither time nor opportunity TO give,
for the boat from the man. of war was
approaching the shore. The woman
stepped rcsolutely down the strand to
meet It, and the man. after a slight
hesitation. followed her.
So soon rs the boat s keel grated on
the bottom in the shallow water a
middle aged officer rose from the stern
sheets and stepped ashore followed
by younger companion in the uni
form of sergeant of marines A little
squad of ,privates in the bows landed
and fell III line with martial cclerity
and precision. The officer in charge,
who wore the white tropic uniform of
lieutenant commander. now faced the
people on the island who had instinc.
lively divided into Two groups, one on
either side of him. To the right stood
rhe man and behind him the woman,
10 the left Langford. back of him his
crew. II was to the latter that the Of
iicer first addressed himself
Sir ne began, ~ am the execu-
tive oihcer Of the United States cruiser
CHEYENNE: detached on special service
We sighted this island this morning. ran
IT down, circlcd 1t, saw the yacht yon
der
He paused.
sit IS my yacht, sir. the Southern
Cross, answered the other. my name
is Langford. -
Glad TO meet you, Mr.. Langford.
Nine is Whitaker
The lieutenant commander touched
his cap as he spoke. Langford lifted
his, and the two shook hands.
We saw. continued the lieutenant
commander. 'what appeared 10 be some
sort of q fracas with the natives, and
bred gun TO attract attention, and
captain Ashby sent this boat party
ashore under my charge to do what
ever was necessary. Perhaps YOU can
explain how you came to be embroiled
with the natives.'
Sir said the woman. And the
fact that she addressed him in his own
language. and with the cultivated ac-
ccpts of the well-bred and the we'll
educated, caused the officer TO start
violently the island is mime
Mr., Whitaker turupd and 1ool,od r.,
liberately at her. his surprise only
equaled by his admiration. The tunic
that she wore was rough garment.
and shapeless, but few ycstments were
better calculated to set off her eX-
gnisite proportions The grace and
beauty of her figure, The nobility and
intelligence of her face took added
iuster from the contrast Of the utterly
slmple, natural and primitive. Whit,
taker s glance fell upon a well.nieh per.
feet woman. The constraining influ-
enccs Of civilization had been So lonp
absent that nature had time and oppor,
tunity TO reassert its. claim She was
tall, exquisitely modelled. Her bare
arms might have supplied those miss.
| ing from the Venus Of MILO; her limbs,
which the short tunic to her knees left
exposed, were perfect in their sym
metry and strength; her feet were
had bowed; her hands were shapely.
graceful, yet strong; her dark ewes
looking at him fearlessly; her dark hair
rose like sombcr cloudy crown
above her brow, The fierce sun, the
! open air, the wild wind had not mate.
rally altered the clear, slightly olive
pallor of her face. The woman had
| been beautiful before Now that ma
turc had had free sway, she was nobly
lovely. She had stood a little in the
rear of the man at first and the lieu.
tenant commander had not particular
~ observed her. When she spoke, she
stepped into the open. He stared and
stared amazed
Indeed, the direct intensity Of his
! glance added sudden new perccp.
! tlon to the woman s faculties and for
| the first time in years she realized
that she was standing before her fcl.
lows half naked. In one swift mo.
mcnt convention leaped across the
missing years and caught her in its
arm. The red flashed into her check
beneath her rude vest her bosom rose
and fell. Her instinct for the moment
was TO fly. She wished that she had
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