The Mena weekly star., 1910-07-07

euahcu iue euBS or the CHI Tn the SC
 cluded amphitheater where her cav
 fronted the ocean. She threw asid,
 her tunic of woven grass and plunged
 into the cool, delightful pool, whicl
 fortunately the earthquake had no
 disturbed. Her clothes. the scantl
 garments she had inprovised from hel
 underclothing. had long since worI
 out. It had not been difficult, how
 ever, to plait of certain pliable rushei
 which grew in plenty upon the island
 the loose and shapeless garments they
 both wore. She had used strips torr
 from what had remained of her cloth
 ing for binding and edging and prao
 tice had made her dextrous and skill
 ful in the rude weaving. She stil
 preserved. however. the blouse and skirt of serge, her only pair of stock
 ings and the canvas boating shoes
 Sometimes in idle moments she tried those shoes on. Fortunately for her they were loose and easy. Going bare foot three years had enlarged her email and slender feet to something i like those human and proper propor tions which. from the standpoint of nature at least. had greatly enhanced their beauty. She kept these clothes she hardly knew why, perhaps for one reason since she had been able to weave the wattled gaement so well suited to her needs she had had no use for them; perhaps against the day of the arrival of other civilization than her own.
 Greatly refreshed by her bath-and 1 it shows her absolute confidence in him and his worth that Interruption never occurred to her; 1t had never come and therefore 1t never would she resumed her tunic and walked toward the cave. The tide was very low. The sands terminated on one side in rocky ledge where a long arm of the lagoon ran to the foot of the cliff. The cliff had been tremen- deusly shaken. apparently, and she no ticed just above the water line nar- row opening. She had thought from noises during storms that there was hidden cave in the cliff with dn CbChih6 bbG WulCI Ont Hdu imagined that possibly she coulc enter it by diving. but she had never cared to make the attempt. although by this time she had become as much at home in the water or under 1t as if she had been native of the south seas. Some times in the morning they swan in the lagoon together. oftentimes she swan alone. It was a great pleasure to her and necessity as well in that low latitude
 Curiosity induced her to inspect more closely this opening near the waters edge Again throwing aside her garment, she plunged into the arm of the sea and swan boldly toward the cliff. There was just room enough between the waters level and the top of the opening for her head. She found herself fin straight passage way perhaps eight or 10 feet long and as many wide. Cautiously she swan through 1t and discovered herself in an immense cave. Light filtered through the opening and one or two Assures had been opened here and there. by the earthquake or by some ecnyn!s!cn Of nature before, through the rocky wall. invisible on the face of distinct within. There was even a stretch of sandy beach on one side. She swam to 1t. clambered upon 1t and sat down to rest
 Here was an excellent haven of ref uge. instinctiveiy occurred to her. al though . refuge from what shs scarcely know. Except at tho very lowest of the ebb the entrance would be covered. and even then 1t would take a curious and familiar eye to dis cover the entrance or to imagine 1t 'uF'h'rs more than deep rift in the lace of the sea wall. At any other hour the entrance would be invisible, and even at low tide if the wind blew from the sea which it generally did, the breaking waves would cover the entrance completely Off to one side, quite accessible from the sand strip, which rose sufficiently high to afford full shelter above the high water mark, little stream plunged down the cliff. She tasted tho water and foundAit fresh and sweet All that one would lack would be food and the hiding place could be occupied indefinitely
 She stayed in the cave some little time. and when she finally decided to return 10 the outer world she discov- cred that the tide had turned and that the entrance was now completely un. der water. This gave her no disquict. Light still came from the outside to mark the way. She had acquired the faculty of swimming beneath the sur. face with her eyes open and the dis tance was short. She dove into it con fidently and presently emerged in the lagoon outside. It was the one place on the island, so far as she had dis covered-she had always thought there was a cave there but had never been able to verify her knowledge-which provided her with shelter absolutely secure and inaccessible. ss she be lieved Sho had no less trust in her man than she had before. but the knowledge gave her a strange comfort
 When she met him that night she did not impart her secret to him. Whatever happened now. she had place of refuge. she realized. and she was glad It was gorgeous golden night in the South Pacific. They wan dered and played and loved together undar the fronfc moon and stars in