Evening journal., 1912-08-10
Facing Death
For Love
By ARTHUR W. BREWSTER

There Is an island in the Pacific
ocean which produces tropical fruit
in abundance. and ships stop there TO
take it away and leave its equivalent
in money or in such goods as the ma
tives require But the islanders will
not consent to any mingling with the
whites and are especially jealous Of
their women. Death is the penalty TO
any woman who receives a white man
for lover or a husband.
One day an American ship named the
Mary Boyle stopped at the island with
a cargo OF miscellaneous goods which
she unloaded and took on in its place
such fruits as the place produced. The
crew OF the Mary Boyle were permit
ted TO remain ashore during the day,
but at evening they were required to
go aboard the ship.
The captain of the Mary Boyle had
warned his sailors to have nothing to
do with the women on the island, tell
ing them that they would not only en-
danger their lives. but bring certain
death on any woman to whom they
made love. The warning was not nee
essary with regard to the women. as
a whole. who were many of them hide
GUS. Even the girls we're not gifted
with what a white man would con-
slider beauty. There was. however,
one exception. While the shore force
was unloading on the beach several
girls came down to bathe. They went
into the water and sported like dol
phins. One of them who swan about
her long black hair trailing behind her.
was as graceful as a swan. The sun
glistened on some brass bracelets she
wore on her arm and sparkled on a
stone that was fixed just above her for
head to a ribbon bound around her
head.
In contrast with this dusky maiden
was one of the sailors whose eye she
caught. Jack Coglan by name. with
light hair and blue eyes. He followed
her with his gaze so fxedly wher-
ever she swan that the mate in charge
OF the party noticed his attraction, and
to nip It in the bud gruh1y ordered
him to attend to his work.
When the girls were tired OF swim.
ming they went ashore, passing near
the sailors at work. and the dark
beauty, glancing at Jack. saw him
gazing at her rapturously. Love is
like gunpowder that only a spark is
required to explode. The girl saw not
only what to her was exquisite manly
beauty in the fair young sailor, but
the love light I'm his eyes. She passed
ON with her companions. but the dam
age had been done. One exchange OF
glances brought about that which was
ready to brave death.
A week later, When the Mary Boyle
was about ready to get up her anchor
and sail away, the captain. in order
to make sure that all the crew were
aboard, ordered the boatswain to call
the roll. when he came to the name
Of Coglan there was no reply. The
captains brow lowered. He shrank
from leaving any of his men behind
and feared that Jack had in some way
become involved. so that II would be
impossible to extricate him. Night
was coming on when no white man
was permitted to be on the island. II
Jack was found there he would be
killed. Yet the captain dare not VIC
late the custom OF the islanders by
sending a crew ashore to bring him
aboard. The only course TO pursue was
! TO wait till morning
Dawn was breaking when the watch
reported that a canoe with a white
man and a native woman in 1t was
leaving the shore. The captain ran VI
on deck. and seizlng a glass brought
II to bear on the couple in the boat
The wind was high and blowing or
shore, giving rise to a line of breakers
but the occupants Of the canoe, by
dexterous padding, the woman in the