Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1910-07-15

knew he would find 1t on yonder ship"
II was happy" said the man, ITO go
on as we were. l should not have
lighted that fire"
Pray continue with your story,
Miss Brenton." said the lieutenant
commander. II am deeply interested
IN it. There is a great Charnock es-
tate in Virginia which has been held
for 80 years or more by the last sur
vfvor of the ancient family. And l re-
member some romantic story connect
ed with 1t, too"
The silver box that Enclosed the
flint and STEEL" continued the woman,
was marked j. R. c. Exploring the
island l came upOn the remains of a
boat, and any Of you nay examine 1t.
Near the boat in yonder coppice there
were two skeletons, n OF a woman
and the other of a dog. l excavated
the boat, found that it had belonged
to the ship Nansemond of Virginia. l
have the stern pieces with the name
painted on 1t in my ave l put the
skeletons Of the dog and the woman
in the boat and filled 1t up again with
sand. There they lie waiting Chris
tan burial. The place where they
had died, the woman and her dog, I
carefully inspected. Everything but
metal, and most OF that, had rusted
away, but l found two rings" She
stretched forth her hand. They are
here" She stripped them off. "One
Of them Is a wedding ring. You see
it Is marked" She read the markings
off, 81. r. C.. to M. P. T. September
m 7CC0 TT T@~ III x TA4 ~
Scripture to which reference is made
Is I will very gladly spend and be
spent for you. though the more abun-
dainty l love you, the less I be loved
There was a piece of silver, also,
which had evidently been part of a
dogs collar. It, too, was marked:
John Revel1 Charnock-His Dog, July
32-1875.' And that was all"
do you remember nothing Of your
early life, nothing whatever, sir ?"
asked Whitaker. turning to the man.
Il have a dim recollection of some
sort Of q sea happening, Of a long vOy-
age with a n some kind of
an ANNA In an open boat, of horrible
sufferings, of a few words of prayer;
that is all"
Il think hat this man, hon a child"
resumed the woman, land his mother
must in some way have been involved
in a shipWreck, and that she and her
son and a dog must have been cast
away on this island; that the woman
died and the child survived. There is
nothing here that would in any way
harm him and his life and growth I'M
der such circumstances and condi-
lions are quite possible. He had prob
ably seen his mother read tina Bible.
He carried 1t with him, put it in that
cave and forgot it with the flint and
steel in the silver box of which he
would have no knowledge and which
he could not use. The dog probably
lived some time and when he died
crawled back to whore his mistress
lay and gave up his life at her feet
And therefore I believe this mans
name to be John Revell Charnock;
that he Is an American, and that he
came from Virginia. l know him to
be a Christian and a gentleman. In
all the days that we have been togeth-
er on this island he has done me no
wrong. He has cen gentleness, kind
ness. docility itself, and despite our
selves we nave learned to low each
other. Until yesterday we did not
know 1t. Now it is for him to say
what we will do"
Kate, Kate" cried Langford, you
cannot let this untutored savage"
Not that" said the woman, FOR I
nave taught him all I know and all I
believe"
YOU cannot let him decide this
question:" continued the man, passing
over her interruption.
Yes" said the woman, "he must
decide, but whatever he decides, what
ever the relationship between this
man and this woman is to be, l can
never be anything on earth to you"
Don't say that" said Whitaker.
Think, my dear lady, what you do.
what his man offers you, the position
in which = God forgive me! = you
stand"
Sir" said the woman, addressing
the lieutenant commander, this man
~wronged me ~grievously. terribly. He
deceived me. He broke my heart. He
killed ambition, aspiration and respect
for my own kind within my soul. ]
know him through and through. The
fact that he failed quickened his pas
sion; the fact that men say l am
beautiful made him the more eager;
the fact that he was away and that
he could not lay his hands upon me
made him the more insistent; the fact
that had Haunted him and said him
nay and struck him down made him
the more determined"
; Kate, Kate. you wrong me. Before
God you wrong mel" interrupted
5 hngford.
. "And indeed, madam, l believe yoC
do" commented Whitaker.
Let her speak on" said the man O
the island.