Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-05-19

not lock up at her to sutlr Sc ii en-
there. Now" he said, TIKI gong 10
take off these boots of yours. wiich
are wet, but which will serve exec
leotly, nevertheless, for pillow and
you are to take off that heavy coat
and get inside this bag. Have you ever
slept in one?'
He was already Juggling at one of
the boots, and her protest went un-
heeded-it was only a half-hearted
protest after ALL
When he had taken off the boots,
she submitted, without demur, to his
christening the frogs On her heavy
seal-skin coat and slipping it off her
shoulders.
When finally, with some assistance
from him, she nestled down inside the
great feece-lined bag, when he had
rolled her small boots into bundle
and made a pillow Of them for her
head, as he had said he would, she
exclaimed. half-rebelliously, at the
comfort of it all.
1t is SO deliciously warm and soft,
just being a luxurious sybarite when
you refused a mattress and a pair Of
blankets on the yacht If only you
could be warm too, and comfortable
Il shall be- he assured her. I'll
make cushion of that great coat of
yours and sit down here at the foot
of the bunk. You're not to bother
about me. You're to prove the efficacy
of the sleeping bag by going to sleep
in it,
"And what will you do all the while
sitting there and keeping watch?
Would you-would you like to read
fathers journal? If you would, I'd
like to have you, after what you said
long ago about the men who risked
and lost their lives trying to reach
the pole l think if you will read
that book, you will understand, in
spite of your wings. And-well, I'd
like to have you understand
He moved the bulls-eye to another
part of the hut, where the light from
1t would not shine in her eyes, and
would illuminate the pages Of the
book she offered him to read, while he
sat, wrapped in her great coat. at the
foot of the bunk
Once as he passed by her in the
completion of these arrangements, she
withdrew her hand from the bag and
held it out to him You've been very
good to be-" she said-'I don't mean
by risking your life and plunging down
into that bank of fog when you knew
/ was in danger. A brave man would
do that, | suppose-some brave men,
any way. But you've been better than
that
He told her not to talk, but to go to
sleep; and without any more words
ensconced himself at her feet, drew
his legs up Under him, tailor-fashion,
and began to read.
She saw him close the book at last
and sit there, as she had sat, with it
upon his knees, absorbed, reflective.
Suddenly, he took up the book again,
opened it and referred to the entry on
that last page
He was thinking now, not dreaming
HIS mind was on the active present.
Before long he stole a look at her
She met his eyes.
TIN glad father told Us that the
man was left-handed, she said grave
~. Because the man who killed Mr..
Huater was left-handed, too"
She had spoken the very thing his
own mtnd had been cropping for with
out finding, and he started and stared
at her why do you say that?" he
demanded "I4ow do you know"
'It was a left-handed stick. I took
it up IN my left hand and it fitted;
that was when I was fetching it out of
the cabin for Uncle Jerry"
Then that was how you knew
hadn't done it?''
mo. didn't need any proof
knew already without that"
Suppose l had turned out to be
left-handed, too?"
q didn't think of that But it
wouldn't have made any difference to
me. When you really have faith in
anybody it isn't easily shaken; not by
mere circumstances, at least"
When you really have faith" he
repeated. yes, I suppose that's So
He pressed his hands against his tenn
pies But there isn't too much Of
that divine commodity in the world"
There was long silence