The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1909-12-08

the shore clearly to be seen. The cap.
tain stared over the side. He could
make out the mans head swimming
through the opening In the barrier.
He could see the splash that he made
In his rapid progress through the
quiet seas.
Mr.. Hopkins" he said, after a mo-
ments thought, tell Mr.. Cady-the
midshipman of the watch-to take the
boat and follow after. If the man gets
safely to the shore, they are not to dis
turb him but to come back and report
to me. If, on the contrary, he needs
help, they are to take him aboard and
bring him back to the ship"
So much time was lost in these vari-
GUS maneuvers, however, that when
the order was carried out the boat
had scarcely reached the entrance to
the barrier when they saw the islander
stepping through the shallow waters
to the beach. There was, therefore,
nothing for Mr.. Cady to do but come
back and report the matter to the cap
tain. When he reached the deck Of
the cruiser he found the executive of.
In a comfortable position on the
warm sand, then knelt down and be-
lgan to pray. 1t seemed long time to
the waiting priest before his shipmate
returned, and yet but short time had
elapsed. He came up painting from
the violence of his exertions.
II have sent the cutter back for the
surgeon. l told the men to row for
their lives. l gave the midshipman
in charge an account of what we had
found and begged the captain to send
parties ashore to search the island
What Of the MANI"
HE breathes STILL" said the chap
lain. II should think he was in some
kind of syncope. His heart evidently
was affected. He has had no prepa-
ration for such violent strains. The
things which are usual and ordinary
with us and which, 1 take it, indurate
us to the greater things of life have
been conspicuous by their absence in
his case and he has not been able
to bear up under the sudden shock"
Those clothes, have you examined
them?"
NO" said the chaplain. ut has been
too dark in the first place, and"
Il will look at Them" said Mr.. Whit
taker. Perhaps we may And some
new clew in them"
The lieutenant-commande stopped
over the pathetic little heap of worn
garments. There were the blouse. the
skirt. the stockings, and the worn and
torn white shoes. The Bible lay upon
them as If to weigh them down, and
they had been placed we'll above the
reach Of the highest tide. The tide
was then just coming in to the island.
The Bible had been opened and laid
face downward on the clothes. Mr..
Whitaker lifted it up reverently. He
observed as he did so that his own
pencil, which he had left, he now re-
membered, with the woman. lay be-
meath the open book. On the blank
leaves between the Old and New tes-
taments something was written. No
mention OF any writing had been
made in the affidavit of the night be-
fore. He lifted it, turned his back
toward the east where the sun was
just on the verge of rising, and stud.
led it out
DO you find anything?" asked the
chaplain.
There is writing on this page" said
the younger man. 81 can just make it
out"
Man." he read slowly, studying
each word in the dim light, 81 loved
you. In one sense, in your sense, l
was unworthy of you, perhaps, but
not in mine. You alone had my heart.
The past was frightful mistake for
which l should not be blamed, but for
which must suffer. l tried you with
the world by your side. The world
was kind, but you were not. You
broke my soul and killed something
within me which l had thought dead,
but which you had revived. No power
could revive it again. l cannot marry
l-angford, for do not love him. will
not marry you. for you do not love me.
l will not go back to the world now.
! have no desire to do so and l cannot
49, e'AOAS WIN you upOu Tie lSldnQ.
You will not go without me, and so
will 90 first by myself alone. You will
think of me, know, in the great
world. Perhaps you will Judge your
self harshly, but l do not Judge you
at all. You did not know, you did not
understand. 1t came too suddenly
upon you. You cannot forget me, but
do not repins over me and remember
to the very last that I loved you.
Good-by. May God bless you, and
may he pity mel"
Underneath she had written the i'm
personal nams which he had loved to
call her. Woman"
So characteristic was the letter that
that superseription was supsrerosatory
thought Mr.. Whitaker. Only q wom-
an could have written It. She had
gone out ef his life, because with her
In 1t there was no solution Of 1t for
him, bseauss-Aow pitiful 1t sounded
there n the gray of that morning in
that lone islAnA to these two meal
becaueo ~ ~ not love her. And abe
had R0&n - of If with ayc,Aos fr>r