The Harlowton news. [volume] (Harlowton, Mont.) 1909-1914, 1910-04-22

ana now, ne sam, spranEsnk o.
ward the huddled group OF sailors. the
bright blade lifted. which Of you
will touch me?"
! The men shrank back. There va
something so furious In the aspect of
the man his power was 80 eyident
and his temper a. we'll that none
wished to precipitate the fray.
II will never believe It. It cannot
be-"
And yet it was, but you shall have
the whole wretched story to-day, ana
you shall Judge. This much wfll
say. that though all that he said was
true. yet / hold myself blameless and
innocent. The world Judges me
harshly, and 1t may be that you will
find its judgment just. Yet l do not
hold myself as on trial at this moment,
but you"
II do not understand"
There are many things that you d
not understand. my friend"
II would that had been left In Is.
norance."
May, that is not . mans wish. bat
. childs."
"Of one thing am certain"
And what is that?"
THAT I should have killed hint"
May" said the woman again. that
Is not a child's wish. but brute's."
you said yourself" he flashed 1t
her, that there were some things Z
woman could not forgive, and this
Is one that a man puts in the same
class"
The woman sighed. There occurred
to her at the moment no answer which
was adequate to the stark realism Of
this fact The conversation had reached
an impasse beyond which It could not
progress without the full and com.
plete explanation which now there was
neither time nor opportunity to give,
for the boat from the man.of-war was
approaching the shore. The woman
stepped resolutely down the strand to
meet 1t. and the man, after a slight
hesitation. followed her.
So soon as the boats keel grated On
the bottom in the shallow water a
middle-aged ofacer rose from the stern
sheets and stepped ashore followed
by younger companion In the uni
form of a sergeant Of marines. A
little squad Of privates in the bows
landed and fell in line with martial
celebrity and precision. The officer In
charge, who wore the white tropic uni
form Of lieutenant commander, now
faced the people on the island who
had instinctively divided into two
groups, one on either side of him.
To the right stood the man and be-
hind him the woman, to the left Lang.
ford. back of him his crew. It was
to the latter that the officer FIRST ad.
dressed himself.
Sir" he began, II am the exeou.
tive officer of the United States
cruiser Cheyenne, detached on special
service. We raised this island this
morning, ran it down, circled 1t, saw
the yacht yonder-"
He paused. -
1T is my yacht, sir, the Southern
Cross" answered the other. IN!
name Is Langford."
Glad to meet you, Mr. Langford
Mine is Whitaker"
The lieutenant commander touched
his cap as he spoke. Langford LITE,
his, and the two shook hands.
1--WE saw" continued the lieutenan
commander, what appeared to b.
.. some sort of fracas with the natives
and fired a gun to attract attention
and Capt. Ashby sent this boat part
ashore under my charge to do what
ever was necessary. Perhaps you ca
explain how you came to be en-
. broiled with the natives"
: Sir" said the woman. And tn
: fact that she addressed him in his ow
language, and with the cultured a.
: cents of the well-bred and the vel
educated, caused the officer to stat
violently-"the island is mine"
Mr.. Whitaker turned and locke
deliberately at her. his surprise onl
) equaled by his admiration. The tuni
that she wore was rough carmen
and shapeless, but few vestments we,
better calculated to set off her e
quisite proportions. The grace ar
beauty of her figure, the nobility ar
"a intelligence Of her face took adde
:, luster from the contrast of the utter
NJ simple. natural and primitive. VIII
"a takers glance fell upon well-nigh pc
=. feet woman. The constraining ind
ences of civilization had been so lor
-, absent that nature had time and q
portunity to reassert its claim. 81
- was tall, exquisitely modelled. Fl
~ bare arms might have supplied tho
IT, missing from the Venus Of Milo; h
- limbs, which the short tunic to h
ha knees left exposed, were perfect
~, their symmetry and strength; her fe
=. were such as those to which ancie
- Greece had bowed; her hands we
-, shapely, graceful, yet strong; her da
~ eyes looked at him fearlessly; b
n dark hair rose like somber, clou
ea crown above her brow. The fierce g,