The Harlowton news. [volume] (Harlowton, Mont.) 1909-1914, 1910-03-04

Including her shoes and stockings, she
stepped out on the sands. bare armed.
bare footed, a cleaning figure like to
an Olympian goddess. She was .
woman naturally dark in complexion.
and while the sun would probably burn
her cruelty and burn her young flesh.
never exposed to its intensity. darker.
she would not grow red or blister. She
was thankful for that with unconscious
feminInity. At any rate. she must get
used to going out in the sun without
a hat. too. People. natives who were
born and lived in this latitude. did
become accustomed to such things.
she knew. so undoubtedly could she.
With these thoughts. she stepped
around the headland and walked
across the beach toward the palm tree
where she could see In the fading light
of the afternoon her prisoner was still
tied.
Modesty is a negative term. That
which is indecent exposure in a ball.
room is the height Of convention on q
sea shore. Certainly this man had no
concept Of such quality. He had
out barefoot to swim to the barrier
reef. and yet somehow she fancled as
he stared at her approaching that this
time he marked the difference. And a
slow, fiery blush famed over her from
her bare feet to her bare head, ex.
tended along her bare arms. She
stopped under the persuasion of i'm.
pulse to turn and 60 back to the cave
and resume her clothing, at least SO
long as it might last. But she was q
woman of strong will. She reasoned
that all the emotions to which she was
subject were in her own bosom; that
the man before her neither knew nor
cared as to the things which vexed
her. So she went on.
She had in her hand the sailors
knife. with the blade open. She could
not tell exactly in what mood her
prisoner might be. Indeed, she ap-
preached him with certain terror.
accounted for partly by the situation
and partly by the fact that in max
ing this change in her garments she
had, as it were, cut herself off from
civilization and brought herself in
some degree at least nearer his physi-
cal level, But she could not leave him
there all :. Summoning her cour-
age, therelu =, and with a bold front
before him, she advanced to the tree
and united the rope from the trunk
and united it from his neck as well.
He stood silent, unresisting through 1t
all, rather pitiful figure she thought
at first, until he was freed from the
degrading halter.
Then she waited in intense and
eager curiosity as to what he should
do next The iron in his situation had
eaten into his soul. He had been mas
tered by force. He could not under.
stand it. He did not love the mastery
Still, without the knowledge of his
own powers, the: occurred to him no
way to resent the ignominy to which
he had been subjected. He turned and
walked away from her. She stood
amazed, staring after him. 1t was the
first time he had withdrawn himself
frou7 her presence Where was he
going? Was this dec aration of war?
Was there to be enmity between
them? In vague terror, moved by
sudden impulse again, she called him.
Man" she said.
He stopped hesitated. looked back,
turned and went on again. He was
deeply hurt She could not see him
go. 1t was unthinkable that he should
go. He was dangerous away from her
BY her side she could control him.
Mani" she called again.
But this time he did not heed. An
idea sprang to her brain, working
quickly under the pressure. She lifted
up her voice. for ne was far from her
now and plodding steadily, doggedly
toward the trees.
john" she cried. John Revell
Charnock!"
And at that sound the man stopped,
He turned and looked at her again.
"John!" she repeated "John!"
She approached him. AS she did so
and when she could get near enough
to him. she observed that wrinkling
of the brow. that look OF amazement
which she had noticed before. 1t was
as If some latent memory, some recol-
lection Of the past. were struggling
something were endeavoring to thrust
itself through sea OF oblivion and
forgetfulness that overwhelmed his
mind, as IL she were voice which
brought back things he could neither
understand nor utter. and yet which
meant something to him.
"John!" she cried again, coming
nearer to him.
She thrust out her hand; she touch
ed him. Again she noticed that strange
emotion consequent upon her touch.
She laid her hand upon his shoulder.
There was amity, confidence, reas-
surance. She patted him as she might
dog.
"John!" she said, and then she
turned away and walked toward the
shore.