Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1910-05-05
I1lANDofQEGENERATtO

in the past on that boat, it indicated
that he was at least an American and
a virginian. 1t identified him, if her
suggestions were correct, and wheth-
er there was warrant for them or not,
instinctively and naturally she con-
cIuded that she was correct.
Admitting all this, however. 1t
gave her no clew from which to build a
history. The testimony of the boat
was interesting, that vas all. Her first
thought was to leave it where it was,
but her second thought was better.
With the aid of the stout piece of
board which had served her for a
shovel, she hammered away at the
stern piece until she broke it off. She
saw now that the boat must have lain
there in the sand for many years, for
the wood vas brittle and the fasten'
ings largely destroyed, for the stern
piece came easily away. She laid 1t
aside for a moment intending to pre-
serve it with the Bible. Heaven
knows what dream of future useful
ness in the way of evidence establish
ling identity these might be, entered
her mind.
Then she threw herself down under
the trees and rested. She had left
her watch, her precious watch, back
in the cave with the book. She did
not dare to carry it around with her.
She had no way of carrying 1t in the
thin, single garment which she wore,
but she judged from the height of the
sun that it must be noo time. They
made their meal off the fruits of the
island, this time with a rich and juicy
cocoanut added, which the man got for
her at her suggestion in the sign Ian
guage at which she was becoming ex-
pert, by climbing with wonderful agil-
ity, ape-like agility almost, one of the
tall cocoanut palms with which the
island abounded. There were fruits
of various sorts in great plenty on the
island and she was becoming accus-
toned to the diet by degrees.
She passed the noon hour in trying
to add to the mental equipment of her
companion. He could say a number
of words now and had some idea OF
their meaning, although he had not
yet attempted to frame sentences MOI
had she yet tried to teach him so tC
do. 1t was pleasant under the shade
of the trees. She found herself mar
yelling at times as to the contentment
that possessed her, a product of the
age suddenly plunged into the Eden
like existence which her forebears
might have enjoyed ten thousand
years before.
The hours ran on until the declin
ing sun and the GOODNESS that came
with the late afternoon warned hel
that if she were to continue her eX
plorations she must be about it i'm
mediately. So she rose and nervint
herself to her task went toward thu
coppice where lay the CHASTITY remains
of what had been a human being
Forcing herself to the duty with he
knife she carefully cut away the rush
es, being particular not to disturb tn
bones of the skeletons. AS before sh
did all this in the face of a vigorou
remonstrance from the man. In som
way, she could not tell how, the plac
was horrible to him. He would neve
have come zeal it evidently of his ow
will, and although the power Of men
ory in him was but latent, the impres
sion that had been produced upon hir
by what she found there at som
period in his life was strong enoug
to make him avoid it forever.
she did not ask him for assis
ance, indeed, she would not hav
trusted him with the knife under an
circumstances, and he made no a
tempt to keep close to her. He stoo
on the outskirts of the coppice in
great state of excitement, utterin
without sequence or reason sue
words as she had taught him. To hin
in this instance, she gave no heed.
Presently she had completely u
covered the two skeletons. She ha
studied anatomy, but was not a sp
cialist in that department of huma
learning. She thought that the skel
ton before her was that of a womal
She measured its length with a piec
of tall grass and compared it with he
own. They were both Of a size. I'll
soil in which the bones lay was SO