Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-03-09
one in the cabin could perceive.

one in the cabin could perceive.
1T is not rightly known" said Whit
taker, but he is believed to be q
Virginian of the"
! Il knew it." said the chaplain, i'm
pulsively; he is one Of the Charnocks
of Nansemond county"
Your recognition, chaplain" said
the lieutenant-commander, eagerly,
will be of great value in determining
this strangers name and station. The
evidence of it is circumstantial. 1 do
not know how it will be regarded in a
court of law
| Il have always understood that the
Charnock estate was vast one" said
Capt. Ashby. land since coal has been
mined on the Virginia lands it has be.
come very valuable"
1T is true" answered the chaplain.
who holds it now?" asked the sur
geon.
1T is held by an old man, my friend
of many years standing, the brother
of John Revell Charnock."
Il believe that to be my name" said
the islander
Il have little doubt of it." replied
the chaplain, continuing. 1.-THE first
John Revell CharnoGs was lost at sea.
He and his wife and young child some
80 years ago set forth on a voyage
around the world for her health. The
ship. in which believe he had some
ownership, was called the. Nansemond.
Its course was traced as far as Val.
paraiso. thence 1t sailed for the Philip.
pines and was never heard of again. |
know the story" said the chaplain
turning toward the captain, because
John Reyell Charnock was one of nv
best friends, as is his brother Philip
Norton Charnock, who now holds the
estate"
is the present Charnock married?'
No, returned the chaplain, "he is
an old bachelor"
That will make 1t easier for our
friend here" said Mr.. Whitaker. "pro
yided the evidence is thought convinc
ing" D
The best evidence that he could pre-
sent" returned the chaplain, .is In his
face. He is the living image of his
father as knew him, and he has fam
lily characteristics which think would
enable almost anyone to identity him
without question:"
Sir" said the islander, addressing
the chaplain, did you know my
| mother?"
That l did" returned the old man
Her name was Mary Page Thornton
and she was one of the sweetest girls
in Virginia"
And will you tell me about her
and about my father and my people p
with the greatest pleasure" said
the chaplain, kindly. meanwhile
Capt. Ashby and these gentlemen vii
wish to hear your story"
Take him to your cabin" said the
captain promptly, "and tell him the
things he wants to know. We car
wait"
/ NO" returned the islander; 81 car
wait. have waited all these years
and few hours more or less will
make little difference. You have 8
right to know my story, and here Il
| Isl ~
Rapidly, concisely, with fine dra
matte touch, he told the story as he
knew 1t Of his life on the island. He
was so entirely unconventional that
he interwove the bare details OF the
strange relation which he gave them
with personal touches. He made nc
secret of his love and worship for the
girl. of the belief in her which he had
cherished. of the reverence In which
he had held her. He exhibited that
strange commixture of feeling with
which be regarded her as human
4 woman land as demi-goddess. He
showed that he was at once her mas.
ter and her creature, yet through 1t all
there ran such thread Of bitterness.
of grief. of resentment, of shame, that
his auditors, at first unpossessed of
the key to his feelings. listened to him
with amazement and could scarcely
realize or comprehend He told the
story of the, two lives up to the sight
Ing of the ship upon the island, and
then, his heart failing him, he turned
TO Whitaker and babe him take up
the relation.
II was delicate matter of which to
speak. but the simplicity with which
the first part of the tale had been pre-
scented gave the officer his cue. He
was man of retentive memory, of
quick apprehensiye power, and with a
nice sense of discrimination, rare
man, indeed. And he told the rest of
the tale with subtle sympathy for
the situation and the actors that en-
abled him SO to present it to the inter-
ested little group of officers that he
almost made them see it as 1t trans
pired.
And what" asked the captain, when
the finalsword had been said, do you
propose to do now, Mr.. Charnock?"
1t was the first time that he had
been so addressed and the man start
ed. He had heard Mr.. Whittaker's
words as one in dream. He had been
going over that dreadful scene on the
sands. His heart was lacerated and
torn again. He was blind to every
thing but the past. He saw her face
dimly in the present. He could see
nothing of happiness in the future.
Il don't know" he answered.
But surely this has not made any
difference in your feelings?"
Il can't tell The difference is in
her. not in me-"
She made frightful mistake, /" said
the captain, impressively, but she has
nobly atoned, and"
She's not what thought she was"
said the man, land If love her, / love
her now not because, but in spite, Of
what she is, and there is difference"
Miss Brenton," interposed Whitta-
ker at this juncture, has settled the
matter herself. She says that she will
have no mans pity, no mans con-
tempt, that no man shall marry her