St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-23

to Stagger, almost carrying her to the
side. "God help us now" he said. with
white lips, ''for He alone can"
She looked up at him with swimming
ewes. ~ am glad did not go, Paul.
Think. if had gone, l should have
taken some ones place-s0me one would
have been left to save me-"
Don't, Helen," he said agonizingly.
s'you don't KNOW what you are saying.
Is this to be the end of all our walt
ing?''
HWhat would you have done, Paul?"
she said, unheedingly, "if L had gone
in that boat?'
II should have tried to save myself.
for your sake-if it came to the worst,
to keep af1oat on the chance of being
picked up" -.
''Then that is what you will do now"
she said with lightened face.
al don't think | understand you,
Helen"
II mean you have duties-not here.
Your mother and sisterS-what will
they say, what will they do? You must
think of them before you think of me"
He stared at her in dazed way.
"What is it you are asking me to do?''
81 want you 10 promise me that. be-
fore the last, when it may become i'm
possible for us both to be saved. you
will leave me and take care OF your
self"
81 cannot promise that" he said.
'Not to make me happYW
st is asking too much, Helen," and
he turned away from her pleading.
AFTER all these years you are mine now,
even if only for an hour. and dare not
leave you"
''And yet you must, you must. want
you to do what is right. L don't want
you to choose the easy way because 1t
is easiest. Doesn't its very difficulty
show you that the other is right?''
"You are asking too much, Helen.
Life would be unbearable afterward."
but don't think of that" she said,
''Only whether it is right now"
81 can't think of anything but you;
it's impossible, impOSsible!"
She broke down for few minutes,
crying silently on his shoulder. lyon
must not, Paul; oh, you must not! L
am not worth it. This is the last thing
| can ever ask you, the last thing you
can do for me. Would you make my
death miSerabie-make me die feeling
that / had killed you?"
''God forbid. Helen. l would do any
thing for your happiness"
Then know that you ought to try
it is right-fOr their sakes; and, what
ever people may say afterward if you
are saved, do not heed them; remember
only that / UNDERSTANDABLE you?"
He only kissed her upturned face.
Remember that [ saw all it meant
for you-that it was harder for you to
live than for me to die. Won't 1t be
enough for you that l understand and
Yl,rofhizoO Hnuv anrld 7 xur0nu UOur
mother and sisters so. and let you throw
away your life for mel who am so I'M
WOrthy?"
Are you sure you quite realize,
Helen," he said slowly, what it is you
are asking me to do?"
And she answered him, Eyes"
THAT is enough, then. If it should
come to that l will do it,
The last scene drew near, and each
knew it, though neither spoke. Once
he lifted her hand absently and looked
at it as though something were want
ing.
you never wore a ring for me,
Helen?"
She glanced down. mo, 1t didn't
need that"
Slowly he drew on an old-fashioned
Signet ring, that had belonged to his
father, and placed in on his finger, she
watching dreamily the while, with her
head on his shoulder.
I'VE will have it now" he said, "that
is our understanding" and then, so near
to death, could finds no words to say.
With all our capability of expression. it
is said at times how little we can do.
After all, our language, perfect though
it may be, is Slngularly incomplete.
impossible it is TO express all that we
could wish. There is nothing we say
but what may be miSconstrued OF mis-
interpreted, and, were it not for that
higher communion before which lips
ale mute, perfect comprehension would
be rarely possible.
Then he held her hand in silence till
the trial came.
Out of the gloom came heavily-laden
boat, the oars rising and falling ryth-
mically in the inky water. Here, on the
scene of the disaster-here, where they
had last seen the lights of the doomed
ship-they waited and watched, essay
ing to save any who even now might
survive. Little to guide them in their
| efforts as they roWed, now in this direc-
ton, now in that. A white hand here,
and there a dark, indiStinguiShable Oh
ject; mass of floating wreekage, to be
avoided, and yet again figure clinging
to broken spar. That was all-little,
indeed, but still enough to reward them
for their work. Then. tired and over
laden, they rested on their oars till
morning-till the first dawn showed the
| haggard faces of these few survivors.
A sea gull sailed leisurely overhead
| ne the golden sunlight hrokp and rinnIed
! over the calm sea: So soon will the old
| world smile again over mans little
tragedies! Only small boat, on the
wide immensely. lay like recollection
the faint memory of a last nights