The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-11-12

box, and drifted drearily out of the
boat-house.
Left by himself, Crawford looked a
his watch, and called to sailor out
side.
Where are the ladies?" he asked.
Mrs Crawford is coming this way
sir. She was just behind you wher
you came in"
"Is Miss Burnham with herr"
mo, sir; Miss Burnham is down or
the beach with the passengers.
heard the young lady asking after you
SIR"
Asking after me?p Crawford con-
sidered with himself, as he repeated
the words. He added, in lower and
graver tones, you had better tell Miss
Burnham you have seen me here"
The man made his salute and went
out. Crawford took turn in the
boat-house. Rescued from death in the
Arctic wastes, and reunited to beau
tiful wife, the lieutenant looked, never
theless, unaccountably anxious and de-
pressed. What could he be thinking
of? He was thinking of Clara.
On the first day when the rescued
men were received on board the ANA
Zon, Clara had embarrassed and dis
tressed, not Crawford only, but the
other officers of the Expedition as we'll,
| by the manner in which she questioned
| them on the subject of Francis AL
| dersley and Richard Wardour. She
had shown no signs of dismay or des-
| pair when she heard that no news had
| been received of the two missing men.
! She had even smiled sadly to herself,
when Crawford tout of compassionate
regard for herr declared that he and
| his comrades had not given up the
| hope of seeing Frank and Wardour
yet. 1t was only when the lieutenant
had expressed himself in those terms
and when he had apparently succeed
ed in dismissing the painful subject
that Clara had startled every one pres
ent by announcing that she had some
thing to say in relation to Richard
and Frank, which had not been said
yet. Though she spoke guardedly, her
next words revealed suspicion of foul
play lurking in her mind-eXactly re-
flecting similar suspicious lurking in
Crayford's mind-which so distressed
the lieutenant, and so surprised his
comrades, as to render them quite in
nf hnr Tho. NO ,,f1
ings of the storm which shortly after
ward broke over .Ae vessel were then
visible in sea and sky. Crawford made
them his excuse for ABRUPTLY leaving
had taken place His brother officers
profiting by his example pleaded their
duties on deck, and followed him out.
On the next day, and the next, the
tempest still ragged, and the passengers
were not able to leave their state
rooms. But now, when the weather
had moderated and the ship had an
chored-now, when officers and pas
sengers alike were on shore, with leis
ure time at their disposal-Clara had
opportunities of returning to the sub
ject of the lost men, which would
make it impossible for Crawford to
plead an excuse for not answering her.
How was he to meet these questions?
How could he still keep her in ignor
ance of the truth?
These were the reflections which
now Troubled Crawford, and which
presented him, after his rescue, in the
strangely inappropriate character of
depressed and anxious man. His
brother officers, as he we'll knew,
locked to him to take the chief re-
sponsibility. If he declined to accept
Il. he would instantly confirm the hor-
rible suspicion in Clara's mind. The
emergency must be met; but how to
meet it-at once honorably and merci-
fully-was more than Crawford could
tell. He was still lost in his own
gloomy thoughts, when his wife en-
tered the boat-house. Turning to look
at her, he saw his own perturbations
and anxieties plainly reflected in Mrs.
Crayford's face.
Have you seen anything of Clara?"
he asked. "Is she still on the beach?"
"She is following me to this place."
Mrs. Crawford replied. Il have been
speaking to her this morning. She is
lust as resolute as ever to insist on
your telling her of the circumstances
under which Frank is missing. AS
things are, you have no alternative but
to answer her."
Help me to answer her, Lucy. Tell
me. before she comes in, how this hor-
rible suspicion first took possession of
her. All she could possibly have
known when we left England was that
the two men were appointed to sepa-
rate ships. What could have led her to
suspect that they --ad come together"
"She was firmly persuaded.
that they would come together when
the Expedition left England. And she
| had read in books of Arctic travel, of
men left behind by their comrades on
the march, and of men adrift on ice
bergs. With her mind full of these
images and forebodings, she saw Frank
and Warour Tor dreamed of theni) in
/ - of bar attacks Of trance I xvae