The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-12-25

and she only. The wife who had promised tina
her spirit should follow mo stop by step upor
my dosolatn journey was near me now. For one
moment only onsideled the possibility or i'm
possibility Of her presence and ponderet
whother nortbcrn-bound vessel might have
brought her to on EsquimauX station near a.
hand that we knew not OF; for one instant only
and then was hnrrying across the snow IN the
direction to which the sailor pointed IS he
stood as the door of our hut.
The brief winter dly was closing in, and
there was only long limo OF faint yellow light
in the West. Eastward the moon was rising
pale and cold liia that region or otcrn@l snow
J. had lett our hut some two hundred yards be-
hind me, when I saw q whi;e-robcd figure
moving toward the low western hight: figpra
at once so dear, SO familiar, and yet in that
place so awful, that an Icy shirer shook Inc
from head to heal as I looked upon it.
The figure turned and secioned. The sweet
face looked at nc awfully distinct in that clear
cold night. followed, and 1t drew lac on. far
across patch Of snowy waste that had left
uncxplored, or had no memory Of trav ,rslns
until now.. l tried to overtako tho familiar
form, but though its strange gliding movement
seemed snw, it eluded my pursuit. follow
swiftly rs I might. In this manner we crossed
the wide. bleak waste. aud as the cllIamer of
the ", stern light disd out and the moon shonc
brighter on the frozen plain we came to a
spot where the SNOW lay IN mounds -sovon
separate mounds ranged in the form OF a cross
beneath that wild northern Sky.
glance tod me that civ.lizad hands had
done this work. Tho Christian emblem told
me more. Bat though l saw tllc snow- -nourds
at my feet, my eyes seemed never to leave the
face of my wife-O, God how pale i'll the raoon-
lightl
She pointed with extended finger to one of
the mounds, and saw that it was headed by q
rough wooden board al ost buried IN snoM.
70 snatch knife from nv belt throw myself
on my knees, and begin to scrapc the coating
OF mingled ice and snow from tbs board. was
the work OF moment. When I looked up I
was alone beneath the winry sky. MY wlfo
WAS gone. knew then what had felt from
the first-that it was her sha;;ow had follow
ed over that wIntry waste, and that on earth
she and I would never look upon each oth-r
again.
Sho kept hor promise IS truly as had broken
mine. The gentle spirit had pursued INC to
that desoate world i'll tho very moment it Tas
liberated from lis earthly prison.
II was late that night when Hanley and his
mcssmates found me lying senseicss on the
now-mound, with the open knife beside my
StifennS band.
They brought me bac,; to life somehow, and
by the light of the lanterns thoy carried, we
examined the board at the head OF tAc mound.
An inscription roaghly cut II on 1t told US we
had found ihe lost crew OF the ptarmgan.
"Hcrc lies the body Of Morris Haynes, Com
mandcr of the Ptarmiaan, wa died in this I'M
known region January 50, 1919, aged 35.'
The other mounds also had headooards bear
ing Inscriptions, wEich we Gug out from the
snow on the following day, and carefully trans
scribod. After this We found . cairn contain
ing empty provision tins, III one oil which was
book that had evidently bceu used for jour
nal but rust and snow had done their work,
and of this journal nothing WIS dccipherlDle
hut the name OF tie writer. Morris Haynes.
These Investigations we're not m1ds by me.
The now wear found me lad low With rheumatic
fever, and Prank Martyn had to take his turn
as sicli-nurse beside tho w-oanll where l
lay. Our provisions hold cut better than VIC
had expected, thanks to tie game our men
shot, and the patience with which they endur-
cd privation. The spring came, and with 1t
release. We contrived TO make our Way to
Baffins Bay-a contamination J. had scarcely
thought possible i'll my dfeary reverios OF md
wlnter-and Greenland whaler brought us
safely home
1 went straight to tho town-houso OF my
brother-in-law. He was at home, and came
without delay to tic library, where ] had bean
ushercd, and where l sat awaiting him with q
gloomy faco.
Yes. as expected; ho was in mourning; and
behind him carno ms sister, With psie 1aco'
OF Mss lleHdf eid Gu5 % D0 ;t i ilis y hzGs 10 nc
"Richard.' ho began in Il falterinS. voico,
''Goi KNOWS l never thouGlltit possible could
DO otherwise thau glad OF Jour coming homo
but"
That will do SAID; ''you need toll me no
morc. My wife is dead"
lie bsnt his head sulclnnly.
''Sha died on the twcniy-iiiGl OF last Dccem-
brr. ut four O'Clock in tho afternoon"
''You havo been told, then, cried my sister;
''yOu have seen sOmc one =
"Ycs," answered. Il have seen her -