The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1908-06-11

round the Uralian. One reef shell
| tered her as she lay upon another.
straining and groaning like beast In
| pain. Her bows had climbed over the
hidden rock. pointing scorufully up.
| wards till they were bent with their |
| own weight and sagged downward |
| again.
Beyond the oasis of calm, a heavy |
sea swept shorewards in towering |
green waves. until It reached n comb |
Of jagged rocks, and poured through
the openings in sheets Of foam to
long. sandy beach. Three tossing
boats were approaching the rocks as
slowly as the current would suffer,
looking for passage through. The
fourth-the last remaining-was just
leaving the ship. The men who had
lowered It, with no appliances but
bare ropes. rubbed their chafed hands
on their trousers and mopped their
foreheads, and gathered together ST.
lently-except tall gentleman OF
about 40. He left the rest and went
toward lady. who stood back little,
watching them. The rest of the wom-
en-, and all the children. vere in the
boats,
She turned when he reached her.
and they walked forward together.
He patted her shoulder approvingly.
and she smiled at him. She was about
fve-and thirty; could scarcely be
called good-looking. but very likable
when she smiled.
That's why she wouldn't go In the
boat!" one of the gathering observed
"Aye!" said an old sailor. She's
the right sort"
Then they were silent again.
The man and the woman wero
silent, too. When they reached the
end of the saloon promenade. beside
the wrecked music saloon. they
stopped and rested their arms on the
rail and gazed at the shore mile
away; not as II they wished to look
at the shore, but as If they feared to
look at each other. The chief officer
came swiftly down the narrow ladder
from the navigation deck, with two
lifebelts on his arm.
BEST put them on" he advised;
"but I don't think they'll he much
use" He nodded toward the break
ers She'll go IL ten minutes"
The man laid one belt on the deck
while he put the other round the
, woman. She held up her arms and
r smiled at him all the time. When he
!. finished his task and picked up the
other belt, she took It from him.
a let me do 1t for YOU" she offered
), 81 should like to II ] may"
o His grave face lit up for a momen
k IL shall like you to-" he told her
4 "You are brave woman"
d "Braver than | thought" she as
1 sented. 81 used to think that / wa
n just-ordinary; that we all were. Nov
!. think 1t was life that was ordinary
k not we. What shall we do with tn
d rest OF 1.-THE ten minutes"
n LET us open our hearts" the ma
|, proposed. 1--WE may venture nov
Il Dear lady, | have admired you an
]. liked you all the voyage. We shall g
h as friends together, | think?"
o Il wish no better company" sh
y told him.
e. 'Is there no one who has bette
right?" he asked.
n mo one And you?"
10 "No one"
ID "And that" she said, "is why "
" thought life ordinary, | suppose"
a. "Yes," he said. I'VE are brave
1T than we thought. You, dear lady, al
er the bravest and the best. You gay
r. up your life when you gave up yol
t. place In the boat Why?"
IN 81 stayed for a friend" she e
planned.
le "Me?" He looked at her quickly.
in "You. I wonder-it doesn't matt
ri what we say now does it'll wond
II we really cared for each other!"
Ie, "Ah!" said the man. Il wondere
le. too, but thought women alwa
w knew"
lis She shook her head.
ry 81 liked you, certainly, but | ha
ng liked other men. ! never liked any
re- them enough You see, | am not
ad marrying woman. | haye-l n
Ily aims In life. Marriage meant sac
en- Hcing so much. And for what? To
IN a toy and plaything for year. P'
So, haps not a year-don't call 1t selfs
ness. I'd have given up everything
ID. I had thought that love would las
re My dear friend, 1t doesn't last. Y
es and are not children. We have Sc
tn life. We know! But the woman
all lasts longest. was afraid of that!"
" 81 know" The man nodded.
De- liked you, too; liked you more tn
was comfortable! | thought 1t c
,e. many a time 1t was more than i
,p- ing, Marian.
lie - was very tempted sometimes
as ask you to give me yourself; but
Is. you see, also have liked others; a
not enough. I, too, was not sure Il
ar. liked you enough; but liked you me
Ilv than any OF the rest-mrch more
ed used to fancy that some night VIII
the moon shone-some pight VIII