Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-07-28
CHAPTER xxH.-continued.
Yes" she answered.

CHAPTER xxlI.-continued.
yes" she answered.
Thank Cod" cried the man. I'VE
thought you dead. We searched the
island. Where had you hidden? Why
have you done it,"
She rose slowly to her feet and con-
ifronted him.
'You!" she said bitterly. why have
you come back?"
Il don't know" answered Langford.
II can't tell what moved me. | was
here on the island with the others. I
searched with the rest. I know that
no foot Of it was left unvisited. Every
tcrag and Granny, every thicket and
1coppice, every tree, every cave and rift
in the rocks was examined we and
over again. We knew that you were
gone and yet / could not believe it.
Yesterday afternoon / parted from the
cruiser. / did not bear away for this
island until it was too dark and they
were too far away to see what I would
be about, and then / came back here
lat full speed"
why did you Gomez
Il don't know. / was not satisfied.
1t seemed to me that / must come
back and search again. I could not
believe 1t possible that you were dead,
really dead. Something in my heart,
at any rate, brought me back once
more to see the place where you had
lived If no more than that. We made
the island early in the morning. The
yacht lies yonder. I came ashore a
moment since and some kind Provi-
tdence led me first of all to this spot.
i entered the cave. I saw you lying
there in the cool darkness. I thought
you dead at first. Then I cried to you
and you moved. And then ! touched
your hand. o Kate, thank God l have
found you'll"
Where is he!" said the woman.
~'Why didn't he come back"
1t was a cruel thing to say, but she
could no more have helped 1t than
she could have helped her breathing.
Not to have said 1t would have killed
her, for il Langford's love could turn
him back, what should be said then OF
Charnock's. Langford was pale and
zhaggard. He, too, had suffered. He
was paying for his sins. He was ex.
plating them and feeling it, although
the expiation was not helping her.
"What of him?" she asked insist
emily.
What matters about him?" he said
bitterly. "He had his chance. He
failed to grasp 1t. He's gone"
The man did not tell her that Char
mock had been carried away a sense
less log, bereft of power to think OF
speak, or move, or feel, by the shocl
of her departure.
"Once," said the woman, you hat
your chance In the cabin Of that very
yacht cut yonder and you failed tt
grasp it and we separated"
EYES," said the man, Il know that
II realize that now, and | came back
/ have come back to take my chance
again"
"And SO he may come back" sale
the woman. "You sank lower thar
he"
"And / rose higher the other da,
upon the sand"
"You did, but not high enough. be
1ieve in him. He will realize 1t, too
she went on, all the confidence of he
hopes springing into life again ant
giving force and power to her voic'
and bearing.
And you condemn me for that ont
mistake" said the
NO returned the woman, 'neithe
will | condemn him for that n mis-
take"
"But he's gone, / tell you"
"And he will come back, | know"
HE thinks you dead"
$50 did you"
"But I came back, not he"
"You we're your own MASTER" sal,
the woman swiftly. "You could 6
where you pleased. He was subjec
to the decision of others. / trust hir
still"
"And you don't trust me"
II trust YOU enough. but don't Low
you
70 Kate, think! There must b
something in what / feel for you 7
move you. / did not know what
was. i did not realize It. cam
back in the first place as much bt
cause I had been d blackguard and
coward and wanted to set myself righ
in your eyes as because cared fo
you, but every hour Of search mad
me know my own heart, and since
have seen you, since ! see you nov
there il nothing ! would not do Is
8 There isn't any expiation {
amendment or anything now, but p