Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-07-21
CHAPTER xx.--contlnued.

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And then he discovered that he
wanted her more than he had ever de-
sired her before; that she was more
necessary to him than ever he had
dreamed she would be; that here was
no question of honor or duty, indeed,
but of love, overwhelming, obsessing.
And then he admitted that she was
purity, even holiness itself; that he
had behaved to her like a cur; that
he had been neither grateful, nor kind,
nor tender, nor loving He began to
wonder fearfully if, after having
failed SO egregiously and terribly,
there was any possible chance that she
could ever care for him again. Fate
had brought her into intimate contact,
he realized, with two men. One had
treated her outrageously in the be-
ginning and had nobly made amends.
He hated Langford, and yet his sense
of justice forced him to admit that he
had played the man at last, while he,
the islander, had treated her out
%rageously and in the end had played
the fool. Was there a chance that
she would forgive him?
The desire to see her, to plead with
her, to beg her forgiveness-not
a low desire or a base one, he
thanked God - was SO great that
he could no longer sustain it.
He rose to his feet and looked out
sof the open port hole. The dawn was
CRAVING the east. Attired as he was
dn the loose shirt and trousers in which
he had lain down, which were not un-
like the tunic that he habitually wore,
save that they were of soft, luxurious
silk, he opened the door of the cabin,
stepped out through the silent ward.
room-he had the natural savage art
gDf treading without a sound-ran light.
ly up the companion ladder and
stepped upon the deck. The officer of
the watch and his midshipman did not
notice him. Their eyes were else
where. He ran swiftly across the deck
and stopped at the gangway. A mar
inc stood there and started forward
as he approached.
That's my island" said the man
'I'm going to swim off to it, and
don't wish to be followed"
IT'S a long swim, sir" ventured the
marine, scarcely knowing what to do
He stepped fairly in the gangwaJ
as If to bar the exit.
ut is nothing to me" said the man
""Stand aside"
"Mr. Hopkins!" called the marine
turning toward the officer of thu
deck.
AYE, aye" came from MI. Hopkini
as he turned and started forward tt
the gangway.
The next moment the man ha,
seized the marine in a grip which lef
him helpless, lifted him gently out o
the gangway, dropped him carelessl
upon the deck and had flashed througl
the air into the water.
BY the time Mr.. Hopkins reache
the gangway the half-dazed marin
had risen to his feet.
What is it,"
Why, it's the castaway, sir, tn
wild man that we brought ashore t,
day"
WELL"
"He said he wanted to swim to th
shore and did not want to be TO
lowed"
Why didn't you stop him?"
Il did try, sir, but he picked me U
as If / had been a baby and threw m
aside and went overheard"
The officer vas in a quandary. H
had received no orders to prevent tt
man from going out of the ship. f
was not quite sure what his duty wa
AT any rate, he turned to the boa
SWANS mate and babe him call awe
a crew for the cutter swinging aster
He directed the coxswain to bring Il
boat to the gangway and then sent tt
midshipman of the watch below to +
port the matter to the captain and al
his orders.
Capt. Ashby, as 1t happened, W,
awake. He came on deck immediate
in his pajamas and received confirm
ton Of the midshipman's ~extraordina,
story from the watch officer. It W
light enough now for the waters al
the shore clearly to be seen. The ca
tain stared over the side. He cou
make out the mans head swimmil
through the opening in the barrie
He could see the splash that he ma
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