The Red Cloud chief., 1906-09-07

the concluding bars Of u verse. When
the voices swelled forth again she
caught the full refrain:
"Raise thine eyes to heaven
When thy spirits quail.
When, by tempcsts driven,
Heart and courage fail"
Such q message might well carry
good cheer to all who heard, yet Mrs.
Vansittart listened as one in a trance
to whom the divlnest promise was a
thing unasked for and u~nrecognized.
After passing through the greater peril
of the reef in a state of supine ron
seriousness, she was now moved TO ex.
IRENE activity by a more personal and
selfish danger. There was she, a hui
man atom, to be destroyed or saved at
the idle within of circumstance; here,
with life and many things worth living
for restored to her safe keeping, she
saw imminent risk of Il collapse with
which the ncbulous dangers of the
wreck were in no way comparable. 1t
would have been we'll for her could she
only realize the promise of the hymn.
"Our light affection. which is but for a
moment, workcth for us n far more OK
ceeding and eternal weight of glory
Not so ran Mrs. Vansittart's tumble
Of thoughts. The plans, the schemes,
the builded edifce Of many years,
threatened to fall In ruin about her.
In such bitter mood there was no con-
ISOLATION. She sought not to find spir-
itual succor, but bewailed the catas-
trophe which had befallen her.
1t assuredly contributed to that "af-
fiction which Is but for q moment"
that Constance should happen just
then to run up the stairs toward the
hospital. Each flight was SO contrived
that 1t curved across twO-thirds OF the
superficial area allotted to the stair
way. Any one ascending made a COM
plete turn to the right about to reach
the door Of the room on any given
landing and the foot of the ladder to
the next.
Hence the girl came unexpectedly
face to face with Mrs. Vansittart. The
meeting startled her. This pale wom-
an. so thinly clad in the demitoilet of
evening wear on s%hipboard, should not
be standing there.
as anything wrong!" she cried, rails
ing her lantern just as Enid did when
she encountered the sailors.
mo, no." said the other, passing n
nervous hand over her face. Con
stance, with alert intelligence, fancied
she dreaded recognition.
Then why are you standing here?
1t Is so cold. You will surely make
yourself ILL.,"
II was wondering IL | might see Mr..
Brand" came the desperate answer.
the words bubbling forth with unre-
strained vehemence.
See m father?' repeated the girl.
She took thought for an Instant. The
lighthouse keeper would not be able
to leave the lamp for nearly three
hours. When dawn came she knew he
would have many things to attend to-
signals to the Lands End, the arrange
mcnt of supplies, which he had al
ready mentioned to her, and a host of
other matters. Four o'clock in the
morning was an unconventional hour
for an interview, but time itself was
topsy turvy under the conditions prev
alent on the Gulf Rock.
II will ask him." she went on hur
rledly. with an uncomfortable feeling
that Mrs. Vansittart resented her ju'
4, dicial pause,
, Thank you"
J To the girls ears the courteous &C
acknowledgement conveyed IN odd note
Of menace. If the eyes are the win
! dows of the soul surely the voice Is IL
/, subtle gauge The more transparency
= simple, clean minded the nearer, the
{ more accurate is the resonant impress
sion. Constance found herself vaguely
? perplexed by two jostling distractions
A If they took shape it was In mute ques
Q tioning. Why was Mrs. Vansittart 81
$ anxious to revive or, it might be, probe
4 long buried memories, and why did he
mobile smile seem to vein a hostile In
0 tent?
g But the fresh, gracious maldenhoot
@ In her cast aside these unwontet
studies in mind reading.
o 'IIe has so much to do" she eN
planned. although there are many o
us on the rock tonight he has neve
h been so utterly alone. Won't you wal
inside until | returnf"
"Not unless I am in the way" plead
ed the other. II was choking In there
e The air here, the space, are so CRATE
full"
So Constance passed her. Mrs. Van
d slttart noted the dainty manner II
o which she picked up her skirts t
j mount the stairs. She caught a glimps'
If OF the tailor made gown, striped sill
uniersldrtl well lifting, low heeled