Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-07-20

eR1S1a
little half suppressed sobs in It. But
she turned her face again towards
the southern horizon. IF that's the
army wig.wag | ought to be able to
read 1t. Tom taught 1t to me years
ago. Perhaps-perhaps It is he who is
signaling now"
WAS there a search-light on the Au-
rora?" Philip asked. 81 didn't notice
when / 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 a very powerful
light, Philip" she said suddenly, after
a little silence. lis it 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 the 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 a dim hail in a human
voice-a voice that broke sharply as If
the shout had ended in a sob.
Its 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 a
long, leaping flicker of freight had re-
vealed a little knot of figures round
ing one OF the great ice-crags that
covered the frozen harbor. One fig
ure, a little in advance Of the others.
dashed forward at a run. Jeanne
sprang to meet him.
For a little while Cayley stood hest
tating 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 Ice 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 memor!
of that fact was all that redeemed his
memory of their encounter on the Au
rora's deck.
But, what he did not expect, wa
to see Fanshaw suddenly release him
self from the girls embrace and com,
straight toward him. That, was no
the most surprising thing-not that
nor the hand which Fanshaw was hold
ing out to him. 1t was the look In tn
young mans face.
There was a powerful emotion worl
! ing there, but no sign of any confic
no resistance, no reluctance. 1t wa
the face of a man humble in the pre-
ence of a miracle. He stripped o
his gauntlet and gripped Cayley'
hand. 1t was a moment before b
could speak.
TITS only Just now" he said, "no'
that l see you here together, that
| find 1t hard to believe. Because Nv
known all along that you were her
with her, keeping her alive until W
could get back to her. I've been tn
only one who has had any hope
all, and with me it's been a certaint
rather than a hope. It's as if l ha
seen you here, together. I've seen yo
SO a thousand times, but now, that l d
actually, with my own eyes, It's har
to His voice broke Their
There was a moment Of silence, the
he went on: you must try to 70
give us, Cayley-me, in particular, fl
I'm the one who needs 1t most. W
r know the truth of that old story noy
No, it wasn't Jeanne who told, it WI
poor Hunter himself, in a letter. T
10 had written 1t long ago, and 1t W;
20 among his papers. l want you to res
i 1t sometime. I think, perhaps, whe
you do you will be able to forgive hir
~ too"
~ That's done already" said Phil
mo, not long ago-within the last fe
e hours. Come, shall we go back to IL
fire? I suppose we had better wa
at for another moonrise before we try
get to the Aurora"
ze 1t was six months later, a blazin
blue July day, when the gunboat Yor
g. town lifted North Head, the northel
e. portal of the Golden Gate. Tom Fa
I'd shaw and bis father had gone to Il
bridge, but Philip and Jeanne, Il
a other two passengers, remained u
moved by the announcement, seat
o, as far aft as possible, the ensign, lin
ut in the following breeze, fiuttering ju
over their heads.
,g Looking up, they saw one Of Il
Junior officers standing close best,
I'd them. He was a dark-haired, dar
re eyed, g~ood-looking youngster. who
ne frank alteration Of Jeanne ever sin
1? they had come aboard had amused t
Fanshaws and secretly pleased al
I'd touched Philip, although he pretend
70. to be amused, too.
They both rose and lounged ba
If against the rail as he came up.
Glad to be nearly home. Mr.. Ca
wellf" said jeanne. you navy peoI
regard any port ;n the States a hon