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

CHAPTER !.
The Primitive Norm.

Whether sne nad tainted UT idlltu
asleep. she did not know, but this one
thing she was sure, II had been dark
when consciousness left her and II
was now broad day, although the light
seemed 10 come 70 her with q greenish
tinge which was quite unfamiliar. The
transition between her state Of yester.
day and that Of to-day was az great
as n che had been born into morning
from the womb Of midnight and like
q young animal she drank It IN blindly
with closed eyes. shs could beer the
thunderous roaring OF the breakefs
crashing upon the barrier reef. Alone
her boat had been wrecked In the
darkness OF the night before -
the sound softened and melloved
by distance came to her In q
deep. low accompaniment TO the
sharper and nearer sounds Of the birds
singing and the breeze rustling gently
through the long leaves OF the trees
overhead.
The dry sand on which she lay was
soft and yielding and made q comfort
able bed for her tired body racked
with weary days In the constraint and
narrowness Of a small boat. It was
warm, too She had been drencbed
when she scrambled on the shore and
fell PROSTATE on the beach, retaining
Just strength enough and purpose
enough TO crawl painfully inward to
where the tall palms grow before she
lapsed in whatsoever way II might
have been into oblivion.
Incoherent thoughts raced through
her bewildered brain; each one. how
ever, bringing her q little nearer the
awakening point OF realization Then
there ran through her young body
primal pang which dispelled the trem-
ulous and vague illusions which her
fancy had woven about herself a. she
lay warm and snus and sunny at the
foot Of the tall trees. and she realized
that she was frightfuliy thirsty. 90
thirsty that she did not know how
hungry she was.
The demand for the material awak-
sned the animal IN her. Her thoughts
csntered Instantly: they were at once
iocalised on one supreme desire. Coin
cidenuy her eyes Enclosed and she sat
up blinking ID the strong light. The
rising sun still low on the horizon
smote her full in the eyes and left
her for the moment dared again. She
sat leaning upon her hands extended
behind her back staring seward, say
ing nothing, thinking nothing. until a
strange sound to the right Of her at
tracted her attention. 1t was a sound
made by a human voice and yet It was
like nothing human that she had ever
heard. II was a wordless, language
less ejaculation, but 1t reused her in
terest at once despite her material
cravings.
She weakly turned her head and
there standing erect with folded arms
looking down upon her was a man. He
was unclothed entirely save for fan
tastic girdle Of palm leaves about his
waist She stared at him puzzled.
amazed, affrighted. He returned her
look with an intent curiosity IN which
there was no suggestion Of evil pur-
pose, rather Of great incomprehension,
An amazing wonderment There was
nothing about him, save the fact that
he was there, which should have
caused any alarm in her heart, for
with a woman's swift mastery Of the
possibilities OF the other sex, she no
ticed In her vague terror and wonder
ment that he was remarkably good to
look at Indeed. she thought that she
had never seen 30 splendid a speci-
men Of physical manhood as that be
fore her. In color he was white. Save
that he was bronzed by the tropic sun.
he was perhaps whittier than she was
His hair, which hung about his head in
a wild, matted tangle, not unpictures-
que. was golden: his eyes bright b!se.
Beneath his beard, unkempt but short
and curly. she could see his nrm.
clean-cut lips. His proportions were
superb. He was limbed and ehested
like the Apollo Belvedere. In him
grace and strength strove for FREEDOM
nance. He was totally unlike all that
she had read Of the aborigines OF the
South seas.
II was the man who broke the ST.
hence, a. II had been the man who
had broken the spell OF her siumber.
He made that queer little chuckling
noise In his throat which sounded 70
milias enough and yet she had heard
II from the lips Of no man before. II
meant nothing TO her except that he
who stood before her 1t least was not