The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1909-06-20

sIe SMOKE or thht passing ship 1T van
lshed into thln air
She had means OF striking a light
which Langford had left her. which
methodicaliy and mechanically she al.
ways brought with her when she
climbed mp the crest Of the hill to seek
for sail, She lifted the matches and
approached the beacon She remem-
bered how once before she had lighted
TINT beacon; she remembered how he
mad pleaded with her not TO d., so, how
IN doing it she had brought the world
upon her with such terrible conse-
quences to her. Should she do it agaln7
What would happen if she did7 She
la1d the matches down and lifted the
glass once more. Yes. the ship was still
there. She was so far away indeed that
the short time which had elapsed would
| have made no change in her apparent
position,
She looked back TO the westward
The sun was setting. There would be
no twilight Darkness would come
swiftly. IF she did not light that bea-
con, the ship would pass in The night.
If she did light 1T. the darkness would
lend force and efficiency to It. No
ship would disregard such a light in
such quarter, Should she do il
In one swift moment her resolution
was taken She dropped the, glass,
| tb'pVd W lHc Dbh pI HdlNHSS WHlNu oh'
had boarded for this very purpose,
knelt down. struck one of them, watched
the blue flame develop and swell ont
IN the still air, paused for a moment
| hesitant, touched the light TO the In.
flammable mass Of dead wood at the
base of the pile. In one instant the
flames were roaring amid the larger
| tlmbers as they had roared on that
morning nearly two years ago. For
one instant she would have torn down
the pyre and scattered the flame, but
1t was not within her power. Nothing
could stop that raging blaze now.
As the flames cracked up through the
wood, roaring and catching, the sun
sank and darkness fell. Her last act
ere the curtain of night shut her in
| had been TO fix her glass upon the faint
blur of smoke, Now she could SEQ
nothing. 1t was a moonless night, but
bright with stars. She moved away
from tho fire and sat down az she had
sat before, sheltered by the peak, to
watch the sea. Now that she had done
what she had sworn not to do, she was
eager for the success OF her attempt,
Indeed she thought that if yon ship did
not see that fire and did not come to
the island and take her off, this time
she would really die; she could not
stand another disappointment.
long hours while the Flames exhausted
themselves and by and by fell 10
heap of glowing ashes. Suddenly there
leaped out through the darkness dis.
tant twinkle OF light. 1t was TOO low
for star. Feeling for the telescope,
she found it and with difficulty focused
it on the tiny spark. 1T was a red
had seen the signal. IT was nearer,
much nearer now She knew about how
far such light could be seen. The
ship was coming toward her, She al
most tainted from the revulsion of
feeling from hope to certainty, from
anxiety and assurance.
As she watched it, she suddenly saw
dash Of sparks from the smoke stack.
Fixing her eyes on the light again, she
thought she caught glimpse Of IL white
blur. For 4 moment her heart sank Mt
the thought that 1t might be Lang
ford s yacht, and yet even his vessel
would be welcome, any boat indeed.
The light grew larger The night was
very still, the sea entirely calm; sound
carried great way under such circum-
stances, Presently she heard the throb
and beat of a screw. Tho vessel was
coming nearer There was some faint
light from the many stars above her
head, She thought she could make ont
the bulk OF the ship.
1t was close at hand now. She must
go down to the beach TO meet it. She
rose TO her feet and started down the
hill. She went slowly, cautiously at
first, but finally she broke into n recl,-
less run, She strayed from the path
IN her excitement, her foot canght IN
a projecting root A sharp. excruciat
ing pain shot through her Something
seemed To break IN her ankle She
nltphPH forward bnr nn1 L.,
still.
When she came to her senses light
was shining in her eyes. Men stood
about her holding ships lanterns.
Someone bent over her as someone had
bent over her five wears before when
sic lay senselcss on the sand 4 voice
she knew called TO her; arms to whose
touch she thrilled gathered her up; she
felt heart beat against her own. He
had como back. He was there.
Woman" said the man, 81 have
come back to you"
Man returned the woman. oblIvi-
Gus of those who stood around. holding
the lights. to whom she gave no single
| thought-indeed they were those who
knew her we'll" Man. she asked.
true to her resolution, edo you love
me as much as on that night"
''More, a thousand times!"
"And do you think me worthy-7n
"Do not ask! 1t is I who am .un-
worthy Of YOU
''I can die now" said tho woman
softly. lapsing into unconsciousucss
again
"Great God!' cried The man, strain
ing her to his breast again, ''have /
found her only TO lose her7'
Let me look said the surgeon,
whom by good chance they had picked
up at San Francisco. "Sbe didn't
look like a dying woman moment
since, Lay her down, man. and stand
| back -
Whitaker and the chaplain pulled
Charnock aside. The surgeon took his
place by the PROSTATE figure.
Lights here!' he cried. He made
such rapid examination as he could.
seeing in a moment one foot lying in
ert. out of place. and helpless "'Sho s
only fainted,' he said, "Gt's her
ankle. She's broken it in the dark
ness coming. to meet us. We will take
hor TO the ship"