The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1903-09-25
''1n latitude 371x west, said Helen.


natural generosity reproved me.
But you forget yourself" charged;
''you forget the--er-the splendid as
sistance you rendered me. You for
get how, dashed to err dashed to !
hen-coop, you labored bravely with me
through the long watches of the night,
and when morning dawned gray and
cherries over a tossing, leaden sea,
you-''
Nothing of the Sort" she inter-
rupted. "You forget that am a pas
senger. I passed the awful hours in
my stateroom, 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 a seer. "A spell of calm weather
followed
ut did," said, humbly. II saw it
following"
Hourly we scanned the ocean for
sight of sail. Once" She paused:
her voice broke with emotion. "Once,
Tar in the distance, low down ON the
horizon"
Il thought it was horizon?'
I'VE sighted a speck, a faint blur
against the immensely of the empty
world. All day we watched it, eating
nothing, silently praying that it might
change its course and come to our res
cue. Yet when night came down we
were once more alone in the vast dark
| ness"
"Or dark vastness," 1 offered, help
fully.
when morning dawned again the
speck was no longer there. A fright
full loneliness, an awful hopelessness
came over us."
"It-they did"
"Yet you were brave, SO brave!"
She looked at me admiringly. What
could say? waved hand careless
ly and smoothed my tie.
while there's life there's hope" l
murmured.
"You babe me keep up my courage.
All, needed your comfort then! Life
was very empty for a while. YOU"
"Well, you had me-" I reminded.
"Then-then the food gave out"
"What?"
starvation stared us in the face"
mo, no." cried. mot that! Any
thing but that"
"The barrel which we had believed
held-held plumduff and-and-'
"Deviled kidneys!"
lizard tack"
"Oh!"
1--WE discovered to be filed only
WITH
"Crullers," I said, imploringly.
"With-with dumb-bells!'''s 4z-.a ~ - s..
"Dumb-bells? Why dumb-bells?" I
asked, coldly.
For an instant she looked non
plussed. Then she said, falteringly, II
don't know. They-they were part Of
the cargo, think"
Maybe she's training ship" sug-
gested.
Helen blinked.
0IoAFdI1Ou SlaEeU u8
"You said that once"
with groan you covered your face
with your hands"
eyes, yes" I cried. "Then, like a
flash, remembered that in the cap
tain's cabin I had seen box of beef
steak and onions. With an exclama-
ton of JOY dashed headlong down the
companionway. The box was still
there. Selling 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
mo, no, please! Not three days!
One, if you must, but not
"For three weary days." she insisted
I groaned aloud, aud passed trem-
bling hand across the front of my shirt.
1t was true! The pangs of hunger were
already biting. l looked longingly to-
ward the shore.
''But that was not the worst"
"Stop, stop!" I beseeched.
Az ASAI NesJ VIC VI din IuC last VI
our meager store OF water. Then in
deed 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 there?"
Helen looked across at me pityingly,
and shook her head. With an anguished
cry hid my face in my hands.
1--WE found the cask stove in and the
bottles broken to atoms"
did WEI" I muttered, vacantly. 81
had forgotten"
without food and water"
Water, water everywhere, and not
drop to drink" gibbered
''For three days we have drifted over
a cruel, CLASSY sea, under burning
pitiless sky" '. :.