Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-05-12
CHAPTER Iv-continued.

H" L
CHAPTER W-Continued.
The first impulse of the woman was
to laugh. The next impulse was to
take off the palm leaf hat and stand
with bowed head and clasped hands.
What marvellous miracle was this
that throughout the years which she
could no longer doubt this man had
been alone on the island, there had
survived the one childish habit of
prayer and that the one vestige of
language which had remained to him
was the language Of petition. She did
not believe in it, of course. 1t was
absurd to her, but 1t was none the less
wonderful. It filled her with a certain
awe. 1t was as If some power had
maintained a hold upon the conscious
ness of this man in this way.
Now I lay me down to sleep!" How
long it had been since she had said
that? She believed nothing, she cared
for nothing, but the woman hid her
face in her hands for a moment. She
clenched her teeth and forced out OF
her mind that which at that moment
was striving for birth. She was to
teach this man everything, She was
to make him know life and history.
She was to bring him in touch with all
the glories Of to-day and she recog-
nized in that hour, although she did
not and could not admit 1t, that per
haps he might teach her something
as well, something that she had not
known or something that she had for
gotten, without the knowledge OF
which all her science was a vain, a
foolish. a futile thing.
The little prayer was ended. The
man rose to his feet. She took her
spade and went back to the place
where the bodies had lain and there
began carefully to scrape away the
earth, examining scrupulously every
shovelful ere she threw it aside. II
one place where the hand had lain
she remembered, her labors were re
warded. She came across two rings, {
diamond and a plain circlet of gold
These she placed in her tunic will
the collar and continued her digging
1t was growing late and growing
dark, but she left no square inch o
ground UNEMPLOYED. She found moth
ing else. The rings belonged to
woman evidently. Her surmise in tina
particular was right. There were n,
other metal parts of her apparel left
The nails in her shoes, the steel Q
her corset had rusted away and lef
no sign. There was nothing remaininI
but the two little baubles pressinj
against her own warm flesh.
So intent had she been that the SUI
had gone down before she ceased an
upon the island there descended tina
quick and sudden night of the tropics
The wind had risen, the old ocean wa
laundering on the barrier reef and
heavy sea breeze was shriekin
through the trees. The sky on tn
horizon was overloaded and tn
clouds were rising rapidly. Their
would be a storm, which was develop
ing with tropic rapidity. Quickly sh
retraced her steps along the san
toward the cave on the other side, th
man following.
They had progressed not 0 tina
half way when the storm bust upc
them. Peals Of thunder and fiasht
of lightning filled the air. 1t was sue
a display of the Titanic forces Of n
ture as might have appalled, the stou
est heart. It filed the woman with
vague terror. She noticed with sa
isfaction that the man was entire
unmoved by the terrific demonstr
lions Of nature. By the flashes
lightning as they, stumbled along
the otherwise total blackness 81
could see his face serene. In a m
ment Of apprehension she caught b
hand with her own and chung to
tightly. It was the unconscious appe
of the physical weaker to the physic
stronger. Her hand had clasped Il
hands Of her fellow creatures maj
times. Never before had his pal
met the palm Of human being, mu
less a woman's. She could feel th
tremor run through him, but by
stinct, as it were, he met her hai
clasp with his own, and together tn
made their way to the cave
They had scarcely reached it VIII
the rain burst upon them. The heave
were opened, the floods descendt
they beat upon the sands in fury. s
could not drive him out there in tn
food for the night. She motion
him to come within the entrance
the cave which was sheltered from I
wind and which was dry and still. s
made him lie down near the entran
and then, withdrawing herself into
recess at the side, she disposed of I
oars, which she had carried home
her shoulders, In front Of her FRI
wall to wall and lashing them W
the rope to her person made anotf
feeble barrier, but which would
give the alarm to her and waken !
If it were moved. And presently {
went to sleep. She was too I'll
even to speculate on her discover
or to piece them together; that wo'
be occupation for the morning.
CHAPTER v.