Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-08-12


| struggle. with her help, up that endless
ice-chimney to the pilot house. they must
live utterly at the mercy Of the weather.
The rude shelter which she had cOntrived
for him would rot avail ten hours against
one OF the terrific arctic storms which
| might be expected at any time. But the
vast black sky STAYED clear, and the stars
twinkled through it; kindly. Their friend
ly light did not. as she expected. turn to
mockery. And Philip steadily grew
stronger. and her daily prayer for an
, other days grace was daily granted.
He was able at last after a long sleep
and really hearty meal of sustaining
food--which she hardly dared give him
to get up and walk out of their shelter
to the star-vaulted beach. Fifty PAGES or
so was all he was equal to: but at the
end OF the little promenade lie expressed
Discrimination to go back to the stuffy
little shed which had been the scene of
his long illness. The clean. wide, bound
less air was bringing back the zest for
life to him. So Jeanne brought out from
the hut a great bundle Of furs and made
nest OF them on the beach, and there he
lay back and she sat down beside him.
DO you remember, jeanne" he said
1.-The first time we sat out like this. there
on the ice-f1oe beside the Aurora, and l
told YOU how I had learned to fy?''
She locked her hand into his before she
answered.
II couldn't believe that night that
wasn't dreaming she said, softly.
Nor l, either he told her. land. some
how, | can't believe it now-not fully;
not this part of it. anyway.
He had lifted the hand that was locked
into his and pressed it to his lips before
he spoke. There was a silence after that.
Then. with a little effort. the girl spoke.
Philip do you remember my saying
what contempt you must have for the
world that didn't know how to fly? Do
you remember that and the answer you
made to it,
He nodded.
Philip, is that still there? Your con-
tempt, l mean. for the world?''
II don't believe he said. that YOU
can even ask that seriously-you. who
gave me first my soul back again and
then. in these last weeks, my life. For
it's been Your life that has lived in me
these last days-they must be good
many--just as it was your warmth and
faith and fragrance that gave me back
my soul long ago. He paused a mo-
ment, then. when he went on his voice
had a somewhat different quality. But
the other contempt. Jeanne, that still ex-
lists. or would exist if l gave it the
chance, the worlds contempt for me.
Not even your faith could shake that"
She had been half reclining beside him.
but now she sat erect purposefully, like
one who has taken a resolution
I'm not sure of that she said in a
rather matter-of-fact tone. though there
was an undercurrent of excitement in it,
Philip have been trying to solve
puzzle since you were i'll. l. hoped l
could solve 1t by myself If / were in
telligent enough I'm sure I could; but I'll
have to ask you to help me. It's a string
of letters written around picture in a
locket."
"A locket of yours?" he asked, sur
prised.
Never mind about that just now" She
spoke hastily and the undercur-ent of ex-
citement was growing stronger in her
voice.
do you want me to try it now" he
asked. IF you'll make light and show
me the thing I'll see what l can do
perhaps you won't need that she
said. II can remember the letters. They
are divided up into words, but I'm sure
they are not any foreign language; they
are in a code of some Sort
She did rot turn to look at him. but
she felt him stir q little, with suddenly
aroused attention and heard his breath
come little quicker.
'The first letter was all by ITSELF she
said, trying to keep her voice steady 1T
was N. And then in one word came
the letters p-b-j-n-e-q.
That means a coward " he said. His
voice was unsteady and he clutched sud-
denly at her hand. She could feel that
his was trembling. so she took it in both
of hers and held it tight.
It's a CODE he said, "a boyish code
of my own. 1 remember that for a long
time after l invented it 1 believed it to
be utterly insoluble: yet it was childishly
simple. 1t consists simply of splitting the
alphabet in two and using the last half
for the first and vice versa. 1t must have
occurred to hundreds of boys at one time
and another. and yet His voice fall
tered. Yet, it's little odd that YOU
should have stumbled upon another ex-
ample of it,
1.-The next word was o-r-g-e-n-l-r-u"
"That means betrayed F." he said al
most instantly. '.Was-was there any
more?'
One little word, three letters, 'u-y-z'
But l know already what they mean
Philip There was a mOmentary silence
then she repeated the whole phrase-.A
coward betrayed him.. - She was trem-
bling all over now herself. II knew
she said Il knew it was something like
that Then she dropped down beside
hin. and clasped him tight in her arms.