The Greenville journal. [volume] (Greenville, Ohio) 1850-1918, 1914-12-17
CHAPTER XVII.
This Mortal Tide.

never sleep before her anxiety was
assuaged by. word of Alan's fate; but
she reckoned without her host OF
trials that had bred in her a fatigue
anodynous even to her mental an
guish.
For a time after Barcus had LETT
her she fingered upon the sands, IN
the mouth of the shelter he had Sc
lected for her, staring hungrily out on
the shimmering sea that, now wholly
divested of its shroud, smiled up to
the heavens, whose sapphire race II
mirrored, as fair and sweet OF seem
ing as though it had never veiled a
heartless tragedy.
Slowly it darkened as the sapphire
above grew darker, blending 1nsen-
sibly into rare ultramarine with the
slow decline of the sun, by whose al
titude above the horizon the day had
not more than ninety minutes to run.
And she thought drowsily that II
that sun sank without her learning
that her lover lived, it would not rise
again upon a world tenanted by Rose
Trine.
It was not true, she told herself, that
people never die of broken hearts.
She knew that, were he taken from
her, she could no longer live. =.
And sleep overwhelmed her sud
denly, like a great, dark cloud Z.
But it's dominion over her faculties
was not of long duration. Slowly
heavily, mutinously, she was rescued
| from its nirvana-came to her senses
with an effect of one who emerges
from some vast place Of blackness and
terror, to find Barcus kneeling over
and gingerly but persistently shaking
| her by the shoulder.
And then she sat up with a cry OF
mystified compassion; for in the brlef
time that he had been absent-it had
not been more than an hour-Mr. Bar
Gus had most unquestionably been Sc
verely used.
He had acquired long cut over one
eve. but shallow, upon which blood
had dried, together with bruised and
swollen cheek that was badly
scratched to boot And what simple
articles of clothing remained to him,
after his strenuous experiences OF the
last forty-eight hours, had been re-
duced to even greater simplicity: his
shirt, for example, now lacked a sleeve
that had been altogether torn away
at the shoulder.
mol" he told her, as soon as he saw
her wits were awake once more
don't waste time pitying me. I'm al
right-and so is Alan! That's the
main thing for you to understand; he's
still alive and sound
But where is he? Take me tc
him!" she demanded, rising with
movement of such grace and vigol
that it seemed hard to believe she hat
ever known an instants WEAKNESS.
That's the rub," Barcus confessed
souatting on the sands and knucklint
his hair. ~ dassent take you to him
Judith might object Besides, you cal
see for yourself it isn't safe to mingl'
with the inhabitants Of this hgh
little island-and you can't get tt
} where Alan is without mingling con
siderably. Sit down, and I'll tell yo'
all about it, and we'll try to figure ou
what's best to be done. Maybe W
: can manage a rescue under cover o
night"
: And when the girl had settled hel
| self beside him he launeAed into
detailed report.
Its Katama island, all right" b
announced, "but a change has com
over the place since l visited 1t som
wears ago. Then it was communit
8 of simple-hearted villagers and fishe
D men: now, unless all signs fail, it's
den of smugglers. l noticed a nun
+ ber Of Chinese about; and that, take
z in connection with the fact that, whe
L 7 yentured to introduce myself to th
b village ginmiH and ask few inn
J, cent questions, the entire population
k to a child, landed on me like a tho
e sand brick-the two circumstance
e made me think we'd stumbled on
a settlement of earnest workers at Il
8 gentle art OF helping poor Chiname
evade the exclusion laws"
4. With wry smile, he pursued: u
n for me, landed out back of the join
g. ON the nape of my neck. and took Il
It count, surrounded by a lot of unsyl
pathetic boxes and barrels that hi
% seen better days. And when came
n and started to crawl unostentatious
" away, was Just in time to witness Il
10 landing Of your amiable sister. tn
st gang Of cutthroats she keeps on Il
% pay roll, and Alan In company with
,r choice a crew Of scoundrels as you
9, care to see. gathered from Il
is words that leaked out Of the back do
of the barroom. that II was as ] b
Dr. thought Judith had stolen bo
ae from the ship that picked her up. q
70 rammed It on Norton's reef: and aft
she gathered Alan In the schooner
u. these smugglera happened along. 9
d. che hailed 4 and struck bargain vi
-. -. - .ms.tAla astA a4assaA sssrsa ezu.s.s.e7