Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-07-14
CHAPTER xvIII.-contlnued.

els the present Charnock married?"
NO" returned the chaplain, "he is
IAN old bachelor"
"That will make 1t easier for our
friend here" said MI. Whitaker, "pro-
vided the evidence is thought convinc-
Ing"
The best evidence that he could pre-
sent" returned the chaplain, lis 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 identify him
without question"
Sir" said the islander, addressing
the chaplain, "did you know my
mother?"
THAT I 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?'
With the greatest pleasure" said
the chaplain, kindly. Meanwhile
Capt. Ashby and these gentlemen will
wish to hear your story"
take him to your cabin" said the
captain promptly, "and tell him the
things he wants to know. We can
wait"
No. returned the islander; IT can
wait. I have waited all these years
and a few hours more or less will
make little difference. You have a
right to know my story, and here it
is"
Rapidly, concisely, with a fine dra-
matte touch, he told the story as he
knew it of his life on the island. He
was so entirely unconventional that
he Intervene the bare details of the
strange relation which he gave them
with personal touches. He made no
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 he regarded her as a human
woman and as a demi-goddess. He
showed that he al at once her mas.
ter and her creature, yet through it all
there ran such a 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
ito Whitaker and babe him take up
the relation.
1t was a 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 a man Of r~etentive memory, Of
quick apprehensive power, and with q
nice sense Of discrimination, a rare
man, indeed. And he told the rest Of
the tale with a subtle sympathy fol
the situation and the actors that en-
.abled him so to present it to the inter
.ested little group Of officers that be
almost made them see 1t as it trans
pired.
"And what" asked the captain, wher
the final word had been said, "do vol
propose to do now, MI. Charnock?"
It was the first time that he hat
been so addressed and the man start
ed. He had heard Mr.. Whitaker
words as one in a dream. He had beer
going over that dreadful scene on the
sands. His heart was lacerated ant
torn again. He was blind to every
thing but the past. He saw her fact
sdimly in the present. He could SCI
nothing of happiness in the future.
Il don't know" he answered.
But surely this has not made an!
difference in your feelings?"
q can't tell. The difference is il
her, not in me-"
"She made a frightful mistake sale
the captain impressively, "but she hal
nobly atoned, and"
She's not what / thought she was
said the man, "and If / love her, l low,
her now not because, but in spite, o
what she is, and there Is a difference.
Miss Brenton," intctposed Whitta
ker at this juncture, 'has settled thu
matter herself. She says that she will
aiave no mans pity, no mans con
tempt, that NO man shall marry he
on suffrance, and that"
Right" said the surgeon, who wa
a man Of very few words and general
ly good ones.
MY young friend" broke in thu
chaplain. IF | might advise"
But this returned the islander
with fierceness, lis not a matter TO
advice. / don't know the world or 1t
customs. | must appear strange t
you men. But / take 1t that a man
choice Of a wife, q mans settlement
of his future Is not a thing that h
brooks counsel over. AT any rate,
want ~ Of IT"
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