The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1910-05-13

! turned my eyes way before ven
turing to reply, yet / dared not utter
an untruth.
Two: the being picked up by some
passing vessel, or the attaining of in
habitable land"
Are there any vessels in this sea
at this season."
1T is hardly probable there are. IN
less it should be ome whaler blown
from her course around the Horn"
Then our only practical hope lies
In reaching land by our own efforts?'
She leaned forward, her hand touching
mine as it grasped the tiller. her earn
est eyes compelling me to look at her.
Eyes"
"How-how far away Is this land?"
l hesitated, actually afraid myself
to speak the answer, but her hand
clasp merely frightened.
please tell me. IL wish to know
the very worst. Such knowledge will
be easier to bear than this awful
doubt"
But I hardly know myself" l con-
fessed desperately. 81 have had no
observation for several days, and can
only guess the rate Of progress of the
Sea Queen, or u drift during the
storm. 1 will be perfectly honest with
you, though, and give you my best
judgment. / believe we must be be-
tween four and five hundred miles to
the east and north of Dougherty is
land, and not yet beyond the limit of
drift ice. There would be no use in
our attempting to turn back for that
point OF land, as it is nothing but a
rock, and we could never find it by the
mere guidance of a compass. Our only
chance is to bear away to the north
east toward land and the track of
ships
How far? What land?"
THE western coast of South Amer
lea; at least 1900 miles"
felt her %shudder, and scarcely re-
alizing that / did SO, or the signifi-
canoe of the action, impelled by an
impulse beyond all control, / drew her
hand within both my own as though
in pledge of protection.
TT can be DONE" / insisted. "Such
boat voyages have been accom-
plished."
She made no effort to draw away.
her eyes still upon mine.
Not through such a sea as this;
not at this season of the year."
1 could not answer, my lips dry. my
throat parched.
You know the utter hopelessness
Of it," she went on, stimulated by my
; silence. You know we can never
survive the cold, the closing in of the
ice, the certainty of storm. You are
a sailor, and a brave man-trust me
with the whole truth"
1T would be almost a miracle" | fal-
tered, the words fairly forced from
my lips by her insistence. This is
the beginning of winter in the storm
lest e on the globe. God could
do it, but not man."
Her head sank, the white cheek
touching my sleeve, but the fearless
gray eyes were still open, gazing
straight into mine.
"Then it is the certainty of death"
she said soberly. Death together"
My heart leaped as though it had
received an electric shock.
Together! you mean"
THAT I should rather be here, facing
death with you. than anywhere else
alone" she exclaimed swiftly. 'Oh
a say it frankly now; say 1t here
before you and God; say 1t in all
purity and honor. Perhaps tonight
perhaps tomorrow, somewhere amid
this awful waste of waters we will sc
together into eternity. What are this
dictates of men to US now? Wha'
meaning is there any longer to the
hideous requirements of the world
We are beyond them all. Here. now
we can be ourselves, ourselves. To
night we are free; tonight l can heal
you speak what l have already read II
your eyes. and am moi afraid to hea,
It,"
"You-you love me?"
with all my heart and SOUL"
With everything else blotted out
with all else forgotten, l sat speech
less. gazing aown through the mist o
tears into her eyes.