The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-04-07
1AE ISLAND OF REGENERATION
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ICY tIENAF-Nllt
Continued
.he balance. She would fain have
called inyectiyes down upon his head,
and for the moment she swept The
whole sex together In one u%nreasoning
hatred and resentment in which the
man Of the island participated! What
sorry Jest bad blind fate played upon
her?
She moved farther away from her
companion under the constraint Of
these thoughts. and Whea he would
have approached her nearer, she
famed upoa lin in fnddea anger that
lea hin appalled,. But under the In.
nuence OF 1t he kept his distance. She
saw the way Of the yacht checked. She
cav the boat dropped from the davits
and manned by the men. She a W a
fsrre, too far OF 10 recognize, hut
which she OWNED must be his, de.
scend the battens from the gangway.
She saw the little boat headed toward
the shore. Then she turned TO the
man. He was standing with folded
arms. his brow black, as midnight,
staring out TO sea. He knew. nothing.
understood nothing, conprehended
nothing. suspected nothing. His only
realization vas that she. his gentle
goddess. whom he had loved, was
angry with him, SO far as lie was con.
cerned. without rhyme or reason or
cause.
The stoppage of the ship. the lower.
Ing OF the boat. Its approach to the
island were now matters OF indiffer.
ence to him. She was angry. He
could think Of nothing else and there
was bewllderment in his dismay.
Nothing had given him power to solve
the enigma OF her conduct. Where she
sazed with serious intentness, he
looked listlessly. Her heart smote
her again. The sense OF justice upon
which she prfded herself came TO her
rescue. She stepped close to him and
laid her hand upon his arm.
Forgive mel" she murmured and
her heart ieaped within her bosom to
meet the great flush Of pleasure in his
face as he responded Instantly to her
caress and her appeal.
You said YOU knew men," the man
asked as they threaded their way
through the trees and won the hill
along the familiar. path. do you know
anyone on that ship, do you Think"
The question was an absurd one un.
der almost any other circumstances
than that. Yet chance had shown him
the n point in her armor and his
innocent and casual question had
driven into her soul a stab.a Evasion
should have been easy: Indeed, his
trust In her was SO great that deceit
would haye been simpIes But: she had
always told him the truth and she
'couid-not' begin now.
Yes she sale. "Iithjnk I do
He stopped abruptly, illumination
and anguish, the. .lightl'of pain In his
-Gr hSaS " you KNOW mat man
that You suffered so on the bff?"
"Yes.s she said, againtfurGihg her
self TO speak.
''fe he one 81 those who loved your"
"Ee said so. butE a6ti ~ aYs,i.
4 And you, did you love him?"
81 hate him."
"Why?" asked the man sternly.
Had he injured you in some wuy?"
In the creates: way" she answered
with deepening gravity. And here her
sense OF Justice pricked her. But 1t
was partly my fault."t
@And have YOU forgiven him?" he
asked with a little softening OF his
voice.
To him forgiveness was as natural
and inevitable as breathing. In his
ethics there was no other course. He
had never had anything. to forgive, be
1t remembered. She was not so true
to her standards as the man she had