Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1910-03-02
CHAPTER XVI.
rhe Womaan 3, PIea.

4 Tho Woman's Plea.
Miss Brenton," said Whitaker,
with the deepest gravity he could In.
fuse in voice and manner you have
been most unfortunate, most un-
happy woman. Allow me to assure
you Of my sincerest commiseration,
my deepest respect, my most profound
admiration. You have suffered, but
innocently. II may speak the voice
Of society. II / may stand for the
world as your companion has said,
can only express my reverence for you
and my homage to you In this way"
He stepped nearer to her, he seized
her hand. He was an old-fashioned,
humble-minded, quixotic sort OF
sailor, II you will, for before anybody
realized what he was about, he bent
his head low over 1t and kissed 1t. And
the sailors behind him and the ma,
rines in rank broke into a hearty
cheer.
There, madam" said Whitaker.
you have the appreciation Of society
for my act. AS for you, sir,.I he
turned toward Langford, II should DO
untrue to manhood If / did not say
what you yourself have said; that you
acted not only like a, brute and e
coward, but. sir, when look at the
lady. am constrained to add like q
fool"
Langford started forward, but the
lieutenant checked him.
Having said all that must admit
that you have conducted yourself since
that time as a man of honor and as a
gentleman. ] have no doubt that
your offer will be accepted; that the
world will forgive you as 1t will ad-
inire and respect your wife"
MOI" cried the man Of the island,
suddenly.
He had kept silence. resolved to
hear 1t all out without interruption. He
had suffered as the miserable story
had been unfolded to such an extent
that all that he had gone through with
before seemed like child's play. Vie
had heard Langfords noble confession.
his generous offer to repair his wrong,
but without the appreciation of it
which the circumstances and its intrin.
sic quality might have evoked. He had
heard the woNan's defense, her splen-
did justification Of her course, the BIT
ter repentance that had followed it,
but without that appreciation OF what
Justification there was for her and the
value OF her remorse which the &C.
count should have brought to him. He
had observed Whittaker's prompt and
touching expression of confidence and
reverence, but without understanding
T Its force and power. Indeed, he had
instructive shrewdness enough to
realize that even though the sailors,
touched by the act OF gallantry and
moved with pity for the young woman
who stood there lovely In her sadness,
had cheered. yet the world would be
very slow ito the same expression.
He saw that the woman was face
to face with crisis; that she
would either have to accept or de-
cline Langford's offer to marry her at
once.
His heart was filed with bitter rage:
He knew that he loved the woman;
that he never would love any person
but the woman, but nevertheless the
resentment against fate which had
placed him In SO awful position, Of
whose malign purposes he had been
the blind. ignoble victim, was SO
Z great that for the time being his love
was in abeyance. He pitied himself,
he loathed Langford, he was contemp.
tuously Indifferent to the world, and
for the moment he almost hated the
woman. The sub-consciousness that
he had that this was as ungrateful az
1t was unwarranted added to his
wretchedness and misery.
No. he cried, before any answer
10 made, let me speak,"
Your pardon" said Whitaker
may ask who you are?"
Sir" returned the man, "as to who
am and what am, 1 do not know
nor does 1t greatly matter"
Your pardon again., retorted the
lieutenant commander, coolly, "but II
matters very much. Unless you have
some right to interfere, do not con
cede that any suggestion from you in
this crisis which seems to concern
these two people. this lady and this
gentleman, is at all in order"
But 1T does concern me-" returned
the man, impatient of this checking
for love this woman myself, and she
has done me the honor to say that che
loved me. had intended to make
her my wife should Providence ever
bring US to civilization again"
Had intended" exclaimed the WON
an, under her breath, but no one no
ticed her words, and the lieutenant
spoke again.
That being the case, some in
formation as to who you are and how
you came here is the more evidently
in order"
Il can answer that" said the WON
an. When landed on this island, ]
found this man here. He had been
here a long time. believe he had
been cast away here as child and
had grown up alone. He had nc
speech or language. He had no mem
DRY Of the past. His mind was !
blank was glad to find him here
He gave me occupation, companion
ship. l had been well educated. / de
termined to teach him / knew that
his ignorance was the result Of his
environment. believed him to be
naturally acute. found my beliefs
warranted. ! taught him all that ]
could of life and letters from memory
For three years my sole and only oc.
cupation has been to teach him what l
knew. No preceptor ever had apter
or more docile pupil"
mo learner ever sat at the feet Of
such teacher" cried the man,
touched by the recollection. Think,
men, all that ! knew was childish
babble Of prayers which had remained
in my memory. was ignorant Of
everything, even that myself exist
ed; that there was any difference be-
tween me and the palm tree or yon.
der bird; that man was made in the
image of his God; that there was such
a thing as woman upon earth, had