New-York tribune., 1909-01-31
SUNDAY MAGAZINE FOR JANUARY 81, 1909

hone Of life do not think that any spot can have
been overlooked. Also the pin was certainly IN
7Iace at starting l cannot account for it, and the
whole affair IS utterly incomprehensble,
THE men hunted briskly at first atterly IN sud
den FITS md starts One Is present actually pre-
7arnq food with the electric heat in the tiny galley
Is SIT here on the cushion & the lateral lockers.
occasionally. with the relaxed discipline, man
strays in 10 search listIessy, and | have stopped
from time 10 time endeaVor1ng TO think OF some
means of coming on what IS lost
T,HF chronorneter marks seven o'clock. | wonder
what YOU may be doing. Surely You VIII soon
he Going 70 have yourself dressed for dinner Where
will YOU he dining tonight: " no VIII take you III
and ST talking to YOU as | did when | had the
longest time that ever mine 70 be with you
that and the time you went with me out through
ne B1andicks' pergoa under the thick red stars OF
the summer night The waning moon ray over
the trees had dissoute look as if 1t had stayed up
too late t1 -1-
don't want though to put any heroic airs. and
must tell YOU the truth that in fact the present
moment IS pretty grim. have thought OF the way
men have died at Sea.-tempeSt driven on htd\lllS
RATS rnaddened with thirst, on vessels on hre'
driven back by flame and smoke until the only
choice was between a fiery death and WaterE one;
OF course there the turres with the snip stripped
for action and the shells bursting and tearing
through steel and flesh. That would be what We all
exDect and the other something for which sailors
have ever been prepared. To sit, though, III what
< practically small we'll furnished, well lit apart
rlent staring at q slowly moving dial index Whlch
tells YOU how much longer YOU have to i've. IS dliier
ent | cannot exactly say that am alraId, buJ
am awed and intmidated and numbed with the I'M
possibility Of action. | can only Jump up and iran
icav and aimlessly look for the missing bit OF steel
not an inch long that might set us free
have lust made another round OF the caplL
and come back to my letter, which they Will ind
here and deliver to YOU when tins shell IS pIou?ht
TO the surface and opened. Years ago l read a
prslv tale called The Iron ShrOud, -ot captive III
cell which IS 50 contrived that each day the ceiling
drops an inch the iron walls draw an men closer
! ODD. he
will touch him and close upon HIM and crush NM
The acrCmeter tells me moment by moment the
slipping away Of-well if not the sands OF lie then
the very breath of life When the quantity now
left is exhausted we shall be here gasplng like tsh
out of water. but no.-mOre gradually than that
the foul air will overcome us with asPhyNlatIon.
We shall drop into unCOnSClOuSneSS while the elec-
tric lights burn more dirny and when they find us
OF Breton Reef twenty fathoms under
meath the sea; Thursday, August p.
FOR Miss RosAMoND LEE;
Withdene. Bellevue Avenue.
.RosAMoND DEAREsr-I stopped because | was
losing hold OF myself and getting pamcky.
In beginning my letter | did not think OF the
proper heading for It-failed to put any place or
date | am doing that now. Perhaps YOU may
think that | am wrong even now IN tGlIiT8 YOU
Rosamond | should not if | did not know that
there was absolutely no chance for release and
do it for the first time and the last Forgive me
for this now darling forgive me tor ali that say
for telling YOU that | love YOU for sending you this
love letter for which there Is no Just1hcat1on Tor
which YOU have gwen me no right. You do not
know how bold am, beloved. What thoughts come
which | am too weak minded TO dTlNe haIN-
| imagine myself as have never dared TO DO hlth-
erto. holding YOU III my arms and touching Your
hair which Is wonderfully. mystenOusly dark l
have even had the te1nerIty to thlnk-Wlth my
pulse throbbing while my heart seems almost TO
stand stiIl-Ot kissing Your check. your lips
for believe that | have been at moments a little
mad
ION f1 tied