The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1903-09-02
BY RALPH HENRY BARBOUR.

the long watches OF the night, and
when morning dawned gray and cheer.
less over tossing, leaden sea. you-s
Nothing OF the sort" she interrupt
ed. you forget that am passenger.
l passed the awful hours in my state.
room, praying for morning, expecting
every moment to be the last"
"Oh," said I, II had the wrong book |;
It's Clark, Russell, isn't IT."
She paid no heed. With eyes fixed
upon the distant horizon she spoke on
like seer. "A spell Of calm weather
followed"
at did," said, humbly. "I saw 1t
following"
Hourly we scanned the ocean for
sight of a sail. Once" She paused; I;
her voice broke with emotion. "Once.
far in the distance, low down on the
horizon"
81 thought Il was horlzon?"
"We sighted speck, faint blur
against the immensity of the empty
world. All day we watched It, eating
nothing. silently praying that It might
change its course and come TO our
! rescue. Yet when night came down
we were once more alone In the vast
| darkness"
"or dark vastness," offered, help
fully.
"When morning dawned again the
faint speck was longer there. A fright.
full loneliness, an awful hopelessness,
| came over u.s."
"It-they did,
"Yet you were brave, so bravew She
looked at me admiringiy. What could
l say? waved hand carelessly, and
smoothed my tie.
"While there's life there's hope" /
murmured.
All, 1 needed your comfort then! Life
was very empty for a while. You-"
"Well, you had me-" reminded.
"Then-then the food gave out"
whatr
starvation stared us in the face"
"No, mop I cried. "Not that! Any
thing but that!'
"The barrel which we had believed
held-he1d plumduff and-and-"
"Deviled kidneys!"
"Hard tack"
| "Ohw
1--WE discovered to be filled only
with"
"Crullers." I said, imploringly.
| "With--with dumb.bellsw
"Dumb-bells? Why dumb-bells?"
asked, coldly.
For an instant she looked nom
plussed. Then she said, falteringly,
II don't know. They-they were part
of the cargo, I think"
"Maybe she's training-ship." sug-
gested.
Helen blinked.
| starvation stared us
-You said that once"
"With a groan you covered your
face with your hands"
Eyes. yes" cried. "Then, like a
flash, remembered that in the cap
tains cabin had seen a box of beef
steak and onions. With an exclama-
ton Of Joy / dashed headlong down
the companionway. The box was still
there. Seizing large. thick steak,
I 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"
mo, no. please! Not three days!
One, If you must. but not"
"For three weary days" she insisted.
groaned aloud and passed n trem-
bling hand across the front of my
shirt. 1t was true The pangs of hum
ger Were already biting. looked leng-
ingly toward the shore.
But that was not the worst"
"Stop, stop!' l beseeched.
"The next day we drank the last
of our meagre store of water. Then
indeed Death lowered nigh"
"Tell me one thing" l begged. in
broken whispers. "The-the cask of
Burgundy, vintage of rs, and the two
dozen bottles Of Scotch whisky in the
captains cupboard. they--they were
still theref"
Helen looked across at me pityingly,
and shook her head. With an an.
guished cry I hid my face in my hands
1--WE found the cask stove in and
the bottles broken to atoms"
"Dld weT I muttered, vacantly. 81
had forgotten"
without food and water"
"Water, water everywhere, and moi
a drop to drink" l gibbered.
"For three days We have drifted over
a cruel. CLASSY sea. under burning
pitlless sky"
"Pitiless sky" echoed, with parched
. lips.
"And yet-and yet through 1t al
there has been one thing to comfort
us, one bright spot in the darkness
Of despair" +.
looked toward her eagerly. y