Mexico Missouri message., 1910-09-01
CHAPTER XVII.
The Woman's Plea,


with the deepest gravity he could in.
fuse in voice and manner, you have
been a most unfortunate, a most un-
happy woman. Allow me to assure
you Of my sincerest commiseration,
my deepest respect, my most profound
admiration. You have suffered, but
innocently. If l may speak the voice
of society, IL l may stand for the
world as your companion has said,
can only express my reverence for you
and my homage to you IN this way"
He stepped nearer to her, he seized
her hand. He was an old-fashioned,
humble-minded, quixotic sort OF a
sailor, if you will, for before anybody
realized what he was about, he ben.
his head low over it and kissed It. And
the sailors behind him and the ma
rines in rank broke into a hearty
cheer.
There, madam" said Whitaker,
you have the appreciation of society
for my act. AS for you, SIR" he
turned toward Langford, 81 should be
untrue to manhood If l did not say
what you yourself have said; that you
acted not only like a brute and
| coward, but, sir, when I look at the
lady, am constrained to add like a
fool"
Langford started forward, but the
lieutenant checked him.
Having said all that, must admit
that you have conducted yourself since
that time as a man of honor and as a
| gentleman. I have no doubt that
your offer will be accepted; that the
world will forgive you as Il will ad.
mire and respect your Wife"
mol" cried the man Of the island,
suddenly.
He had kept silence, resolved 10
hear 1t all out without interruption. He
had suffered as the miserable story
had been unfolded to such an extent
that all that he had gone through with
before seemed like childs play, He
had heard Langford's noble confession,
his generous offer to repair his wrong,
but without the appreciation Of it
which the circumstances and its inrrin-
sic quality might have evoked. He had
heard the woman's defense, her splen-
did justification of her course, the bit
ter repentance that had followed It,
but without that appreciation of what
| justification there was for her and the
value of her remorse which the ac-
count should have brought to him. He
had observed Whittaker's prompt and
touching expression of confidence and
reverence, but without understanding
its force and power. indeed, ne had
instructive shrewdness enough to
realize that even though the sailors,
! touched by the act of gallantry and
moved with pity for the young woman
who stood there lovely in her sadness,
had cheered, yet the world would be
very slow to the same expression.
| He saw that the woman was face
to face with a crisis; that she
would either have to accept or de-
cline Langford's offer to marry her at
once.
His heart was filled with bitter rage.
| He knew that he loved the woman;
that he never would love any person
but the woman, but nevertheless the
resentment against fate which had
placed him in so awful a position, Of
whose malign purposes he had been
the blind, ignoble victim, was so
great that for the time being his love
was in allegiance. He pitied himself,
he loathed Langford, he was contemp-
tuously Indifferent to the world, and
for the moment he almost hated the
woman. The sub-consciousness that
he had that this was as ungrateful as
1t was unwarranted added to his
Indebtedness and misery.
NO" he cried, before any answer
is made, let me speak,"
Your pardon" said Whitaker,
may ! ask who you are?"
Sir" returned the man, "as to who
I am and what I am, do not know,
nor does 1t greatly matter"
Your pardon again" retorted the
lieutenant commander, coolly, but Il
matters very much. Unless you have
some right to interfere, do not con.
cede that any suggestion from you in
this crisis which seems to concern
these two people, this lady and this
gentleman, is at all in order"
But 1t does concern me-" returned
the man, impatient of this checking,
for love this woman myself and she
has done me the honor to say that she
loved me. had intended to make
her my wife should Providence ever
bring us to civilization again"
Had intended" exclaimed the WON.
an, Inder her breath but no one no
ticvd her words, and the lieutenant
spoke again.
That being the case, some in,
formation as to who you are and how
you came here is the more evidently
in order"
CTo BE CONTINUEDO
l. - 49,