Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-07

arms of sand and earth incrustcd lime
stone. to the islet-dotted sea that rocked
and danced 10 the soft rush of a south
eriy wind-a sea lonely and bare 81 SAL
! 10 its empty. purple-shad horizons.
No better spot. she thought. could hayo
been found or co3trived, whether by &C
cident or design. To meet the needs ana
purposes OF this iniquitous adventure.
The island, serene and smiling I'm its in-
ISOLATE and isolate solitude. offered little
aside from such popularity IN the way
OF singular attraction. Its brethren by
hundreds studded the crcumiacent wa
with the advantages of greater size and
accessibility. Here was only o rocky
, atoE. low lying a mere several acres I'm
extent bordered by its broad pink
, beaches. crowned by hind-haunted wilder
ness Of sun-wea thered vegetation, With
, its small. lagoonlike harbor, accessible
only after traversng a league-loug chan
, mel. narrow. occult and intricate. through
.ightless and unbuoyed waters.
Nature would seem To have designed
this cay solely 10 be OF old the refuge
and stronghold OF the one-time p,csroons
and buccaneers of the Bahamas: In its
degenerate present to be a day mark for
the sponge fishermen and the negro
wreckers OF the archipelago. and a tryst-
ing spot for common swindiers OF the
high seas.
The eager. far-sighted gaze OF Gym
thia's eyes. raking the glistenfhg crescent
Va Tie Sdutc. stdfItis OH cleith VI
mile away. was quick TO locate the
cynthia's small lifeboat. drawn up about
midway between the horns OF the island
Ii was empty. Two men. evidently or
binary seamen. sat smoking I'm the shade
of thicket on the edge OF the beach.
and near them Cynthia deserted a small
box or two and a keg. These circum-
stances perplexed her. OF Rhode. Iobb
Perez or Crittenden there was no sign.
She fingered at the rail. waiting in anx-
ious wondering.
Wearying Of the monotonous rose
tinted glare OF the strand, baffied OF
wrestling hint OF what was taking
place ashore by the silent dark-green
hedges of foliage that masked its farther
beaches and meager upland, her gaze
sought rest in wandering over the rain
bow-tinted reaches OF the sea, whose
shimmerng surface showed a polychrome
of blended coiorings from the maroon
shadow of a weed-rank ledge through
shades OF exquisite amethyst and laps
laZuli to the translucent jade OF white
sand shoals brilliant with refracted sun
rays.
But its beauty was that Of desolation
only
Cynthia returned her heed to the
beached lifeboat.
Now Lobb appeared. and stood at
pause, looking back up a glade OF the
wooded RISE while the seamen. scram-
bling hastily TO their feet. shuffied down
TO the boat.
Inen Perez ambied into view. followed
in moment by Rhode and Crittenden
in company.
Something moved violently, stopped and
moved again. with more methodic beat
i'm Cynthia's bosom. The small knuckies
OF the hands clasped before her arms at
rest on the rail. shone write in constraint
and her poise grew tense. Thereafter
she had eyes for but one figure OF the
six upon the beach.
She noted that he walked with n cers
tain lack of freedom. wearing his shout
derS oddly: that he was clothed I'm shirt
and trousers only. She saw him stop
within the shadow of the thicket. ex-
change few final words with Rhode,
dismiss him with a careless gesture, and
remain where he was while the red man
ambled heavily down to join his COM
panions at the waters edge.
Perplexed, she the boat put or
with the three leaders, leaving Crittenden
alone.
Then suddenly she understood. a flame
OF Indignation ieaping up from the fire
a-smolder in her heart. She understood
on the beach. and why the young man
stayed behind while the .others returned
to the comfort Of the ship.
hot spot blazed in her either cheek
and In her eyes burned blighting flames
He had transgressed the code of the
party of might. he had dared move lift
his hand in defense of her honor and no
he was to be punished
keg of drinking water, a box or two
of ships biscuit-with these he was to be
eft to languish on that lonely island:
marooned for his act OF honesty and
faith.