Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1911-06-01

IL III conIruA anu spOhe SIeauAy
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 a little gesture she prevented
him. you've been thinking it out"
she said. "You know what II means
now, and II feel that / don't. l can't
quite realize it yet. You must give
me a 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 con-
clusion? Well, he had it ready.
How long that silence lasted, Meth
er of them knew. He sat there beside
her, and yet even his eyes allowed
her perfect solitude. He mended the
fire and attended to his cooking as
quietly as before, when the girl was
reading.
Finally a little move Of hers, pre-
paratory to speech, gave him leave
to look at her. In those silent min
utes, however long they were, her face
had changed. 1t was grave now, in
tensely thoughtful, but the color had
come back into it. 1t was alive again,
when / asked you a while ago If
there were any chance, you asked me
If l meant a chance for the return of
the Aurora, and said there was none.
That was what I meant then, but it's
not what l mean now. Is there any
chance at all? / haven't been able to
see any myself, and I've been over 1t
all pretty carefully. Do you see any?
You-you must tell me the truth,
please"
u haven't been trying to assess the
chances. I spent my hour thinking
about something else, and l can't an
swer your question really with a yes
or a no"
mot with a yes, but can't you an
swer it with a no? Aren't you per
fectly sure, in your heart, that there's
no chance at all?"
mot yet" he answered. There may
be a chance, and if there is, we
can meet It half way" Then he
stretched out his hand. "That red
bound book there is our Bible now
Do you remember what your father
said? We can live like Christians, ant
we can always hope He thought
when he put that bottle, which con
tanned his message, into the sea, tina
there was hardly one chance in a mil
lion Of its resulting in an ~effectual re
lief. Yet he went on living as a brave
man lives, a day at a time. And wher
he died, he died without fear. Doing
that, he not only helped himself, bu.
he helps us in a way that he couldn'
possibly have foreseen."
Her eyes filled suddenly with tears
and a smile, of a divine sad tender
ness, touched for an instant hel
mouth. But that isn't our case, yor
know. Ours isn't as simple as that"
What makes the difference7
"Your wings" She said 1t hardly
above a whisper, and as she said +
she turned a little paler and her bray,
lips trembled. But in an instant he
will had taken command again. ="
am sure you see. It's quite plain,
she went on steadily. IF you will
spread them, those great wings o
yours, and take to the air with them
and fly away, as you are free to dc
and leave me here alone, as l reall,
am alone, the only person maroone,
here-if you'll do that, then I'll fol
low my fathers gospel,-But you won
go away. You can't-not a man lik
you, and I know that. 1 know
mustn't even suggest It,"
Her voice sank again and grew ur
steady. while l am starving, yo
will be starving, too. And while l ar
freezing, you will freeze" Sh
stopped there with a shudder and
deep, gasping sob; then, won't 20
go?" she cried out. you said ono
that one of us might be dreaming, bu
that n was not I. Can't you believ
it's SO? Can't you wake up from tn
dream that is turning into a nigh
mare, and fly away?.--No, you can't
You can't!-There is only one way GU
of It'll"
There was the conclusion he ha
~foreseen, had foreseen long before h
could formulate 1.-THE inevitable cor
clusion that had led him to pray TO
an hour. And now he thanked Go
that the answer was ready.
But before he could speak sh
turned to him with a sudden trans
tion of mood, which left him gaspinf
The face she turned upon shim no,
was radiant, flushed with life, feal
less. She held out both hands to hin
Come" she said; that's over. Your
to forget 1t ever happened, and your
to do something for me that I wan
Will you? / want this for a holiday
Just as / set out to make 1t when
saw the yacht was gone. The day
as bright as 1t a then, and W
can make the hours pure gold. 1t al
depends on is. Come, will you do tina
for mel"
Giving him her hands, she ha
meant him to assist her to rise, but h
disregarded the intention and knel
on one knee beside her. Jeanne
he said.
Her color fiuttered uka o fias Q
in the sun. then carefully stored 70