Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-04-28

in her voice and manner? Would she
be permitted to pass the night undis-
Was her power e him suf-
ficiently definite 10 be established and
to be of value? Suppose she had not
succeeded in mastering him, in dom
mating him? She s%huddered at the
probabilities involved. OF all the
beasts of the field, the most terrible
when he is a beast is nan
She was not a weak woman. She
was above the middle height, athletic,
splendidly developed, accustomed to
the exercises Of the gymnasium and
the field, but her strength was no
match for his. One ray of safety ap-
peared in the fact that she believed
him ignorant alike of the extent of his
power or of the possibilities of the
situation. She wondered what strange
thoughts were going on in that latent
brain over which by the use of moral
force and courage she was striving to
establish domination. She rejoiced to
find that even in the midst of her anx-
ieties she could think so clearly about
the situation.
Did he know his lesson, she won
dered. She could only hope. If she
only had a weapon, she thought, the
weakness of sex might be equalized.
There was nothing. Yes, her thought
reverted to the womanly pair of scis-
sors. With trembling hand she drew
them forth and clenched the little tool
of steel tightly. 1t vas a poor depend
ence but the best she had. And then
she drew quietly back into the re-
| cesses of the cave and sat down lean
ing against the wall, her eyes bright
with dread, anticipation and curiosity.
She watched and waited, resolved If
necessary to remain awake the long
night through.
Outside the mar had stood motion
less a long time after the final repulse.
The dusk had not yet melted into dark
out there and he was easily visible
against the sky framed by the opening
as a dim picture. She was hardly
aware of the intensity with which she
watched him and she vas greatly sur
prised when she saw him at last kneel
down upon the sands. She saw that
the palms of his hands were pressed
together in front of him; that his
head was bowed, that his attitude was
that of prayer! He was saying some
thing. She could hear him without
difficulty. She could distinguish nc
words in the rude succession o,
sounds that seemed to come from his
lips, but her acute and quickened per
ception seemed to recognize a nearer
resemblance to articulate speech thai
anything she had yet heard from him
What was he doing? In a flash thu
woman realized that the man wal
praying. The realization smote he,
like a blow, for this woman had Ions
since put away prayer. In her philoso
ply of life there was no place for God
in her scheme Of affairs the Divin
was unimminent. And yet alone o.
that island, in the darkness, despit
her attempt to mock away the cor
seriousness, she was relieved at tina
sight.
The little ritual on the sand ende,
with the one word her pupil knew.
mani" he said striking his breas
, again and staring upward toward tn
, heavens. "Man!" he cried as il in hi
new consciousness he would fain il
! troduce himself to his Maker, tn
: woman thought. His Maker!" he
, lips writhed into a bitter smile tina
was half a sheer.
What would he do next? He ros
> to his feet and peeped toward tn
door. She grasped the scissors tigh
err and held her breath, But he ha
9 learned his lesson. With ~indescribabl
relief she saw him turn aside and cas-
Q himself down upon the sand where h
lay motionless. If she had had an
t faith she would have breathed THAN
Q God!" AS it was, she was very glat
She watched him a long time, spe,
ulating on the questions she had aske
e him on the hill in the morning; VIII
d he was what he was; whence h
k came; where he had learned that bal
BILE Of prayer; why he vas devoid
d speech; what was the God to whol
he prayed? She would study thos
n things. The problems fascinated he
The desolation and loneliness of til
9 island might have crushed her. r
e lieved from her immediate apprehe,
sions the man delighted her. ST
t would investigate him, analyze hir
synthesize him, teach him. She wou,
@ mother him as a woman a child. \
such opportunity as was hers had ev'
presented itself to a human bein
Free, as she imagined herself, fro
inherited prejudices, devoid of old s
. perstitions, crammed with new lear
! ing, illuminated with new light, a
horrent of narrow things, she fancie
herself we'll fitted for that strange
n maternal and preceptiye role in whiC
: chance had placed her. She would pls
upon that mind virgin to her touch,
Z she ul5AC upO q Wonudh WIZ, uAl
] 1t ran in harmony with her own. Alol
upon that island, the rest Of the wor
! away, she would find occupation, !
%terest, inspiration in that nasce
J, a
He lay SO still and SO quiet tn
presently she arose and tiptoed soft
to the entrance where unseen 81
4 could look down upon him. The mo-
4 rose back Of the hill. Although
. was in the shadow, there was still |
j fraction sufficient to enable her to S
his face. He was asleep. The quit
J dreamless, unvexed sleep Of a healtl
q animal, she thought. Their positio
3 were reversed. He had watched h
1 before when she was off guard a.