The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1910-07-14
CHAPTER xVI.-(contInued.)

S6HF Eh NNI.-(Cohtlnueo.)
II appeal to you," said the woman,
turning to Langford, send back the
men. A moment since l saved your
life. At word from me he would have
thrown you from him and broken your
back. Be generous. You must. And
this man shall give me a hearing.
You are safe from him, I promise
you"
What might have been the result of
this appeal can never be determined
Tor at that moment new factor en-
tered upon the scene, a factor whose
presence was as surprising and unex-
pected as it was determinatiVe. From
out to sea, yet near at hand, came a
muf1ed detOnation, the roar of
heavy gun Around one of the head
lands that rose on that side of the is
land there swept the white sides of
another great ship beside which the
yacht, imposing though she was, was
a toy 1t was the woman who saw it
first.
Look" she cried. "a ship of war,
cruiser. See, from her staff the flag
of the United States. This land is
American. I claim it by right of dis
covery. Lay but a hand upon this
man, and l will have you hanged for
murder, Langford. They see us there.
Their glasses have searched the shore.
They have seen this encounter. That
gun was warning. A boat puts off.
Thank God, we are saved from you!"
Things had transpired even as she |
said. What the cruiser was doing in |
those seas, how happened she to be |
there were things as yet unknown. |
but that she was there was apparent. |
She had approached the island from |
the other side, and had sailed around |
It, Her men had observed the encoun-
ter on the shore, which seemed to
pc between natives and persons from
*he yacht, which was in plain view q
ifHle farther out to sea, and the gun |
aad been fired to call attention to the
power of the United States.
This put an entirely new face on
the whole affair. Matters were taken
out Of the hands Of the parties to the
quarrel, The law had come to the is
land. The islander did not, could not
know It, but his bafled antagonist
realized It Immediately. So did the
At Langford's command, his
men, much bewildered at the scene
they had Witnessed, went back to
their boat He himself presently fol- !
lowed after, and stood upon the 1
strand awaiting the approach of the
heavy mAn-of-war cutter which had
been put away from the white cruis-
er's side. I
Man" she said, softly, this is
what had to tell you"
He nodded A hollow groan burst
rom his lips. |
His Mistress" he muttered, bro
zenly.
Il would not have had you learn
n this way, and now that you have
heard so much, you must hear more" I
,he went on, not sparing herself,
hough she might have justly resent
ID the word. She was dealing with
more serious things than words now,
bitter though they might be. That
hip, which is the ship of our country,
stands for law as his for license. | I
vas more sinned against than sin l
ling. When you have heard all, then c
'ou shall judge. This is the test" G
Would God that it had never been V
aid upon me-" said the man, hoarse-
y. Would God that the beacon had q
Lot been lighted on the hill" e
Nay" returned the woman, gently, v
that's past praying for. Decision d
ests with you, but you must not pass
t until you have heard the whole y
tory, The world holds me stained, !.
it may be said, but | -
m not the sinner that it thinks me or i
lie portrays." :
You said it was true" doggedly C.
ried the man. -
Yes. but not all true" -
"And had him in my hands, and y
till he lives" "
Wont you hear me?" pleaded the b
voman. n
The man shook her off and turned Ii
way. The very innocence which had k
revented his understanding at first fl
he charge made it the more hideous "
ghen comprehension came. He had G
owed this woman with love that 81
assed the love of man, for there had e
ot entered into his mind the faintest d
ossibility that she could ever be or G,
yer have been other than what she fl
eemed, daughter of the gods in n
ruth, in sweetness and in purity. And O
his strange man had come from out h
he world and proclaimed her his mis- n
ress, his cast-off, abandoned mistress. n
)nce the clew was given he found Il
lore hideous depths of infamy In that Ii
'ord than would have appeared had u
is been a wiser and more expert 81
need vision. Indeed, so clear and a,
ure was the soul of this woman that
man of tho world would have known q
that there was an explan8- n