Rocky Ford enterprise. (Rocky Ford, Colo.) 1887-1950, 1911-07-21
palm pressed the tears ou. Of her

eyes.
You aren't strong enough yet to be
used as the support for a really good
cry" Her voice was shRky and her
| speech uneven. There were still some
little half suppressed sobs in it. But
she turned her face again towards
the southern horizon. IF that's the
army wig-wag I ought to be able to
read 1t. Tom taught It to me years
ago. Perhaps-perhaps It ia he who La
signaling now"
WAS there search-light on the Au-
rora?" Philip asked. II didn't notice
when l saw her." He tried to make
the question sound casual, but his
voice was hardly steadier than hers.
"Oh. yes" she said. at was one of
the things We laughed at Uncle Jerry
for insisting upon. but he insisted
Just the same. It's very powerful
light. Philip" she said suddenly. after
little silence. rs 1t not plain i'm
possible, that that we see over there?
You know you said, and father said
in his journal, that there was no posi-
bility of a relief in the winter. Philip
Philip. isn't it madness--is 1t tho ice
madness?"
But before he could answer they
| heard a rife-shot ring out in the still
| air.
No" he cried. the long wait is
over. Thank God they are here. Fire.
Jeanne! Fire the revolver! Let them
know they are In time" His lips trem-
bled and tears glistened in his eyes.
1t was lying under her hand There
were only three cartridges left.
but she fired them all into the air.
Then, almost before the echo from
the cliff behind them had died away.
they heard dim hail In human
voice-a voice that broke sharply as If
the shout had ended in a sob.
IT'S Tom" she said.
Call out! It's your voice he'll want
to hear" But it was a moment be-
fore she could command 1t. She call
ed his name twice. and then a third
time. with a different infection, for
long. leaping flicker Of freight had re-
vealed little knot of figures round
ing one of the great ice-crags that
covered the frozen harbor. One fg-
ure. little in advance of the others.
dashed forward at a run. Jeanne
sprang TO meet MIN.
For little while Cayley stood hest
taung before the FIRE. just where
Jeanne. in her impulsive rush toward
their rescuers, had left him, then slow
ly. he followed her.
The party on the leo was moving
landward again. Even at Philips slow
pace, the distance between them was
narrowing. Jeanne and young Fan
shaw were coming on ahead. He saw
her stop suddenly and throw an arm
around the mans neck. She was
laughing and crying all at once, and
there were tears in the mans eyes,
too. Philip expected that. He knew
that Fanshaw loved her. His memory
of that fact was all that redeemed his
memory of their encounter on the Au-
| rora's deck.
But. what he did not expect, was
to see Fanshaw suddenly release him
self from the girls embrace and come
straight toward him. That was not
the most surprising thing-not that,
nor the hand which Fanshaw was hold
| ing out to him. II was the look in the
young mans face.
There was a powerful emotion work
| ing there. but no sign of any conflict.
no resistance. no reluctance. II was
the face Of a man humble in the pres
| ence of a miracle. He stripped of
his gauntlet and gripped Cayley's
hand. It was a moment before he
could speak
It's only Just now" he said, now
that l sec you here together, that /
find 1t hard to believe. Because I've
known all along that you were here
with her. keeping her alive until we
could get back to her. I've been the
| only one who has had any hope at
all, and with me it's been a certainty
rather than a hope. It's as II | had
| seen you here, together. I've seen you
so thousand times. but now, that do
actually, with my own eyes. it's hard
to . His voice broke there.
| There was a moment of silence, then
he went on: You must try to for
give us, Cayley-me. in particular, for
I'm the one who needs 1t most. We
know the truth of that old story now
| No. 1t wasn't Jeanne who told. 1t was
poor Hunter himself, in a letter. He
had written 1t long ago. and 1t was
among his papers. want you TO read
1t sometime. think, perhaps. when
you do you will be able to forgive him,
too
That's done already" said Philip.
No. not long ago-within the last few
hours. Come. shall We go back to the
| fire? / suppose We had better wait
| for another moonrise before we try to
| get to the Aurora"
1t was six months later. a blazing.
blue July day, when the gunboat York
town lifted North Head. the northern
portal of the Golden Gate. Tom Fan