Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-07-21

n the dark rock. She CLEANED Wnlter
still in the entrance for a moment
and then disappeared. She came forth
presently still ~unclothed, a look OF
disappointment on her face.
She had many things to do, much
to occupy her mind, but the first duty
that lay to her hand and the first in
stinct which she followed was that
her nakedness should be covered.
Still warily watchful, still keenly
alert, still fearful apparently of inter-
ruption or observation, she a across
the beach, her movement as free, al
graceful, as rapid as she had been
ATLANTA herself, and disappeared I'M
der the trees. The whirr Of birds dis
turbed might have marked her pass
age.
After some time she appeared on
the top Of the high bare hill that
crowned the island. She had impro-
vised for herself a covering out Of
three or four great fern leaves, soft
and pliable, which she fastened with
palm fibers from shoulder to knee on
either side, her bare shoulders rising
from the rich greenness like white
corolla from its verdant calyx. She
went more assuredly, now, party be-
cause of the fact that she was clothed
and partly because her first rapid sur
vey of the horizon revealed the fact
that the ships were gone. She was
glad that this was so, and yet when
the realization came upon her, she
flung herself down on the grassy crest
and gave way to voiceless agony.
Sometimes there is nothing so ter
rible, she realized, as prayer granted,
as desire accomplished, as undertake
ing brought to conclusion. The aw-
fulness of success was upon her in
that hour. Her ruse had worked. Her
object had been attained, yet the
| achievement gave her nc pleasure.
Her own acts had parted her irrev'
ocably forever from the world and
the one man in it who was the world
for her. He was gone. She who had
made him had sent him forth among
his fellows. She had sacrificed her
self, buried herself alive for him. She
felt as a mother might who expert
ences birth pangs and knows tha'
with every throb of tearing anguish
her own life GIBBS away, passes int
the new life which she ushers into thu
world aud gives to men.
She had long hours for thought II
those two days in that ave whose
mouth the waters hid. She hat
schooled herself to face light and lift
without him when she emerged from
her cunning hiding place. She hat
waited the long period in order t.
make absolutely certain that the.
would be gone. And yet, despite hel
self, a little CLEAN of hope, a bare pos
sibility that he might be there still
had fingered in her soul and leaVene
the awfulness of her grief. Now
was gone. 1t had sunk beneath tn
horizon even as the ships had disal
peared. She had been bitter agains
him. Her soul had revolted becaus
he had failed. She had told herse.
that he was not worthy of her. Sh
! forgot these things in that profoun
and desolate moment. She knew onl
that she loved him. When she coul
think Of other things than he, th
mere bodily presence of the man, tn
look of him.. the sound of his voic'
the pressure of his lips, the clasp
his arms, she began to realize that q
he grew older, unless she was so al
| solutely mistaken in him as to max
l all estimate of him mockery, he woul
realize the falsity of his view, the Ii
: tleness of his action, and if he were
truth the man whom she could right
; love, his years would be me long r
gret that he had failed. What wouI
5 happen when he realized that, whe
9 he came to the knowledge that 81
9 was indeed all that she had SCENE
and that he had been nothing that !
U should? She knew, as she had wr
ten, that the man would never, cou
3 never, forget her; that wherever
went and whatever he did, she won
u be present with him; that she h;
5 stamped herself too indelibly upon h
. heart for any attrition with humanit
/ however close and persistent, to era
the image. He would come back pc
q haps.
g 20 God!" she knelt down al
6 stretched out her arms, bring hi
back" she prayed-a few short, bro
e en- words, lacking the ~eloquence
n long and studied petition, the appe
r, of the heart every throb of which
n a prayer-"bring him back to mel"
T. She thought that she would ha
9 had him back on any terms. She sa
q that she had been mad, a fool, not
70 have taken him, not to have gone
Ie him, not to have married him in a
70 way, with any conditions, under a
circumstances. All her thoughts we
ID merged in n great passionate lol
d ing to be with him.
For the first time in her life t
pangs of jealousy tore her breast. S
~ thought of him in the world with 0
err men, with other women, you
OF handsome. a perfect godlike form a
a 49,
KC SS e =