Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1923-09-21
The Divine
Flame
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BY JOHN PALMER
20, 1929. Western Newspaper Union.)

co. 1929. Western Newspaper Union)
TT HE story OF the disappearance of
the heiress, Miss Anita Van Dorm,
was seven days wonder. Anita was
taking one of those round-the-world
cruises with her aunt Miss Sutphen,
and Miss Anita disappeared at Holo-
wall, the port of the cannlbal group.
Captured by natives2 They secured
the brush for days, but not trace of
her was to be found Oddly enough,
her disappearance was not connected
with that of John Hollis, the beach
comber.
Anita mad stepped ushurosat EEolss
wall, where the ship was staying "a
hours. You know the sort of place
Holowaii is. A nice little town, with
two hotels, stores, a copra exporting
deutschland miles Of UNEMPLOYED
scrub and jungle and head hunters
isle after isle, infested with half-civi-
liked and savage natives, never ex-
plored-how can you explore ravine
and scrub2
who's thatT Anita asked Of the
friendly guide, seeing Hollis lounglng
on the beach In flannel suit.
Him? Oh, that's John the beach
comber," answered the guide con-
temptuously. "Been here five years.
Lots Of 'em about. Lives among the
savages half the year and spends the
other half loafng here, sometimes
fishing up pearls. No, he doesn't
amount to nothing; he's just q
waster"
John Hollis saw the whitehead
American girl approaching, and turned
his face away contemptuously. He
had no use for women, not even for
native women--and that was very
unusual In beach-comber. He had
been bitten too badly.
Six years before John Hollis had
been a young doctor in New England
town. He had been In love; he was
to have married the daughter Of the
parson. he was desperately In love
with her. On the day before that set
for their marriage Mary Rogers had
gone away with another man.
Hollis had said nothing, but life
died for him that hour. After little
while he sold bis practice and drlfted
away. A year later he reached Holo-
wall. He settled there. It was ns re-
mote place as he could find any
where.
Only the savages Of the Interior,
where he had built residence, knew
him for a great doctor. He would not
treat white people. At the port he
was known as beach-comber, an
idler.
Anita and the guide passed. Anita
| looked at Hollis. Slowly, unwillingly,
Hollis returned her glance.
That was all, but that evening they
met again outside the hotel where
Anita and Miss Sutphen had put up
for the night to get relief from ship
board Silently they paced the street
together.
II Is queer how condolences arise
among strangers, perhaps because they
know that they can speak freely, that
they will never meet again and need
have no fears.
John Hollis poured out the story Of
his love, his sufferings, all that had
been fostering In his heart since that
day when Mary Rogers had left him.
And as she listened something
seemed to break In Anita's heart She
told him Of her llfe-she the heiress,
with great house In New York, and
dozen suitOrs, and one of them walt
ing for her return to marry her.
ut was because l was feeling
stranged," she told him, that came
on this voyage with my aunt. WANT
ed to get away, somewhere where l
could realize myself, and no longer
feel like a cipher, caught up in some
machine"
"Do you love himT asked Hollis.
~ have never loved anyone In my
life" Anita answered.
II see now" said Hollis gravely,
that have never loved any one In
my llfe-tlll now"
"You will go back then"
He shook his head. And then he
told her Of his life in the scrub, miles
AWAY WHtIC hC WuS AVNNAphNSN "'HiN"N
as a king, though none knew that at
Holowaii He told her Of dewy dawns
and Of the glory Of the starry nights
and the open spaces. And Anita lis
tened. This was life as she had
dreamed of It, as she had never
known Of II.
"Three hours journey away" he
said, pointing toward the distant
mountains, two canoemen always
await my coming-walt to take me
home"
They had reached the end Of the
village road. Beyond them lay the
path into the Jungle.
%Good-by," said Hollis.
But she left her hand In his. She
laughed; and, without word, they
set forth along the jungle path to-