Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-25

there ne saw how she mad come, so SUD
| September 1S-Ffeld ice came into the
bay last night. just as it has come al
about this season in the two proceeding
| years-a dence fog and whole gale
| blowing from the east. To me its coming
! is relief. 1t is, in a way, the ofhcia
beginning Of winter The tantaHzing
| hope of a rescue is now put away on the
| shelf to wait for another summer. Afte'
all, to men in our condition temporary
| hopeleSSneSS is much more cOmfOrtab bic
than hope itself. The long winter night
gives an opportunity tc revive our belief
| that with another season of open water,
rescue will come.
,, Il have been very busy lately stocking
our laTder for the next six months. For
tunately. I have succeeded in killing
| bears and walruses enough to keep us
supplied. 1 wish l could feel as easy
about our fuel We have swept the
| beach clear OF drift wood. but shall have
barely enough to get through the winter
with. For myself, who have no real hope
at all, it doesn't greatly matter. l greet
the dawn of each of these interminabie
arctic days with intense WEAKNESS, And
other winter without an involuntary In
manus Tuas."
Cayley read the entry through slowly.
Pm glad it happened this, way ne
said when he finished. glad 1t was you:
father who told you. All this past houl
I've been wondering how 1 could tell you.
how l could make you understand"
The girl had been half reclining upon
the great sheepskin. her weight supported
by one hand. While Cayley read. this
rather slowly, until her head was buried
In the arms which were stretched out as
if in blind supplication. She was shud-
dering all over.
AS Cayley spoke. he covered those
clasped, outstretched hands with one OF
his own. The touch and the sound of his
voice steadied her little.
you've known. then. from the first?
The words came brOkenly, half-voiced,
muffled.
He bent down over her to hear Them
YES 1 knew from the first"
He said no more than that just then,
but remained as he was his hand cover
ing her two. holding them tight. his body
bending over hers protectingly.
After a little while she ceased shudder-
ing, and answered the pressure of his
hand with a sudden clasp OF her two:
then drew away again and sat erect.
Her eyes. when they rose to his face
were still wide with fear-a deeper
seated fear. really. than her first mo-
mentary panic. But now she had it in
control and spoke steadily enough.
There is no chance at all. do you
Think"
For the Aurora to come back? No.
not this season. at least; no possible
chance"
"And-how much ammunition have you,
Mr.. Cayley?"
"Thirty-one cartridges, besides the ones
in the revolver"
He would have said something more,
but with little gesture she prevented
him. you've been thinking 1t out she
said You know what it means now,
and IL feel that l don't. l can't quite
realize it yet. You must give me little
time to think, too.
He had to assent to that, though he
knew, in advance, the direction her
thoughts must take, and foresaw the
dreadful conclusion of them. And the
answer he had to make to that conclu-
sion? Well, he had it ready.
How long that silence lasted, neither OF
them knew. He sat there beside her, and
yet even his eyes allowed her perfect soil
tude. He mended the fire and attended
to his cooking as quietly as before. when
the girl was reading.
Finally little move of hers, prepare
tory to speech. gave him leave to look at
her. In those silent minutes, however
long they were, her face had changed. 1t
was grave now, intensely thoughtful, but
the color had come back into 1t. 1t was
alive again.
when 1 asked you while ago II there
were any chance. you asked me. IL
meant chance for the return or the
Aurora. and said there was none. That
was what l meant then, but It's not what
| mean now. Is there any chance at all
I haven't been able to see any myself,
and I've been over 1t all pretty care
fully. Do you see any? YOu-you must
! tell me the truth. please"
(To be continued tomorrow