;THE ISLAND OF MIST. Wfl
bad no wish to resist, Stanley aroso to of which his wildcat fancy ha! never
his feet There, beneath the tank, rock- conceived.
ing on the sun-lit wares of the Willam. " You think it beauUfol? " murmured
ette, he saw a fairy-liko Iwat, toward the voice at his side, N That is ray realm,
which ho felt himself being drawn by oTer which I reign supreme. It is the
that irresistible hand. He was dimly fair land of rest, so named by me, in to
conscious, like one in a dream, of step- ken of the ouo law by which it is gov
ping on board, of sinking to rest amid crnod-the law of enforced idleness,
cushions of softest, greenest moss, shad- Fair sir, ere you set foot on those tbin
ed by a curiously-wrought canopy of ing sands, tell me, are you prejvnred to
strange, tropical-looking branches and relinquish forcrcr, all the purpose and
leaves. Instantly tho boat seemed to ambitions of your life? Will you, henav
dart into tho stream, and swept swiftly forth and forever, let your brain sleep,
along, as though impelled by unseen and your hand attempt no task but that
hands, while all familiar scenes fust of caressing tho fair objects of your love?
faded in tho blue hazo of distance. Then Reflect before you reply; for when onco
came again tho touch of those magic fin- your foot have pressed my shores, re
gers on his brow, and turning, with a grets and backward glances will bo in
sigh of deep content, Stanley pressed his vain. You prayed for rest, eternal rest,
lips to the invisible hand, and straight- at my hands. I have heard and granted
way sank into tho oblivion of a deep and your prayer-are you content? M
dreamless sleep. How long his slum- For one instant, Stanley hesitated, as
ber lasted, ho could only guess from tho a small, dark face and tender eyes flitted
fact that when ho awoke again to con- before his mental vision, while, afar, a
sciousness, Mie foliago-clad shores had pleading voice seemed saying: " What
disappeared, and tho frail boat tossvd on is lifo without a battle?" Then, with
tho foam-capped waves of tho Pacific, an impatient ejaculation, he turned from
He started up, and gazed, almost ap- tho pleading vision,
pall xl, at tho limitless expanso of rest- " Let me have rest, and I care tor
less waters that stretched on either side, naught e!i" he said; and oven a he
Hut a timely pressuro from the unseen spoke, the keel of tho Uat grated softly
hand reassured him, while the musical on the glittering sands of tho magical U.
tones whispered: "Look southward." land. He felt the soft fiogers closing
Turning his eyu in tho direction toward firmly about his own, and heard the lotr,
which the prow of the litllo bark point- melodious tones saying
ed, a cry of involuntary delight escaped "Now you are mine for ever more;
his lips, for there, just ahead, and di- ojen your eyes and look upon ros."
rectly in their course, lay a beautiful With a start, he turned, and beheld,
tropical island, nestling in tho bosom of close by his side, slowly evoivlcg from
tho ocean, liko an emerald let in a sheet ijac tho lovely, voluptuous form of a
of silver. Rising, in gentle undulations, woman. And such a woman! If Stan
from tho wave-lapjx-d strand, and oov- ley had ever beheld her counterpart, it
ered from shore to summit, with the tad been in dreams aJoti. Clad only in
beautiful, luxuriant Tcrduro of tho troj- tho radiance of her owe transcendent
ics, it was a gem that even tho proud loveliness, she stood t-foro him as
Pacific might glory in wearing upon her proudly unconscious as though clothed
turbulent breast Stanley gazed, e nrap- in imperial robes. Her long hair shone
tured, upon the lovely scene, tho equal like burouhed gold In the; Miidighi, M