The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1922-05-12
starts ON Page II

me. snd aha said she would II may
seem rotten thing 10 have done.
but never expected this Go come
out. Ny God. what win Jessie doY.
The man on the raft always shiv.
erred at tho memory OF that agony.
Jessie. the giri he worahiped. Loaf To
him ana promised to another man.
and that man n thief. Wei. there
was only one thing for it---Jessle
must never know. Any decent man
would DO anything 90 save from pain
the woman he loved. Both he and
George were Involved. and II he were
70 disappear tho crime would he
charged 20 him. And then Jessie
would never know she loved a thief
she would be happy with the man
she loved.
SO he had showed George that the
hank would not know which partner
had substituted tho forged certlfl.
Gates. in spite % his making the loan;
and then he had told him what no
naeans 10 do-for 1essic's sake. OF
course George had protested. but the
man on the raft had remained firm.
lie had 20 hurry. too. He couldn't
say eoodoy 10 Ie~sle. lilo had told
George never to let her know tho
truth. which Was rather foolish. be-
cause o. course George never would.
Then he had gone--a fugitive from
justice 10 save the woman he loved
FROM suffering. And for five years
he had lived behind these awful whis.
kers. In tho rags OF oeachecmbsr--
for Iessie's sake. Some day. perhaps.
when he was very old. he mixht 80
hack 20 England and see Jessie. Hut
he would never be abls TO speak TO
her
Well. after all. she didn't love him.
and he was something Of fool TO
keep on loving her the way he did
bit Of q sneak. too. because she
was long since married TO another
man. Hut what was the internal raft
going TO do. Why didn't the gods
do sornething-send along a current.
for exampler lie laughed at the con.
ceif-
An unusual man. poet In many Ian.
xusx-s. with adorlng women desiring
him ali about the islands. with dusky
monarchs begging him 20 accept
their eternal hospitality. he. never
fhsiess. wandered all about. n true
minstrel. with a single eycgisss his
only harp and relic OF responsibility.
BETTER known than many men who
had spent their lives there. he was
known by many names but never by
his own.
But behind every despers'. chance
there IL motive. however obscure
II may be: ard although the man
ON the raft was barely aware Of
~. something more concrete. and
very much more charming. than
any questioning OF the gods had
really sent him on that extraortl-
nary voyage from Tahiti 20 Pit
cairn. All OF which had no doubt
greatly amused the gods-eiss why
had they smiled upon him 20 kind.
b.. instead % letting him downT
And so that he might amuss
them further. they had more close
~ tangled the motive of his voyax-
ting with his destlny--and this mo
tive was a woman-what simple
folk the gods are. after all. when
YOU get To know fhem,--a glorious.
Is made, Poiynesian giri. with just
enough OF other blood In her 10
make her wonderful. who. with IN.
ereasing agitation. was watching
the raft and its beloved occupant.
For more than three years she
had loved him. and while he had
never actually said so in 40 many
words. she knew that he was any.
thing but indifferent TO her love.
Being so intimately acquainted with
the -shlfsers of life. we know
that 4. was not mere chance that
had sent her along the trail TO Pit
cairns southeast corner. nor yet
was u accident that had caused her
bright eyes to rest upon the strange
craft and discover who was on H.
At last. II seemed. he had come
for her. She would wait among
the orange-trees. and rapturousiy
surprise him when he landed The
lovely summer morning became
more lovely. But why didn't he
swim sshorsy why did he lie on the |
raft. and do nothing? Was he slck7
In a spssm OF apprehension. she
ran down 90 the shore. slipped off
her single white garment. laid aside
her wreath OF flowers. poised for
moment in the purity OF a nudity
that does not know shame. and
Owed iiks q merwoman Into the
warm water. A few strokes, and
she climbed aboard the raft. squsez-
Ing the wet out OF tbs marvel OF
her hair. she tied Il into knot. /
and knsif by the poets sids.
What Is it--oh. what IL ths mat
teri" for 10 seemed 20 her that the
man she adored needed tho juice
Of oranges and other things. and
needed them badly.
Hs explained the situation "a well
a. hs could-snd the. nns remark
able thing about the Pitcairn people
is their srcalient knowledge OF the
English language. She was some
what shocked by his references 70
tho gois-about whom. as we have