Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-02-23
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commander, what appeared to be
some sort of fracas with the natives,
and fred gun to attract attention.
and Capt. Ashby sent this boat party
ashore under my charge to do what,
ever was necessary. Perhaps you can
explain how you came to be EN-.
broiled with the natives"
Sir" said the woman. And the
fact that she addressed him In his own
language, and with the cultured &C.
cents of the well-bred and the well.
educated. caused the officer to start
vtolently-"the island is NINE"
Mr.. Whitaker turned and looked
deliberately at her, his surprise only
equaled by his admiration. The tunic
that she wore was a rough garment,
and shapeless, but few vestments were
better calculated to set of her ex.
quisite proportions. The grace and
beauty of her figure, the nobility and
intelligence of her face took added
luster from the contrast of the utterly
simple, natural and primitive. Whit.
takers glance fell upon well.nigh per.
feet woman. The constraining infiu-
ences of civilization had been SO long
absent that nature had time and OBJ
portunity to reassert its claim. She
was tall, exquisitely modelled. Her
bare arms might have supplied those
missing from the Venus Of Milo; her
limbs, which the short tunic to her
knees left exposed, were perfect in
their symmetry and strength; her feet
were such as those to which ancient
Greece had bowed; her hands were
shapely, graceful, yet strong; her dark
eyes looked at him fearlessly; her
dark hair rose like somber, cloudy
crown above her brow. The fierce sun,
the open air, the wild wind had not
materially altered the clear, slightly
olive pallor Of her face. The woman
had been beautiful before. Now that
nature had had free sway, she was
nobly lovely. She had stood a little in
the rear Of the man at first and the
lieutenant commander had not partic-
ularly observed her. When she spoke,
she stepped into the open. He stared
and stared amazed.
Indeed, the direct intenstty of his
glance added a sudden new percep-
ton to the woman's faculties and for
the first time in years she realized
that she was standing before her fell
lows half naked. In one swift mo-
ment convention leaped across the
missing years and caught her in its
arm. The red flashed into her cheek;
beneath her rude vest her bosom rose
and fell. Her instinct for the moment
was to fly. She wished that she had
put on those treasured garments which
she had kept for a scene like this in
that cave all those years. It was too
late now. She summoned her cour.
age, and realizing that dignity, after
all, is not made Of clothes or conven-
tons, once more addressed him.
Sir" she said, my name is Kath-
arine Brenton. am not, as you might
well think. savage, but castaway."
II beg your pardon" said the Off.
Ger, man of wide reading and Gull
ture: lis 1t possible that you are the
Katharine Brenton who wrote Fate
and Destiny'?"
Il am that unhappy woman"
Unhappy"
Yes" returned tie other. II"
MADAM" said the lieutenant COM
mander. flushing deeply and bowling In
his turn. He had taken of his cap
at her first word. 81 beg your pardon,
I have heard something of your story"
He was very much embarrassed. 1t
was Langford who took up the tale.
Since you know SO much, Mr.. Whit
taker. you may as we'll hear the rest.
Indeed, am anxious that the world
should hear 1t. Miss Brenton and I,
we-er-did not believe in marriage,
and we went away-together."
Every word was agony to Langford,
who was proud man; 1t was worse
than agony to Katharine Brenton, who
was proud woman; and 1t was worst
agony of all to the man of the is
land. But Langford persisted. He did
not care how he hurt himself. Indeed,
he rather luxuriated in the conscious.
mess of his own pain. 1t was part of
his expiation. He realized that he
would have to hurt Katharine, but per-
haps the very keenness of her pain
would make her realize her position,
and he wanted to win her, now that
he had found her and seen her, more
than ever. Nor was his passion a
base one. Again he was ashamed of
what he had already said, 30 he spoke
the more frankly. He gave no thought
at all to the other man, but If he had,
he would have been glad to hurt him
until he killed him.
We went on my yacht yonder three
years ago. lin short-I behaved
like brute on it, will admit"
II discovered that he was a mar
ried man." said the woman swiftly at
this juncture. She, too, would be
frank. This grave and middle-aged Of
ficer should hear all "He had pro-
fessed his belief in those views, which,
If you have read Fate and Destiny,
you realize that entertained"
The officer bowed
And have you abandoned them
now" he asked.
absolutely" was the firm answer.
Il am Christian woman, thank God!''
Thank God. say l, too continued
Langford. yet was not altogether
sham or a lie. 1t was true that /
was married man."
The lieutenant commander flashed a
contemptuous look at him at which
Langford WINGED, but he went on. He
was determined to make an absolute
ly clean breast Of the whole affair.
ut is true was married man.
but was under the spell of Miss
Brenton's eloquence and Of her
beauty"
II can well understand that" said
the officer, gravely, as matter OF
course.
II thought that marriage meant moth.
ing, and that the old tie might be dis.
regarded. I hated the woman who
bore my name, and SO as Miss Bren-
toms disciple, as her devotee, for l
loved her, l will admit" she smiled
drearfly. more than her philosophy. /