Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1911-07-27

palm pressed the tears out Of her
eyes.
You aren't strong enough yet to be
used as the support for a really good
cry" Her voice was shaky and her
speech uneven. There were still some
little half suppressed sobs in 1t. But
she turned her face again towards
the southern horizon. IF that's the
army wig-wag l 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 seSrch-llght on the Au.
rora?" Philip asked. Il 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. 1T 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, rs 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-
b1lity Of a relief in the winter. Philip
Philip, isn't it madness-is it the ice
madness?"
But before he could answer they
heard a rit1e-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 g~listened 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.
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 a
long, leaping flicker of freight had re-
vealed a little knot of figures round
ing n 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
landw ard 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. 1t 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. 1t was
the face Of a man humble in the pres
ence of a miracle. He stripped off
his gauntlet and gripped Cayley's
hand. 1t was a moment before he
could speak.
IT'S only just now" he said, now
that see you here together, that |
find it hard to believe. Because I've
known all along that you we're 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 if had
seen you here, together. I've seen you
so a 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, it wasn't Jeanne who told, it was
poor Hunter himself, in a letter. He
had written it long ago, and it was
among his papers, | want you to read
it sometime. l 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