Mexico Missouri message., 1910-07-21
CHAPTER v-contlnued.

The first impulse of the woman was
20 laugh. The next impulse was to
take of the palm leaf hat and stand
with bowed head and clasped hands.
What marvellous miracle was this
that throughout the years which she
could no longer doubt this man had
been alone on the island, there had
survived the one childish habit of
prayer and that the one vestige of
language which had remained 70 him
was the language Of petition. She did
mot believe in 1t, Of course. 1t was
absurd to her, but It was none the less
wonderful. 1t filled her with a certain
awe. II was as If some power had
maintained a hold upon the conscious
ness OF this man in this way.
Now lay me down to sleepi" How
long It had been since she had said
that? She believed nothing, she cared
for nothing, but the woman hid her
Eace in her hands for a moment She
cienched her teeth and forced out Of
der mind that which at that moment
was striving for birth. She was to
teach this man everything. She was
90 make him know life and history
She was to bring him in touch with all
che glories Of to-day and she recog-
Rized in that hour, although she did
mot and could not admit it, that per-
haps he might teach her something
as well, something that she had not
known or something that she had for
gotten, without the knowledge of
which all her science was a vain, a
foolish, futile thing.
The little prayer was ended. The
IMAM rose to his feet She took her
spade and went back to the place
where the bodies had lain and there
began carefully to scrape away the
earth, examining scrupulously every
Hhovelful ere she threw it aside. In
ono place where the hand had lain,
phe remembered, her labors were re-
warded. She came across two rings, a
diamond and a plain circlet of gold.
These she placed in her tunic with
the collar and continued her digging.
II was growing late and growing
dark, but she left no square inch of
ground unexplored. She found moth.
ing else. The rings belonged to a
woman evidently. Her surmise in that
particular was right. There were no
tother metal parts Of her apparel left.
The nails in her shoes, the steel of
her corset had rusted away and left
no sign. There was nothing remaining
but the two little baubles pressing
against her own warm flesh.
So intent had she been that the sun
had gone down before she ceased and
upon the island there descended that
quick and sudden night of the tropics
Irhe wind had risen, the old ocean was
thundering on the barrier reef and a
iheavy sea breeze was shrieking
through the trees. The sky on the
horizon was overloaded and the
clouds were rising rapidly. There
would be storm, which was develop
Sng with tropic rapidity. Quickly she
ketraced her steps along the SAND
coward the cave on the other side, the
man following.
They had progressed not more thar
half way when the storm bust upoI
chem. Peals Of thunder and flashes
of lightning filled the air. It was sucl
q display OF the Titanic forces of ma
ture as might have appalled, the stout
est heart 1t filed the woman with
vague terror. She noticed with sat
tafaction that the man was entirel!
unmoved by the terrific demonstra
Etons Of nature. BY the flashes o
lightning as they stumbled along il
the otherwise total blackness sh
could see hts face serene. In a me
ment of apprehension she caught hi
hand with her own and chung to I
tightly. II was the unconscious appea
-Df the physical weaker to the physica
stronger. Her hand had clasped tn
hands of her fellow creatures man
firnes. Never before had his pair
met the palm OF human being, muc
tsas a woman's. She could feel tina
tremor run through him, but by II
atinct, as It were, he met her han
clasp with his own, and together the
made their way to the cave.
T. They had scarcely reached it whe
the rain burst upon them. The heaven
were opened, the floods descended
they beat upon the sands in fury. Sh
could not drive him out there in tina
Hood for the night. She motione
him to come within the entrance {
the cave which was sheltered from tn
aKind and which was dry and still. Sh
made him lie down near the entranc
and then, Withdrawing herself into
recess az the side, she disposed of tn
oars, hlch she had carried home o
~ shoulders, In front OF her frOz
Il to wall and lashing them wit
r0fe 10 her person made anothe
Ie barrier, but which would ye
.ths alarm 70 her and waken be