Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-01-06

"WeH, your betrothed was sent last
week to the neighboring island OF Ha-
PAL to establish a mission. and TINS
morning a boat came back' with the
news that he had been killed and eaten
by cannibals."
The words THANK heaven" came up
from my heart to my throat. but L
repressed them. / had no difhculty
in bursting into tears. for was IN
tears already. simply let go the
dam, and they flowed forth In abun-
dance.
81 should have waited" said the
Young man sympathetically. It'll we
had reached the mission and broken
the news more gently"
"N-n-ever mind" l stammered. u
guess can bear It."
On the way to the superintendents
quarters we passed here and there
man in clerical garb. all Of whom
looked at me wistfully and at my
conductor with jealousy. Not woman
was to be seen anywhere. and it
seemed to me that were these men not
in the service of the Lord they would
be soon shedding one anothers blood
to determine which should possess
me. / wished that they might be thus
disposed of like the Kilkenny cats and
might be permitted to build
funeral pyre under them after the Gus
tom of heather widows of India and
sail away on the ship in which | had
come.
When we reached the superintend-
ent's house or bungalow. or whatever
it might be called. we found him
benevolent looking old gentleman, but
considering that my lover was at the
time being digested In the stomachs of
the various natives who had eaten
him the reverend gentleman felt It in
cumbent upon him to assume lugubri-
GUS countenance.
"Owing to this aff1iction." he said.
'the bishops assignment cannot he
carried out. l shall write him by the
shin Won came on requesting him to as
sign you to another or the Lords serv-
ants"
I was about to ask him II this would
require a long time when it occurred
to me that the question might be mis-
interpreted to indicate that was in a
hurry instead of hoping that the ship
that bore the message might be
wrecked and all on board 20 the way
of my intended husband. though into
the bellies of fishes instead of can.
nibals.
1T will be several weeks" continued
the superintendent, before a reply can
be received. Meanwhile my wife will
be happy to take you under her care
and give you home here with u.s.
At this first mention of woman on
the island l felt ray of comfort In
my heart The superintendent dis
missed the young clergyman who had
been my guide and leading me through
hole in the WALL would not call IL
door-presented me to his wife. a
motherly old lady. who greeted me
kindly. and for the first time since nv
arrival l felt possibility of my endur-
Ing a residence on the island-that is.
If the cannibals would kindly eat each
successive husband to whom the
bishop might assign me.
One thought. admit. stood forth as
a compromise between the sacrifice of
these noble lives and my being permit
ted to remain single. If | might be
assigned to the young clergyman who
had met me on the dock and had been
my conductor | thought would be
willing that the good work should go
on without any more missionaries find
Ing their way into the stomachs of the
eathenS.
And here, having come to the first
lull in my agony. ! will say word as
to this young man. He was about
twenty-seven years old of medium
height, with fair skin and faxen hair.
When came to know him better |
noticed at times a twinkle in his eve
that Is not usual in persons whose
minds are fixed upon q serious work.
His smile was very winning. and his
face. being clean shaven, displayed
mouth that might have been cut after
a cameo While was waiting to be