The Mena weekly star., 1910-09-01

as desire accomplished, as undertak- ing brought to conclusion The aw- fitness of success was upon her in that hour. Her ruse had worked. Her object had been attained, yet the achievement gave her no pleasure.
 Her own acts had parted her irrev. ocably forever from the world and the one man in 1t who was the world for her. He was gone. She who had made him had sent him forth among his fellows She had sacrificed her self, buried herself alive for him. She felt as mother might who expert ences birth bangs and knows that with every throb of tearing anguish her own life ebbs away, passes into the new life which she ushers into the world and gives to men.
 She had long hours for thought in those two days in that cave whose mouth the waters hid. She had schooled herself to face light and life without him when she emerged from her cunning hiding place. She had waited the long period in order to make absolutely certain that they would be gone. And yet, despite her self, little gleam of hope, bare pos sibility that he might be there still. had fingered in her soul and leayened the awfulness of her grief. Now 1t was. gone. It had sunk beneath the horizon even as the ships had disap- peared. She had been bitter against him. Her soul had revolted because he had failed. She had told herself that he was not worthy of her. She forgot these things in that profound and desolate moment. She knew only that she loved him. When she could think of other things than he, the mere bodily presence of the man, the look of him, the sound of his voice. the pressure of his lips, the clasp of his arms. she began to realize that as he grew older, unless she was so ab- solutely mistaken in him as to make all estimate of him mockery, he would realize the falsity of his view, the lit tleness of his action, and if he were in truth the man whom she could rightly love, his years would be one long re- gret that he had failed. What would happen when he realized that, when he came to the Knowledge that she was indeed all that she had seemed and that he had been nothing that he should? She knew, as she had writ ten, that the man would never, could never, forget her; that wherever he went and whatever he did, she would be present with him; that she had stamped herself too indelibly upon his heart for any attrition with humanity, however close and persistent, to erase the image. He would come back per haps.
 70 Godi" she knelt down and stretched out her arms, bring him back" she prayed--a few short, brok- en words. lacking the eloquence of long and studied petition, the appeal of the heart every throb of which Is prayer-"bring him back to me!'
 She thought that she would have had him back on any terms. She said that she had been mad, a fool. not to have taken him, not to have gone to him, not to have married him in any way. with any conditions, under any circumstances. All her thoughts were merged in one great passionate long Ing to be with bim.
 For the first time in her life the bangs of jealousy tore her breast She thought of him in the world with oth- CT men, with other women, young. handsome, perfect godlike form and face of man, rich the widest romance with its charm and mystery to attract. His story could not be hid, neither could hers. The man would be court ed, sought after, made much over, be- loved. It would be enough to turn the head of saint How would he stand lt7 Would the recollection of her make him strong? Would that God in whom he and she both had trusted until the crisis came, lead him in the straight path? Would her purity, her sweetness-stop! would he think her thus lowered and possessed? Not now, certainly. but every hour that took him farther from her would add to his knowledge and would tell him the truth and these would help him.
 Another thought came into her mind. His story would be known and hers as we'll The world was filled with adventurous men. Would not some of them come in search of her island? The officers of those two ships could determine accurately the situa- ton of that island. It would be as easy for navigator to find 1t as for denizen of city to go to any given street corner. People would come back to that island, not to seek her, for the world would believe her dead, but simply to see the place. Idle yachtsmen might find that an object for long cruising and she would have to hide and hide. But would she hide? Would she go back to that world? Never, she said. unless he came to fetch her.
 And then her thoughts turned again. Why had he gone away? Had she been he they could as soon have up rooted the island itself as torn her from it under similar circumstances. Had he been gone, she would have fingered and died on the spots that were sacred where he had walked. If she had known that at that moment her lover lay fighting for life and req son in the cabin of the swift moving ship. she would have understood bet ter his absence. That he should be