The evening world., 1914-03-23

alone!--alone!--alo have moth
Ing to do with you've are nothing To
you-aione there on tho sands--all
day long and night and day. and
night and day. who will you speak
to--what Will you do! You there on
the sands alone !--aionc!"
He came along tho reef forming the
edge OF the lagoon: the tido was be-
ginning 10 food ana tho foretop of
tho coral ship was standing stark
and dry from the water: the ship
herself was clearly 10 be seen. in this
light even more clearly than In the
sunset glow.
Never for q moment did Gaspard
feel fear OF the body lying away
there amid the bushes; not for the
worth OF the Rhone would he have
gone through tho bushes 10 look at
II and see how Il was faring At the
hands Of corruption. yet he felt no
fear Of It; on the contrary. u was the
thing he dwelt on when he wished
to ailey fear. For fear, faint and In
dehnsble. was taking hold upon him
now. He had no compunction about
the part he had played In the death
OF Yves. The thing was an accident.
no he told himself: all tho same. mon
who die suddenly and violently hsvo
2 habit Of haunting the place whore
they die.
You can run from q haunted house
but you cannot run from q haunted
island. This dread OF no escape wss
That formed the true basis Of his
fear. q thing on which To build ter
rible and fantastic edifces. lie II,
q pipe and. smoking II, he fei, asleep
awakening In an hour or 20 refreshed
and fearless. Sleep seemed TO have
wiped away loneliness, superstition
and all their attendant evils. He fell
hungry. and getting some timed
meat and biscuit from the store oi
provisions which lay close 10 the
trees he dined after a fashion, and
then lit a pipe.
Then one morning an he Eaxed DULY
out to sea his eyes fixed themselves
on an object about milo away TO the
southeast. something round and black
that bobbcd IN the sparkle and glitter
OF the water.
II was like tho head of a swimmer,
and now II was like a drifting buoy.
II was drawing nearer. tho current
was setting II toward tho island. and
now-it was like a boat.
1t was a boat!
There could be no mistake: II un-
derwent alterations OF shape az II
twisted to the slap OF tho waves. now
head on for the island. now nearly
broadside on.
A boat--relense from the islct and
Its dreams and terrors! The cry that
escaped from Gaspard seemed echoed
by the gulls.
The boat was now plainly In view
dancing on tho waves with tho light
ness OF walnut shell on the ripple ot
pond. 1t WINS empty and drifting
toward tho islet. but II would not
touch the beach. II would pass by a
few hundred yards: he saw that. and
he prepared for tho event by casting
off his clothes.
1t seemed . small boat midway be-
tween q dinGy and n ships quarter
boat, and never 10 Gaspard's eyes
had anything appeared SO gay In
motion or 10 friendly as this tiny
craft dancing upon tho waves.
At n distance It had seemed black
but now he saw that II was painted
white: II wns clinker built. for. NJ
clear was the air. no could SEQ tho
overlapping planks. and now as he
stood preparing to take 70 tho water
and swim to II. the terror of the islet
which hs had shaken off for a
moment came behind him again. and
at onco held him back and urged him
forward.
What II the Terror followed him In =
20 the sea? Behind him there seemed
q deadly enemy filled with wrath at
his attempt to escape. and. for a mo-
ment. the want of power that comes
10 US In nightmare held him shlvcring
In the wind. the next he was In the
sea. striking out for tho boat.
VIE had TO swim against the current
that was carrying II. tho waves hit
him In the face like wet hands trying
10 drive him back; hut the shock NJ
the plunge had given him his courage.
The boat was close now. beautiful
and buoyant. and white as n gull.
smacking the sea an she came. shining
with spray. tho green water under her
showing clear IN an emerald. Now
she was only an arms length away,
ana now he was grasping the star
board thwart. She hecled over slight
ly as he got his elbow on the thwart
md peeped In. She waR empty Of
everything but tho bottom boards and
a pair OF sculls. clean secured with
spray.
lie worked his way round 70 the
stern. boarded her and stood upright,
lie was free OF the island at last,
but he would have 10 land TO get his
clothes and some provisions and
water. - ~