The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1910-07-28
MISUNDERSTANDING

'Tn some fashion do" he replied.
''It grows late Captain, can your
ship lie by the island until morning?"
''If you wish, certainly" returned
the captain.
"Very we'll. Man, will you then go
aboard the ship with these gentlemen
and leave me alone here for the
night?"
alone, madam" exclaimed TIE cap
tain.
Certainly, sir" returned the won.
an. "There is not a harmful thing
upon the island. You can come back
in the morning and we will discuss
then what is best to be done. Really,
gentlemen" she went on, with pite-
Gus tremble of her lip, for one mo-
ment losing her control, 81 have been
tried beyond the strength of woman
to-day. If l can have a quiet rest, If
in the morning"
THAT is reasonable" said the sur
geon. "The lady is in no state for
this discussion, nor, indeed, are you,
sir" he continued, hooking hard at
the man.
very WE'LL" said the captain. "Come,
Mr.. Charnock, you cannot refuse that
request; gentlemen. Madam, good
night"
He turned away, followed by the
others. Charnock for the moment hes
itated.
II give you one more chance" whis-
pered the woman in his ear. Il think
myself fit for the wife of any man, do
you think so? Do you love me? Do
you care for me as you did last night?
Can you think of me as all that is
sweet and lovely and noble and pure,
and worthy of any mans affection?"
She bent closer toward him in the
intensity of her feelings. The words
rushed from her. The man passed his
hand over his forehead.
81 can only say what 1 said before,
that love you still, that l will marry
you, and that you ought to be-"
THAT is enough" interrupted the
woman. "Goodby."
She drew instantly apart from him.
"Mr. Charnock," rang the captains
voice, imperatively.
Slowly the islander turned and made
his way to the sea after the others.
The woman, thus left alone upon
the island, was face to face with
crisis which could only be met in two
ways. Either she must go away with
the man, or they must both remain ON
the island. It was possible that the
captain might be induced to use force
to take the man away, but that was
not likely and If 1t were attempted,
she believed, with much foundation
for her belief, that the man who had
never been coerced by human being
except her would fight until he died.
She could not go away with him; she
could not live with him on the island.
A future opened before him. She
had learned that afternoon on the sand
that if his identity could be estab-
lished he would be a man of great
wealth, a power a factor in the
worlds affairs. She had had her ex-
perience in life, her taste of power. 1t
did not matter about her. 1t mattered
greatly about him.
She had given him a f1nal chance.
He did not love her as she would be
loved. He could not love her. 1t was
evident to her that he never would.
She had nothing to live for, nothing
to hope for, nothing to dream about.
There was one way of cutting the
Gordian knot; she could die. And yet,
somehow, the instinct Of life was
strong in her heart.
She crossed the island t. her side,
where she was hidden from the ship,
and went down to the edge of the wa
ter, She even slipped off the garments
of civilization and stood forth primi-
| tive Eve and waded out little way
| into the lagoon. The night had fallen
and she was calm in the screen of the
darkness. She could easily swim out
| to the barrier reef, Chamber upon it,
and then plunge into the blue Pacific
and swim on and on, and fight and
fight until the last vestige of her
strength was gone, and then sink
down, leaving him free and settling
the question. And yet the waters lap
ping about her feet held her back,
drove her back, retarded her in her
advance.
Could she do it? Should she do it?
At least she would not give up the
idea for want of trying. She resolute-
ly set herself to wade into the deep
er sea. That she waded was evil
dence of her indecision. Under other
circumstances, or had she been clear
in her mind as to her course, a quick
run, spring, splash, and she would
have been in the midst Of the lagoon.
She went slowly, and as the water