Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-06-05
A CHASTITY RENDEZVOUS.

| A CHASTITY RENDEZVOUS.
"What a foolp' be gaspsd as he fever
ishly wrote down crooked figures that
| would rank him with the greatest discoy-
erers of the world. His voice came in
hoarse whispers. The Sergeant supported
him as he spoke.
'That barometer Is all right. The air il
rarefied, as if we were on Q great height,
because" he coughed as he went on, 'be-
cause we are in partial vacuum caused By
the rotation of the ellipsoid at the Pole.
You see, the currents of the air rise from the
shoulders of the earth, tangent to the sarth's
surface. Yet the wind blows" Thus
science and feeling had the usual contest
even here.
"You're right! You're right That's
worth coming up forl That's one problem
solved" The Sergeant tasted the point
of his pencil, and was jubilant for the mo-
ment.
Now the tutor calculated eagerly, as if he
were afraid that his strength would not hold
out As it was, he could hardly drag one
foot before the other. Read what befell the
crew of the Jeannette after the ship was
nipped and sunk, and you will understand
little of the tutors condition. At last, be
looked up with wan smile.
81 make it just S76 feet W. N. W. from
where sit. think will be able to get
there"
With infinite care they measured the
space between them and the mystic goal OF
their journey. A strange e1hilaration ami
mated the tutor. He tried to burst into
college song, but his vocal cords only uttered
wheezes
Only hundred feet more! The Sergeant
took from his breast, with the hand that
was not supporting his companion, United
States flag, and solemnly regarded it. Fifty
feet morel Thew halted. Even in that
dreadful Temperature perspiration oozed
from the faces of both.
"My country, tits of thee" sang the
tutor. At the end of the rst line his voice
hushed into a sob. Ten feet more! Before
them was the pole. They stopped and
stared. The first human eyes that ever
looked upon the dream, the despair and the
murderer of thousands gazed at 1t sterniy,
and then at each other. The tutor would
have fallen had he not been held in strong
and tender arms
Before them lay the North Polei
Then the commander Of the Polar expe-
dition took the flag and fastened it to the
head of the staff Ho took from his belt his
ice-pick to make a hole, and cut blocks of
ice and snow to prop the pole up. For ten
minutes he dug powerfully: The tutor,
leaning upon one arm, watched him as If
hvpnotized With the other hand he fun
bled beneath folds of fur. After several
futile attempts he brought out y book.
whats that?" asked the digger resting.
'It's only PRAYER book-one happened
to have. Put it under the flagstaff when
Won plant it. It'll make good foundation
for it, if you don't mind" The young man
fell back exhausted.
"All rightp' said the Sergeant. He could
find no more words. He bent TO his work,
to hide the fact that he was unnamed.
"Good God!' cried the Sergeant, sudden
ly starting back. "What's this?" he
shrieked. His eyes glared with terror, and,
with the fear of his being suddenly stricken
mad, he sought the tutor-for confirmation?
no, for denial.
"What is it? Speakp' cried the tutor,
starting up like a corpse galvanized.
"My God! dare not look again. It's q
human handp'
Fearing that the final excitement had
actually curdled steady head into insanity.
the tutor jumped up and bent before the