, 1911-02-16

On, Know | oughtn't TO crv.. an.
said. and | won't; it's your goodness
and kindness to me as much as INV.
thins else Ever since he went away
ouV been like a father to me. and
rom dear old Tom, like a brother.
ana then building this ship and com.
ing up here yourself, facing the IAN
gers yourself and letting Tom face
theih' all for such an impossible. hone
less hope as that message the sea
brought to us
Her voice faltered there and she
bent down abruptly and kissed ths
hand that was still caressing her own
MY child" he said. your fsther
and were like brothers-nearer TO
a other than most brothers. He
went away. knowing that If his en-.
ture tailed. II it ended fatally for him.
rs 1t probably did, I should regard Won
as my daughter-as Just as much a
child OF mine as Tom is. If Won
hadn't been in the case at all, we'd
have built this ship and come up here
to find Tom Fielding Just the same
There, don't cry. Put on that big fur
coat or yours and come out with me
on deck"
The moment Mr.. Fanshaw and
Jeanne emerged upon the deck thew
heard the sound of oars beneath them
and looking over the rail saw one of
the boats in which the shore marty
had set out, pulling up alongside the
accommodation ladder. Three men
were In 1t. W of the crew and Tom
Fanshaw.
What news. Tom?" his father
called out anxiously enough to belle
his former tranquil manner. Have
o found anything? | hope there's
nothing wrong"
The younger man looked up. He
saw his father. but not the girl.
Nothing wrong" he growled. except
this Internal ankle of mine. I've
sprained 1t again. and l did 1t Just
when" He broke the sentence OFF
short there, his eye falling at that
moment upon Jeanne.
She paled a little, for she had been
quick to perceive that something he
had been about to tell would o be
told now. OIL must DO told differently.
But she waited until his father, to-
gether with the two sailors, had got
the disabled man up onto the deck
and safely installed in an easy chair.
Then gravely, but steadily, Just as
what, Tom? What clue had they found
Just al you had to come away?"
1T was very wonderful" he said;
quite inexplicable. Just as we were
about breaking camp this morning we
saw a man coming toward US across
the ice. We thought at first that it
was Hunter, and we were nightly
glad to see him, because he had stray
ed of somewhere and hadn't camped
with US. But we soo saw 1t wasn't
he, wasn't q man anything like him.
He was a queer, slouching, shutting
creature, dressed% in skins, and he
came up in a hesitating way, as If he
was afraid of us. lie couldn't talk
English, nor understand 1t, apparent
ly. Bs looked to me like a Portu-
guese, and I tried him in Spanish
good Filipino Spanish-on the chance.
I thought 1t startled him a little. and
he pricked up his ears at 1t, but he
couldn't understand that either. He
Just kept reckoning and repeating two
words"
What words, Tom? Out with I'll"
This from the old gentleman. who
had controlled his patience with diff
flculty during the little silence. But
the younger man hesitated and looked
into the girls face, mutely, half-ques-
tioningly. before he spoke.
THE words" he said, seemed TO be
your fathers name-Captain Field
ing It sounded like that"
She went quite white, and reeled a
little. Then clutched at the shrouds
for support. The old gentleman was
at her side in an instant, his strong.
s~teadying arm across her shoulders.
only to drop back into 1t again with a
grimace Of pain and a little dew of
perspiration on his forehead. He
looked rather white himself under the
tan.
81 suppose"-the girl said almost
~voicelessly, "I suppose | mustn't dare
even let myself begin to hope yet,
must !, not-yet?"
81 don't know" said Tom. THE fell
low seemed half-crazed; seemed, al
most. to have lost the power of speech
from long disuse of it. But he meant
to take us somewhere, that was clear
enough from his gestures. If could
only have seen you before I began to
blurt the thing out, I'd have spared
you the suspense until there was some
thing to tell. I'm sorry, Jeanne,
Its queer" she said. at the end or
a rather long silence, I'm sure there
was no Portuguese in fathers expedi-
ton. Except for two or three swedes
and N~orwegians. they were all Amer
leans. know the name OF every man
who sailed in his ship"
He might have taken some n on
at st. Michaels," suggested the elder
F~anshaw.
aa.n