The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1905-1910, 1910-07-15


toilet. she shot q glance at the watch
glance. but she was able to detect no
change In his mental attitude, which
was that OF such complete and entire
alteration. mingled with timidity and
hesitation. that no transient change
apparently was able to modify H. He
looked upon her az he might have
looked upon q god. she thought. had he
known what q god was and had there
been such thing to look at.
There was also the pair OF scissors.
together with the little housewife with
needles and thread Mirror, hairpins.
scissors, sewing materials. comb
woman's gear and the Bible. a
voman's book. she reflected with a GER
tain bitterness. unconscious OF the
truth OF her thought book for chill
dren. old women, and women-led menl
Well. that philosophy upon which she
prlded herself must come to her as.
sistance now and she could not afford
to disdain the volume which was all
that the world OF many books offered
to her for her purpose. because she
did not believe In II. The truth was
In her and she could tell him what II
was despite the assertion OF the
printed pages
In the leather bag there was ALSO
lutely nothing except broken glass
and scratched bottle tops OF silver and
the bag itself was ruined. She sepa-
rated the pieces OF metal and the
metal fittings OF the bag. which we're
also OF silver. and filling the rotting
leather with sand she presently sank
II In the lagoon.
Last OF all she examined what she
had brought from the other shore OF
the island the night before. The sill.
yer was furnished. but by rubbing II in
the sand she soon frightened Il. IL
was heavily engraved and she had
no dificulty In making out the words:
John Revell Charnock-His Dog"
After that was a date July %.
1875" John Revell Charnock then
would be II years old. assuming that
this was he and that the dog had been
given him when be was born. II was
more probable. however. that he was
from three TO Ave years old before
he became the owner OF a dog. which
would make him about 25.
The man before her looked younger
TO her scrutiny than that Care and
trouble had passed him by With
nothing to ven him he might have
been any age. He would probably
look Just as he was for 20 years or
more. Still fsncifully adjusting eI-
ternal relations to internal relations.
which, after all. she realized was the
secret OF life according to her fsvorite
| philosopher. she concluded that the
man was IS. three years older than
she at that moment a proper differ.
ence in their ages for Her
face famed. She scarcely knew why.
and she turned to an inspection OF the
rings
The FIRST was q diamond. q solitaire.
OF rare beauty. she judged. Although
she was not especially expert In such
matters. she deemed II must be OF
great value. There was no inscrip-
ton of any sort within the narrow
hoop OF gold. although she searched
keenly the inner surface. The diamond
was curiously set There was an en-.
quislte trAcery Of a little coat of arms
on either side Of the setting. done In
miniature but with a skill to marvel
at. too small even for her brilliant
Vision 10 dsciphsr In detail.
The other she recognized with Q
sneer a. one OF those letters Of con
vention. . wedding ring. II vas .
heavier hoop Of gold much engraved
within. She washed Il In the stream
and rubbed IL In the sand until shs
could make IL out - r. c." she
read. TO N. p. T." There was Q date
after. September 10. 1869. and then
these cabalistic words. III. Cor. l2:i5.-
which she presently OWNED to be q
reference TO some text In the Bible
AZ source from which TO select the
'posy OF a ring" agreeable TO those
who submit to such ancient follies n
the well-named bonds OF matrimony.
She reached for the Bible and with
unfamiliar fingers searched through II
until she found the place: Il will
very gladly spend and be spent for
you: though the more abundantly
love you. the less | be loved" The
beauty OF the phrase caught her fancy
She read with a strange new interest
the chapter In which these words
were shrined. The touch OF human
passion came to her across the lons
years and with the ring sparkling Ia
her own white hand she embodied Ia
tradition In personality and the WON
an who had been so loved stood be
fore her. Her eyes fell again upor
the man and the dream was broken.
She pieced together now all tina,
she had OF him. smiling as she did sc
at the thought Of certain strange stor
les she had read wherein men OF mar
velous deductive powers had brought
to solution problems which appeared
as impossible OF detection a. this pre-
scented to her.
John Revsll Charnock. evidently the
father OF the man OF the island. had
| u ~ q.