, 1910-03-03

ina can urge, will | come to Won
when in my soul | belong to another.
There may be no end to this but nv
despair. This man may cast me off
ms man may trample me under foot
me spots upon my o may loom
larger in his view and hide what else
Is there. | know 1 have been for
given by God, | will not be for
gwen by men, but l tell you here and
now, again and again, that | will not
be your wife. l will be his wife or
no mans"
Langiord turned away and hid his
lace in his hands. Whitaker stepped
forward and laid his hand upon the
shoulder OF the man of the island
He shook him for a moment.
You stand immobile," he cried
sharply. alter such a confession as
that, after such an appeal? What
have you to say. man? You ought to
get down on you knees and thank
God for the love of such a woman"
Aye. aye burst out the deep tones
OF the old coxswain of the cutter. s
say all OF u.s."
- mt CIttu lle HldU, l1II-
ing his hand N releasing his shout
der from the grasp OF the Off Ger. ~ did
love this woman. Think how it was,
think how | believed in her. No Chris.
tian ever believed in his god as | be-
peved in her. She told me what purity
was, what innocence was, what sweet
ness was, what light was, what Truth
was, and l looked at her and saw
them"
And you can look at her and see
them now" cried the officer.
No." said the man, II can never
look at her and see her the same"
oh, Man! Mani" cried the
h test was upon him. He was
failing. Her sorrow. her giief were
more for him than for herself.
Don't mistake me-" said the man.
Il can't help loving you, whatever you
are. If o had been as guilty as,
when he began to speak and when
you ~corroborated him, | fancied that
you we're, | should nave loved you just
the same n l should have married
you, and l shall marry you This .
this awful thing has come between us,
u VIC - Il III oOuc way " hNc
1t down, to forget 1t, to 60 on as WI
were"
He stepped toward the woman.
She drew herself up to her full
height and looked him u~niinchingly
in the face.
NO." she said, I'VE are not going on
as we thought. We will not marry and
live together. We will not bury this
wretched happening in the past in
any oblivion. l will marry no man,
although he may have my whole heart,
who is not proud and glad to take me,
who does not realize that l am as pure
and as innocent of wrong and shame
as he would fain think his mother, as
he would absolutely know his wife
must be. / told you that your manhood
must be put to the test. I told you that
your love must be tried by fire. What
I loved in you was the assurance that
you would survive the test, that you
would triumph In the trial. 1t is not I
that have been before the great Judge
this morning. but you, and you have
failed"
Kate" said Langford, he casts you
of; take me. I swear to you that
we're l in his place, l would not have
hesitated a moment"
II respect you more than ever" said
the woman; but l don't love you and
l cannot, l will not take you!"
"Charnock,' said Whitaker, "if
that's your name, permit me to a
here, saving the lady's presence, that
!, you are behaving like a Tanned fool"
The man looked at him dumbly, I'M
comprehendingly. and made no reply.
1t was the woman who spoke. coldly.
impartially. She had seemingly dis
missed the whole affair, though at
what a cost to herself no one could
know.
Sir" she said. "is there anyone on
your ship empowered to administer an
oath?"
81 have hat power" answered the
Observation-Disclosures. why do you
ask?"
Il wish you would bring some of
your officers here with paper and ink.
| wish to make a deposition az to the
facts that l have learned concerning
this man which may be of service to
him in establishing his identity and
discovering his history when he re-
turns to the United States"
But are you not going back with
us, Miss Brenton? ?" asked the officer In
amazement. I'VE are. sailing for Hon
olulu and thence for San Francisco as
directly as we can 60"
NO" said the girl. 81 will not leave
the island. You oan taxi my friend
here"
The Southern Cross" said Lang
ford. "is at your disposal, Kate"
81 have had one voyage upon her,
said the woman bitterly. II want new
er to see her again"
Woman" said the man of the Is
land suddenly, "if you stay here. I