The Mena weekly star., 1910-08-04

"' was LII part my fault" re- turned the woman, bravely making her confession.
 T will never believe it. It cannot be-"
 And yet 1t was, but you shall have the whole wretched story today ane you shall judge. This much will say, that though all that he said was true, yet l hold myself blameless and innocent. The world judges me harshly, and 1t may be that you will ma It's Judgment just Yet do not hold myself as on trial at this moment. | but you"
 T do not understand" There are many things that you do not understand, my friend"
 T would that had been left in ig- norance"
 Nay, that is not a mans wish, but a child's."
 "Of one thing am certain" And what is that?"
 That l should have killed himI"
 Nay" said the woman again. that Is not a child's wish, but a brute's. !"
 You said yourself" he flashed at her, that there were some things woman could not forgive, and this IS one that man puts in the same class"
 The woman sighed. There occurred to per at the moment no answer which was adequate to the stark realism of thisfaet- The conversation had reached an impasse beyond which 1t could not progress without the full and com. plete explanation which now there wal neither time nor opportunity to give, Tor 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 officer rose from the stern sheets and stepped ashore followed by younger companion in the uni form Of sergeant of marines. A little squad of priyates in the bows landed and fell in line with martial celer1ty and precision. The officer in charge, who wore the white tropic uni form Of a 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 lord, back of him his crew. It was to the latter that the officer first ad- dressed himself.
 Sir" he began, T am the execu- tive officer of the United States cruiser Cheyenne. detached on special service. We raised this island this morning, ran 1t down, circled 1t, saw the yacht yonder-"
 He paused.
 Tt is my yacht, sir. the Southern Cross" answered the other. My name is Langford.-
 Glad to meet you. Mir. Langford. Mine Is Whitaker"
 iiie lieutenant commander touched his cap as he spoke. Langford lifted his, and the two shook hands.
 We saw" continued the lieutenant commander. what appeared to be some sort of a fracas with the natives, and fired gun to attract attention. and Capt. Ashby sent this boat party ashore under my charge to do what ever was necessary. Perhaps you can explain how you came to be em- broiled with the natives"
 Sir" said the woman. And the fact that she addressed him in his own language, and with the cultured ac cents of the well-bred and the we'll educated. caused the officer to start violently-"the Island Is mine"
 MT. Whitaker turned and looked deliberately at her. his surprise only equaled by his admiration. The tunic that she wore was a rough garment. and shapeless, but few vestments were better calculated to set of her ex quisite proportions. The grace and beauty of her figure. the nobility and intelligence of her face took added luster from the contrast of the utterly simple, natural and primitive Whit takers glance fell upon a well-nigh per feet woman. The constraining infiu- snces of civilization had been 90 long absent that nature had time and op- portunity to reassert its claim. She was tall exquisitely modelled. Her bare arms might have supplied those missing from the Venus of Milo; her limbs, which the short tunic to her knees left exposed. were perfect In their symmetry and strength her feet were such as those to which ancient Greece had bowed; her hands were shapely, graceful. yet strong. her dark eyes looked at him fearlessly; her dark hair rose like a somber. cloudy crown above her brow. The fierce sun, the open air. the wild wind had not materially altered the clear, slightly | olive pallor of her face. The woman | had been beautiful before. Now that | nature had had free sway. she was | noblv lovely She had stood little in | the rear of the man at first and the I lieutenant commander had not partic- ularly observed her. When she spoke, she stepped into the open. He stared and stared amazed.
 Indeed, the direct intensity of his l glance added sudden new percep- ton to the woman's faculties and for | thes first time in years she realized | that she was standing before her fel- l t<.x~- hof uokod In Ona swift mo