The Washington times., 1921-02-27

ened-not yet--but my knees kept
trying to double up under mo Ike
old Iyory's. folding rule. and the
shaking OF my hands grew worse
And II seemed cold. in the depths
of that tropic night.
Then. as stood there. not afraid.
but strangely unwilling to move
tfor who knew what horror might
not leap oct at me n ] showed that
l was theref) saw q light come
gradually around a corner and the
drunken doctor appeared. all alone,
and carrying q hurricane lamp. He
was not drunk now, but he looked
sick and rather sad. and tired es
ceedingly. When he saw me ne
gave such q jump that the sand
spurted up about his feet.
"Great heaven!" he said. coming
up to me, ITS the little girl"
l looked at him and shook more
than ever and ! could not say .
word.
blackburn is dead. sHe died not
long after, q shameful death. and
his memory In the island world has
no sweet SAVIOUR. But shall al
ways remember him with kindness;
II were one of those who pray TOR
the dead I am sure ] should pray
for him.
He had had . wife once, and chill
dren. years ago. He had not for
gotten how to deal with Q fright
ened child. He set down his lamp,
put his warm arm round my small,
shivering body and drew me to him.
.The poor wee lassie," he said;
and, again. THE poor wee lassie!"
And In those words he told me all.
The shrek that ! sent up tore
the roof.
Father" I screamed: and even
while the name left my lips ! knew
with the stabbing knowledge that
comes to us In these awful mo-
ments. that should never say that
word again, save as a meaningless
cry. There was no longer any such
name for me. There was no such
thing as father in the empty world.
Everything was done for him
that could be done. He did nos
wish you called" said Blackburn,
slowly and gently. He went
easily and didn't suffer bit" Qt
was years before recognised the
kindly lie that he had told) you
don't want to see him." realized
that I did not--I trembled at the
thought. "You are going to Join
your aunt and stay with her till
morning. Not your aunt? Then
Dinah. She has finished. She Ii
somewhere about: I'll find her."
He did. In a minute or two
strong hands lifted me from the
ground and carried mesaway; and
until dawn the loyal servant woman
and wept in each others arms.
But Lorraine, locked in with her
grief, saw and spoke to no one.
With daylight came Harry Eng
land and q new sorrow.
Those who have lived In the
island world will understand read
ily the necessity that now fell upon
us of putting aside our grief. OF
taking up the ordinary work OF
daylight and acting as II no disas-
ter had fallen in the might upon
Hiliwa Dara. They know what 1t
means, in the schooner islands
to have a ship ready and waiting
and no prospect of another Tor
months to come.
II had long been arranged be-
tween my father and Lorraine that
she was to take me to the Hawon-
gas as soon as the inevitable end
had come, Dinah remaining on for
a little while to see to the comforts
of old Ivory who, though ] have not
mentioned It, was daily showing
more and more the signs of his
great age. And now the end had
come indeed, suddenly. as all but
myself had known 1t would, but
lightened, at least, by everything
that science could do. And the
opportunity of reaching the Ha-
wongas was here, but 1t would not
stay.
England declared that 1t had al
ready cost him a good deal to come
out of his usual way SO far, and
that he could not promise to stay
over another tide. II Lorraine and
I were to take passage with him for
Port Hervey we must be ready by
sundown.
There was no valid reason why
this should not be. In the island
world, with its fierce heats and
torrential rains, no corpse Is kept
above ground longer than the few
hours necessary for the preparing
of the grave. Our packing was
light and there were two women TO