The Mena weekly star., 1910-08-25
Lying Upon the Sands.

| rageously and in the end had played the fool. Was there a chance that she would forgive himf
 The man was in many respects still child. His heart in those sad and dreary hours yearned toward her as the weaned baby turns toward it's mother. And yet there was nothing weak or childish in his feeling He recognized his own powers, his own capacities. He knew then that she had taught him more things than are learned in books She had taught him manhood as she had tried to teach him honor and dignity. and if he had failed once, if he had derogated from her high standard, he remembered that 1t was through failure that men achieved. He tried to comfort him. self with these thoughts, but with It. tie success.
 But by and by all these considera. tions faded away or merged in a great longing for her He had never dis tprbed her in the still watches of the night. although he had often been tempted to do so. But now the desire to see her. to plead with her, to beg her forgiveness-not a low desire or base one. he thanked God-was so great that he could no longer sustain it He rose to his feet and looked out of the open port hole. The dawn was graying the east Attired as he was in the loose shirt and trousers in which he had lain down, which were not un- like the tunic that be habitually wore, save that they were of soft, luxurious silk. he opened the door of the cabin. stepped out through the silent ward room-he had the natural savage art of treading without a sound-ran light. ly up the companion ladder and stepped upon the deck. The officer of the watch and his midshipman did not notice him. Their eyes were else where He ran swiftly across the deck and stopped at the gangway A mar inc stood there and started forward as he approached
 That's my island,' said the man I'm going to swim on to it, and l don't wish to be followed"
 Its long swim. sir" ventured the marine. scarcely knowing what to do
 He stepped fairly in the gangway as if to bar the exit.
 Tt is nothing to me- saie the man. Stand aside"
 Mir. Hopkinsl" called the marine, turning toward the officer of the deck.
 Aye, aye" came from MT. Hopkins as he turned and started forward to the gangway.
 The next moment the man had seized the marine in a grip which left him helpless, lifted him gently out of the eangway, dropped him carelessly upon the deck and had flashed through the air into the water
 By the time Mir Hopkins reached the gangway the half-dazed marine had risen to his feet
 What is itf''
 Why, it's the castaway. sir. the wild man that we brought ashore to- day"
 Well"
 "He said he wanted to swim to the shore and did not want to be fol lowed" 9
 Why didn't you stop him?'
 T did try, sir, but he picked me up as if had been baby and threw me aside and went overheard"
 The officer was in quandary. He had received no orders to prevent the man from going out of the ship He was not quite sure what his duty was. At any rate. he turned to the boat swains mate and bade him call away a crew for the cutter swinging astern. He directed the coxswain to bring the boat to the gangway and then sent the midshipman of the watch below to re- port the matter to the captain and ask his orders.
 Capt. Ashby, as it happened, was awake. He came on deck immediately in his pajamas and received confirma- ton of the midshipman's extraordinary story from the watch officer. It was fight enough now for the waters and the shore clearly to be seen. The cap- tain stared over the side. He could make out the mans head swimming through the opening fin the barrier He could see the splash that he made in his rapid progress through ths quiet seas.
 MT. Hopkins" he said. after Q mo ment's thought tell Mir. Cady-the midshipman of the watch---to take the boat and follow after If the man gets safely to the shore, they are not to dis turb him but to come back and report to me. If, on the contrary. he needs help. they are to take him aboard and bring him back to the ship
 So much time was lost in these vari ous maneuvers, however. that when the order was carried out the boat had scarcely reached the entrance to the barrier when they saw the islander stepping through the shallow waters to the beach There was, therefore, nothing for Mir. Cady to do but come back and report the matter to the cap tain. When he reached the deck of the cruiser he found the executive of ficer with the chaplain and the sur geon who had been summoned from their berths in consultation with the captain. By MT. Whittaker's advice. he and the chaplain were immediately sent ashore to see what had happened and what was to be done.
 There was considerable anxiety in the minds of the quartet who had
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