Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1910-07-14

around her at books, books on every
side. She regarded the door leading
out, was half mindful to go, but heard
the manservant In the hall and lin
gered
Nothing so pleasant, | assure you"
John Steele answered Sir Charles
shortly. Then. with a few words, he
painted picture uncompromisingl
The girl shrank back. Perhaps she
wished she had not come. This. truly.
was no fairy tale. but wild. savage
drama. primeval, the picture of soul
battling with itself on the little, lonely
isle. She could see the hot. angry sun.
feel its scorching rays, hear the hiss
ing of the waves. All the mans
strength for good. for Ill, went into
the story The isle became as the pit
of Acheron.
"When the man woke" be had said,
"he cursed the sea for bringing him. as
he thought. nothing. One desire tor
mented him. 1t became intolerable.
Day after day he went down to the
ocean. but the surf only leaped I'm de
risiOn. For the thousandth time he
cursed 1t, the isle to which he was
bound. Weeks passed. until, almost
mad through the monotony OF the long
hours. one day he inadvertently pick
ed up book The brute convict could
Just read. Where, how he ever learn
ed. | forget He began TO pick out the
words. After that
Through the long months. the long
years. the man had fought for knowl.
edge as he had always fought for any.
thirg-with all his strength. passion.
energy
"Incrcdible BY Jove" She heard
Sir Charles voice. awed and admiring
Il am glad to have had your conn.
dence and and-tell me. how did YOU
happen to light on the law for speciai
study aud preparatiunr
you forget that about half your su-
perb library was law books. Sir
Charles \ most comprehensive col
lection"
"The lNw-the ramifcatious it ere
utes for the many, the attendant re-
struints for the lndividual-l confess
Interested me- You can imagine a per
Sonal reason or-an abstract one.
From the lonely perspective of tiny
coral isle, a system or systems-codes
Of conduct or morals built up for the
swarming millions, so to speak-could
not hut possess fascination for one Ia
whom those millions had become only
as the faraway shadows of dreaIA.'
"As boy" john Steele repeated the
words almost mechanically. My par
ents died when / was child They
came OF good stock-New England"
He uttered the hast part OF the sen
tence involuntarily-stop II was
bound out. was beaten fought. ran
away. In lumber camps, the drunken
riffratf cursed the new scrub boy. on
the Mississippi the sailors and steve
dores kicked him because the mate
kicked them. Everywhere II was the
same. The boy learned only one thing
Ito dght, Flight or be beaten!
In worldly sense | prospered
after ! was rescued--in New Zealand.
In Tasmania Fate. as II to atone for
having delayed her favors now lavish
ed them freely. Work became easy
A mine or two that / was lucky
enough TO locate yielded and continues
10 yield unexpected returns"
"And then. having fairly. through |
your own efforts. won a place In the
world. having conquered fortune. why |
aid you return 10 England knowing
the risk that some one OF these fel-
lows like GnletL the police agent
might
''Why," said John Steele, because |
wished 70 sift. TO get 70 the very