The Southern herald., 1910-09-09
CHAPTER xx.-contInusd.

STNE 6H ANs-SouIHus0s
And then he discovered that be
wanted her more than he had ever de.
sired her before; that she was more
necessary to him than ever he had
dreamed she would be; that here was
no question Of honor or duty, indeed
but Of love. overwhelming, obsessing.
And then he admitted that she was
purity. even holiness itself; that he
had behaved to her like a cur; that
he had been neither grateful, nor kind,
nor tender, nor loving. He began to
wonder fearfully If. after having
failed so egregiously and terribly,
there was any possible chance that she
could ever care for him again. Fate
had brought her into intimate contact,
he realized. with two men. One had
treated her outrageously in the be-
ginning and had nobly made amends.
He hated Langford. and yet his sense
OF justice forced him to admit that he
had played the man at last, while he,
the islander. had treated her out
Eageously and in the end had played
the fool Was there a chance that
she would forgive him?.
The desire to see her, to plead with
her, to beg her forgiveness-not
; low desire or q 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-
ike the tunic that he habltually wore,
save that they we're 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 sound-ran light
" up the companion ladder aAd
stepped upon the deck. The officer OF
the watch and his midshipman did moi
notice him. Their eyes were else
where. He ran swiftly across the dech
and stopped at the gangway. A mar
ine stood there and started forward
as he approached.
That's my island" said the man
I'm going to swim on to 1t, and
don't wish to be followed"
IT'S q long swim. air." ventured the
marine. scarcely knowing what to do
He stepped fairly in the gangway
= Il 10 bar the exit.
1T Is nothing to me" said the man
stand aside"
Mr.. Hopkins!" called the marine
turning toward the officer of tn,
deck.
AYE. aye" came from Mr.. HopkinI
as he turned and started forward T.
the gangway.
The next moment the man ha,
seized the marine In a grip which lef
him helpless, lifted him gently out O
the gangway, dropped him carelessl,
upon the deck and had flashed througl
the air into the water.
By the time Mr.. Hopkins reache
the gangway the half-dazed marin
had risen to his feet
What Is IT."
Why, it's the castaway, sir, tn
wild man that we brought ashore t
day.
We'll"
HE said he wanted to swim to tn
shore and did not want to be 70
lowed"
why didn't you stop him?"
Il did try, sir, but he picked me u
as II had been a baby and threw N
aside and went overheard"
The officer was in a quandary. II
had received no orders to prevent th
man from going out of the ship. H
was not quite sure what his duty wa
Al any rate, he turned to the boa
swain's mate and bade him call ava
: crew for the cutter swinging asterl
He directed the coxswain to bring tn
boat to the gangway and then sent th
midshipman Of the watch below to r
port the matter to the captain and as
his orders
Capt. Ashby, as It happened, wa
awake. He came on deck immediatel
IL bis pajamas and received confirm
ton Of the midshipman's extraordinaI
story from the watch officer. It ":
hIsht enough now for the waters an