, 1910-03-03

80 instantly ana resumeo ner iron
,o,f-oontroi.
Then If one of US must stay. 1t
fali he l."
No" said the woman. 81 have
heen in the world and you have O
You may ca and learn what 1t holds
Tor you. have tried to prepare you,
TO give o lessons. Now, you may
put them In practice"
The island is mine" said the man.
Il was here when you came. I shall
be here e o return"
w shall gee" returned the wo-
man looking boldly at him. The clash
of wills almost struck fire within the
eyes OF h two who thus crossed
swords. MEANWHILE" she turned to
L%angford. IF you will leave the is.
land and go back to your ship. I shall
be very glad. There is nothing you
can do here. You have nothing to
gain by remaining"
Kate" he cried, one last appeal"
TT is as u%navailing as the first"
She looked at him steadily. He saw
tina within her face and bearing
which convinced him that what she
said was true.
AT least" he said, with the dignity
of sorrow and disappointment, "if I
have played the part of the fool. I
have done my best to play the man."
He turned slowly away. In a step
the m was by his side.
You have" she said. Whoever
else has failed me in this hour, 1t has
not been you. l am sorry that | do
not love you. hat / never did love you
and that | cannot love you" She
reached her hand out. "Good-by."
"Good-by." he said, IF you think of
me. remember that l did my pest to
make amends and If you ever
change"
81 shall not change" said the wo-
nan 'Good-by."
He moved Off down the strand.
called his sailors to him, got into hts
boat, showed of and was rowed over
the blue lagoon and through the open
ing In the barrier toward the yacht
tossing slowly upon the long swells OF
the Pacific.
las for you, SIR" said the woman,
after she had watched Langford a lit
tie while in silence. will you go back
and bring some officers ashore to hear
ny story"
AT our wish, Miss Brenton," said
the lieutenant-commander gravely.
The woman turned to her compan-
ion.
will you go with them?"
And leave you here alone?" cried
the man.
Il shall be here when you come
back, l give you my word upon It. 1
do not break my word. You know
whatever else you may have against
me, I have always told you the ruth.
If you will remember, I said but yes
terday that l was not worthy of you"
She smiled bitterly.
And in that, madam" said Whitta-
ker. give me leave to say hat you
broke you record for veracity."
It's good of you to say so.' she re-
turned. Believe me l have taken
more comfort from your words and &C
lions in this dreadful hour than 1 had
dreamed 1t possible for men to give.
Now. if o will all go away and leave
LiC diiu hot CollC JAIN uulll eVChlu6 L
shall be so glad inc thankful"
Come, SIR said the lieutenant-com-
mander, not unkindly, touching the
man upon the shoulder. las a gentle
mar you cannot do less than accede
to the lady's request"
Suffering himself thus to be per-
suaded, the man followed the oficer
into the boat, in which the whole par
ty embarked and was rowed away
from the island. His first touch with
the world had separated him from
the woman he loved and who loved
him. Nay, his own frightful folly, his
own blindness, his own criminal and
heartless decision had done that. And
the world upon which humanity loves
to load the blame of its transgres-
sions, and with which 1t would fain
share the consequences Of its own
%follies, had nothing whatever to do
with 1t. In fact, 1t was because he
was SO ignorant of the world, SO utter
ly unable to see things in their rela-
tive values-and in relation we ascer-
tain truth-that he had taken the
tone that he had used and entered
upon the course which he had fol-
lowed.
He could only see one thing. that
this woman who he supposed belonged
SC completely and entirely and abso-
lutely to him, who was as fresh and
unspotted from the world q he was,
who had been his own as he had be-
longed entirely and utterly and abso-
lutely to her. was-difsrent! That
the difference was more in his own
Imagination than anywhere else
brought him no comfort. He still
loved her. he still wanted to marry
her, but he loved her in spite Of her
shame. A greater. q wiser man would
have loved her because Of 1t. And
some day this fact which he himself
was inherently large enough to realize,