Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1910-09-29

nave no man pity, no man con
tempt, that no man shall marry her
un suffrance. and1that-"
Right" said the surgeon, who was
a man Of very few words and general.
ly good ones.
MY young friend" broke in the
chaplain. "if I might advise"
But this" returned the islander,
with fierceness, "is not a matter for
advice. don't know the world or its
customs. I must appear strange to
you men. But take II that a mans
choice Of a wife. a mans settlement
Of his future Is not q thing that he
brooks counsel over. At any rate.
want none of It."
Come with me-" said the chaplain:
I'VE will talk IL over l have lived
in the world" he went on. gently
Perhaps I can help you. Have We
your permission to withdraw. Capt
Ashby?"
Certainly" said the captain.
Pardon me a moment, chaplain"
interposed Whitaker; but the young
lady has asked that some OF US go
ashore 70 take her deposition as to
the matters that have been alleged
concerning our friend here. Capt
Ashby. will your"
Certainly. Mr.. Whitaker, I will go.
And IL you will accompany me, doctor,
and you. chaplain, / shall be glad. Mr..
Whitaker, you are notary public
and can administer the necessary
oaths."
Very good, sir" returned Mr.. Whit.
taker. The other gentlemen bowed
their acquiescence. THE lady said
she would like TO be undisturbed until
evening"
at two bells in the second dog
watch then have the cutter called
away" returned the captain.
Beg pardon, captain" said the sur.
geon, but do you or any Of you know
this lady TO be Miss Brenton?"
NO" said the captain, Il don't
know her. Do you, Mr.. Whitaker, or
you, chaplain?"
Well. then" said the surgeon, as
both the officers shook their heads, ct
will be necessary TO have some one
ashore who does know her IN order to
swear to her identity to make her
deposition worth anything"
There is LangfOrd," said Whitta-
ker, he knows her"
Very good" said the captain; send
a boat over 70 the yacht and present
my compliments to Mr.. Langford. Ask
him IL he will meet us ashore at quar-
ter after Eve o'clock. Say TO him also
that should be glad to have him dine
with me tonight at seven. Chaplin,
will you and Mr.. Charnock take lunch
con with me later?"
Now, to go back to the island. The
woman stood on the strand proudly,
resolutely, sternly erect, without a
sign of unbending until the boats
reached the sides Of the two ships
Even then she kept herself in the
bonds Of a control Of steel. She turned
slowly, walked up the BEACH, entered
the grove Of palms, mechanically found
the path and plodded along it, still
erect and unbending until the wind
ings Of the trail and the thickening of
the grove hid her from any chance
watchers on the ship.
Then, and not until then, did she
give way completely. She threw her
self down upon the sand in the cool
shadow Of the great rocks in what to
her had suddenly become q weary
land, and outstretched her arms as il
to clasp the earth to her breast in de-
fault of the man she had dreamed Of
and trusted, she had loved and lived
for, and lay there a silent, shuddering
wretched figure.
Her crushing disappointment at his
failure to rise TO the measure of her
ideal Of him, the total end Of her
dream Of happiness, the breaking Of
all her hopes, the closing Of all her
ambitions, the tearing asunder Of her
heartstrings whelmed her in agony.
She had thought that never could hu-
mainly experience more than the pain
superinduced by the horror of her po-
sition upon the ship, but that pain to
the present was like a caress. For to
all that old horror was added a new
sense Of loss. Of DISAPPOINTMENT and
despair. Like Elijah of old, dismayed.
dlsheartened, broken, she prayed that
she might die there on the sands.