The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1905-1910, 1910-07-08


what action OF water she could we'll
imagine. but a. she scrutinized IL
closely she noticed In . recess a part
where the rock wall cropped out In q
sort OF low shelf. On the shelf-won.
der Of wonderfully a book. Next 10
humanity, a book. she thought would
be the most precious sharer OF her
solitude.
II was q small, Battle-Ground vol
ume. Dust in the form OF tiny par.
ticles OF sand lay thick upon II. The
cave was sheltered from the prevailing
winds else II might have been buried,
but under the circumstances II might
have lain there for ages and in that
dry. pure air have suffered no deterlo-
ration or decay
Crusoe was petrined when he saw
the footprint in the sand The woman
was not less startled or less amazed
when she saw the book on the rock.
With a little cry Of delight she stepped
toward II, bent down, lifted II up.
handling It carefully in spite Of ner.
vous exultation. shook the dust from
II. and opened H. She instantly let II
fall from her hands with look OF dis
appointment and disgust. One glance
was enough The book was the Bible.
She had no interest In the Bible, col
lection OF ancient genealogies and
time-worn fables, myths for the credu-
lous and impossible lengends, mixed
up with poetry whose inspiration was
trivial and history whose details were
false. For this woman. who had for
gotten how to pray and who had abol-
ished God. had little use for the Book
OF Books. Rather any other printed
page, she had thought bitterly, than.
that one.
She had acted upon impulse. not in
her dIsdain for the Bible and that for
which II stood-that was grounded
upon reason and philosophy, she fond
ly belleved-but in her action In cast.
Ing II from her. II had no more than
rolled upon the sand at her feet when.
with swift reconsideration, she stopped
and lifted II again. It had occurred 10
her that there might be writing there.
In and that the writing might give her
a clev TO the mystery OF the man. She
knew that births and deaths we're fire.
quently entered upon the blank leaves
interposed between the Old and New
Testaments Unfamiliar though she
was with the contents Of the book.
she easily found the place and eagerly
looked at the leaves. Alas. they were
blank. She turned to the fly leaves
at the beginning OF the book. There
was a name written there and in a
woman's hand
John Revell Charnock." she read.
Below was a date IS years before
the moment OF her landing.
John Revell Charnock. II was a
strange name. English in part, with a
suggestion OF France in the middle
name II meant nothing to her. Was
this John Revsll Charnock who stood
outside looking at her! II so. who was
John Revell Charnock7 The problem
was not greatly elucidated. There was
no evidence that the book belonged to
the man or the man to the book. or
even that the one appertained remote
ly to the other. There was a certain
likelihood. however. that they had
come to the Inland together.
She had been sure that the man was
Q white man. She had thought that
be looked like an American. an Eng
lishman. an Anglo-Saxon. and the
longer she looked at him with the
Bible In her hand the more sure she
became.
She had been disappointsd that the
book had turned out to be the Bible.
but ct least Il would serve one useful
purpose, By II. without the lsborious
effort involved In making letters
upon the sand. she might teach the
man before her TO read. She wished
she had . worthier volume from her
point OF view through which 10 intro
duce him TO the worlds literature.
but she would do the best she could
with that II was pitiful. as she saw
II, that with q nascent soul to work
with. she should be compelled to en-
tighten II through the medium Of time
worn superstition.
Below the shelf. not quite buried In
|
She knelt down. scraped the sand
away and presently uncovered IL 1t
appeared to be Of silver. II was Of
such . size that she could clasp II
easily In her hand. She opened II not
without some difnculty and found with
In it-nothing! Well. not exactly
nothing but certainly that for which
she could see little value. There we're
several hard pieces Of stone Of q red.
dish color clipped and shaped In curl
Gus fashion. She turned the box over
and examined II on all sides. There
were initials upon II. . monogram. She
rubbed II clean with her hands and
studied IL carefully-"J. r. c." The
book and the boz had belonged to the
same person. John Rsvsll Charnock-
She laid the boz aside and searched
the cave further. There was ALSO
lutely nothing else to be seen. Dtsap-
pointed vaguely. although she had ex-
| nactsd nothina and had Qottan mora