Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1903-09-18

4 say L waved A. hand careieSSly, and
smoothed my tie.
While there's life there's hope" /
murmured.
You babe me keep up my courage
All, | needed your comfort then! Life
was very empty for a while. You
We'll, you had me-" l reminded.
"Then-then the food gave out"
"What:'
starvation stared us in the face"
no. no." l cried. Not that! Any
thing but that"
The barrel which we had believed
held-held plumduf and-and-'
"Deviled Kidneys
Hard tack"
obj
I'VE discovered to be filed only
with
"Crullers." l said. imploringly.
"With-with dumb-bells."
"Dumb-bells? Why dumb-bells?" l
asked, coldly.
For an instant she looked non-
plussed. Then she said, falteringly.
Il don't know. They-they were part
Of the cargo. | thini."
Maybe she's a training-ship,' l sug-
gested.
Helen blinked.
starvation stared US
You said hat once"
with a groan you covered your
face with your hands
stVnc rncs \ aria1 Gser1o, I'LL
fash, | remembered that in the cap
tain's ca bin l had seen a box of beef
steak and onions. With an exclama-
ton OF joy l dashed headlong down
the companionway. The box was still
there. Selling a large, thick steak,
hurried to the galley"
You're quite wrong" interrupted
Helen. inexorably. Hunger has gone
to your brain. You've had nothing to
eat for three days, and"
No, no, please! Not three days.
One, if you must, but not"
For three weary days" she insisted.
| groaned aloud and passed a trem-
bling hand across the front of my
shirt. 1t was true! The pangs of hum
ger were already biting. I looked long.
ingly toward the shore.
But that was not the worst" a.
"Stop, stopw I beseeched.
THE next day we drank the last
of our meagre store of water. Then
indeed Death lowered Nigh
Tell me one thing 1 begged. in
broken whispers. ''The-the cask of
Burgundy. vintage of '7S. and the two
dozen bottles of Scotch whisky in the
captains cupboard, they-they were
still there:"
Helen looked across at me pityingly,
and shook her head. With an an
guished cry l hid my face in my hands.
I'VE found the cask stove in and
the bottles broken to atoms"
Did we?' 1 muttered, vaeantly. 81
had forgotten
without food and water"
water. water everywhere, and not
a drop to drink" 1 gibbered.
For three days we have drifted wei
a cruel, CLASSY sea, under a burning,
pitiless sky"
''Pitiless sky l echoed, with parched
lips.
And yet-and yet through it all
there has been one thing to comfort
us, One bright spot in the darkness
of despair"
1 looked toward her eagerly. "I
knew it! i knew it. There was one
bottle saved! He had hidden it in his
bunk!'
"Hush!- she said.
I sank back again, weak and dispir-
tied.
And that" she continued, with a
wrapt. dreamy expression in her eyes,,
"and that was our love for each
other"
'sEh?'
And that was our love for each
other" repeated Helen, softly.
'Oh-er-yes; that, of course" i
said. hurriedly.
What though we had known each
other less than a fortnight? Love"
What thought" / murmured.
love is not BORN of time. 1t may
blossom in a day, an hour, a minute"
"A second.r'
$50 with our love" She paused, and
looked dreamily over the sea. Was
she, too. thinking of luncheon? But
no. I'VE loved each other at first
sight"
We did" / affirmed. heartily.
Helen faltered; her eyelids fiuttered;
a tinge of pink crept over her hunger
pallid cheeks.
Yet you would never have spoken
had not Fate thrown us alone together
here thousands Of miles from Shore"
l glanced s~tartledly towards the
beach, It was not there. In a panic
my eyes swept the horizon. Thank
heaven. 1t was ove my left shoulder!
The tide had swung the dory around.
For there was a gulf between u.s.
Helen continued. Il was an heiress.
and you were merely a second officer
"Oh. I sayv' / demurred.
But danger brought us together.
Position, wealth, all else was forgotten.
We loved each other; that was
enough"
Quite. I said. with satisfaction.
There, with the tempest bowling in
our ears. tossed about by the angry
waves, alone on the ocean the seal of
| silence was broken. Danger. drew us
together. You spoke. Wrapped iii
each others arms. for a time all was
forgotten. Love held our SOULS
~EhAdid THAT is, well, did | kiss
your
NO" said Helen sharply.
oh l considered. Not even one
tiny. little kiss:"
No. Helen considered. "Wel,
perhaps N very, very small one" she
allowed.
4 thought ! remembered it" ! an