The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1911-11-15

OF various sorts in great plenty on the
island and she was becoming accus-
toned to the diet by degrees.
She passed the noon hour in trying
to add to the mental equipment of her
companion. He could say a number
OF words now and had some idea of
their meaning, although he had not
yet attempted to frame sentences nor
had she vet tried to teach him 50 to
do. 1t was pleasant under the shade
Of the trees. She found herself mar
yelling at times as to the cOntentment
that possessed her, a product of the
age suddenly plunged into the Eden
like existence which her forebears
might have enjoyed ten thousand
years before.
The hours ran on until the declin-
ing sun and the GOODNESS that came
with the late afternoon warned her
THAT If she were to continue her ex-
plorations she must be about it i'm
mediately. So she rose and nerving
herself to her task went toward the
coppice where lay the CHASTITY remains
OF what had been a human being.
Forcing herself to the duty with her
knife she carefully cut away the rush
es, being particular not to disturb the
bones of the skeletons. As before she
did all this in the face of a vigorous
remonstrance from the man. In some
way, she could not tell how, the place
was horrible to him. He would never
have come near it evidently of his own
will, and although the power of mem
DRY in him was but latent, the impress
sion that had been produced upon him
by what she found there at some
period in his life was strong enough
to make him avoid it forever.
She did not ask him for assist
ance, indeed, she would not have
trusted him with the knife under any
circumstances, and he made no at
tempt to keep close to her. He stood
on the outskirts of the coppice in a
great state of excitement, uttering
without sequence or reason such
words as she had taught him. To him,
in this instance, she gave no heed
Presently she had completely I'M
covered the two skeletons. She had
studied anatomy, but was not a spe-
eialist in that department of human
learning. She thought that the skele-
ton before her was that of a woman
She measured its length with a piece
of tall grass and compared it with her
own. They were both of a size. The
soil in which the bones lay was soft
and porous. Every vestige of clothing
had long since rotted away and disap-
peared with the flesh it covered. If
the person whose bones lay there had
worn any article of gold or silver.
which, being rustless would have sur
viyed the long exposure, they were
probably buried in the earth beneath
the bones. She would attend to that
later.
Then she looked toward the bones
at the feet of the human remains and
decided instantly that they were the
bones of a dog. Across the vertebrae
lay piece of metal. She picked it up,
recognizing it Instantly as a plate
which had probably belonged to "a
dog collar. There was an inscription
on it which she did not take the trou-
BILE at the moment to read. Slipping
it into the bosom of her tunic and
making sure that the combining rope
would keep il from falling out, she
stopped down and gathered the bones
of the human being up in her arms,
repulsive as the task was, and carried
them down to the boat on the beach.
She laid them in the bottom of the
boat carefully and then moved by a
sudden impulse, she went back and
gathered up those of the dog which
she put in the boat also. 1t was an
easy matter to tumble few spadefuls
Of sand over the bones. Then she left
them in that rude Viking sepulture.
knowing that time would soon refill
the empty dinghy and the bones would
be safely buried unless some other in
vestigator should uncover thenas
The man had assisted her in no way
in this process. but his excitement was
very great. While she stood looking
down at the little heap of sand which
covered all that remained Of this for
lorn and forgotten visitor to this is
land, wondering if the fare of that
trespasser upon these silent shores
would some day be hers. the man sud
denly dropped on his knees as she had
seen him do on her first night on the
island He put his hands together and
began that mumbled jargon which she
had not been able to understand, but
which had seemed to her more like
language than, anything to which he
had given vent. She was surprised be-
yond measure. yet she listened with
every faculty on the alert II possible
to comprehend what he had been say
ing. and presently a familiar sound or
two flashed into her mind that he
WAS making use of prayer which she
herself mad used in childhood; that.
absurd, fantastic, impossible though
the conclusion was. he was saying the
ehaldish petition. Nov lay me down
10 zieepi"
TIE aret impulse Of the woman was
to laugh The next impulse was to
take on the palm leaf hat and stand
with bowed head and clasped hands.
What marvellous miracle was this
tbst throughout the years which she
could no longer doubt this man had
been alone on the island. there had
The above is the second instalment Of
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