Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1912-09-27
connnuntion of chnpter xvIr.


shelving beach; at the third trial she
found = footing. stood erect in water TO
her waist sighed with satisfaction.
and waded shoFewards through a long.
slow grade OF shoals
As she stood. 81 length. upon dry
sand. wringinE the water from her
skirt. the first stage accomplished, the
second assuming the shape OF a riddle
Gin what quarter OF that dark. unplot-
ted island should she first look for him
of whom she had seen nothing since the
previous mid-morningO a brief. anti
rhonal chorus OF ships bells made sill
yer music IN the hush. the Orion an
swering the Cynthia in mellow confirm
alton OF its news.
Cynthia paused 10 listen. counting
two double strokes and one single from
the bell OF each vessel; i've bells: half
past two and thus FAR. all wellt
Then abruptly upon the singing ST.
Ience that ensued. broke the raSping
sound Of wireless sending, as vicious
and venouous OF accent as the crack OF
a punitive whip-lssh.
Startled and wondering. unable to be-
lleve that the alarm was raised in ad-
vertisement OF her escape. yet incapable
OF fitting 10 IL any less personal signih-
canoe, she turned and ran across the
beach 20 hide herself in the shadows of
the vegetations in whose cover she
stoppeds wide eyes staring back over
the still lagoon. a hand seeming 70 en-
Seavor TO restrain the violent agitation
Of her heart her breath FASTENED and
shortened more through dismay and
CONSERVATION than because OF her eX-
ertions.
She could see the door and port OF
the wireless deck house aboard the
cynthia. bright with light. and could
hear. through the broken drumming OF
me shark. the sound Of voices calling
10 one another-voices quick with ap-
nrehensIon The bulk OF a mans hgure
siarkened the doorway. and then anotn-
er. All along the side OF the super
str1Icturs ports were breaking out with
rfrbt and aboard the Orion. likewise.
SDoradie hickering of lights showed
that her crew. too. was being reused
f-om lis abbreviated rest From the
bridges OF both vessels men oeiio"eu
10 each other wildly through mega
thames though the information they eN-
-r.e-.s,s ,-s-,ained a mystery to the lis
tarer ashore. seeming no more tnan
snaSmodic. angry. husky roaring aito-
gether inaTticulate "a.
Fear electrified her-fear lest rms
frantic. CLAIMANT hue-and-ery IN tne
riacfd night whether OF not " were
raised because OF her disappear ailce,
,.o,,ld Involve the discovery OF IL anu
-,nrld be sure TO waken and call TO the
asfoinsnz stateroom. then, surprised 10
uet no answer. would investigate ana
fnd her companion missing-her Derth
empty. her clothing Untouchec-ano ring
and demand news Of her.
CYNTHIA began to run down the beach
softly calling Crittenden, now and aBaih
..a.-,,'s ~ listen for response. She
heard none
PreSsntlv she found the boxes OF bis
emit and the key Of water. where the
Cynthia's sailors had left them one OF
the boxes had been broken open, the
keg preached: but Crfttenden was no
Where near them
She called again. insistently, getting
no answer.
None the less. it was from this spot
that ne had turned away to conceal
himself in the hinterland OF the cay.
The girl hesitated here, trifle abashed
By the thought OF attempting such eX-
uloration. Of bravery the occult perils
ard pitfalls Of the land; but panic dread
OF being Overtaken ere she should ma
him, equally with her deepening anxiety,
melted her on. stronger than her terrors
OF the unknown. She advanced picking
her way through hedges OF Cimmerian
hIackness, where strange things moved
with uncanny cries and rustlings. through
natural avenue. by this time dinly
lighted BY the lessened moon newly risen,
over a ridge OF rocky ground. and down
again to the waters edge on the farther
side OF the island.
Here Crittendea had camped- She
found the still warm embers OF the fire
he had made. for the comfort OF IL, I'M
seen OF the vessels: and beside the area
OF ashes depression in the sand where
she had no doubt he had lain in his suf-
fsring. But no other sign OF him-save
for interviewing trails OF footprints on
the beach. crossing and recrOssing be-
tweeg the edge Of vegetation and the lip
OF the tide.
In this spot she waited longest. and
and again crying out his name, hear
ing only the sigh OF a misunderstanding
breeze and the unceasing mutter and
gurgie and splash OF the seas susurra-
ton.
Forebodings aSsailed her with hun
bred grim faces fmportunate, dreadful
What could have become Of him He
could rot possibly have escaped hearing
her calls She shrank from the waters
in horror. conceiving they might have
taken him from her. Knowing that fever
often attended on wounds. that fever
bred delirium, she had horrible visions
Of Crittenden maddened. seeking in
wate- relief from the fire that con-
sUmed him. . And the island
terry. masking who should be able to
say how many traps for the destruction
of her beloved
In her distraction, inding the weight
Of the hfe-belt constraining. she I'M
tossed IL and slipped il from her Shout
ders, letting IL fall without embarking
the spot
She began 20 run franticaIly and aim
lessly 10 and fro. hither and yon,' crying
his name. Needless OF whittier she wan
iered-
In this course OF blind ranging. and
after a lapse OF time, she came out
again upon the beach. at a point near
that at which she first had left IL.
There was more light now, in the
east a forerunning pulsation of dusk.
The lagoon showed CLASSY and blank
pale beneath the fainting stars. and
empty.
The Cynthia was even then steaming
slowly out, between the converging