, 1911-04-13

~ ohc Naet eaA>aSS A.ebSas oit
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 I asked you a while ago II
there we're any chance, you asked mt
II ] meant a chance for the return Of
the Aurora, and said there was none.
That was what I meant then, but it's
no what / mean now. Is there any
chance at all? | haven't been able to
see n myself, and I've been over II
all pretty carefully. Do you see any!
You-you must tell me the truth.
please"
81 haven't been trying to assess the
chances. I spent my hour thinking
about something else, and I can an
swer Jul question really with a yes
or a no."
Not with a yes. but can't you an
swer it with a no? Aren't you per
fectly sure, in you heart, that there's
no chance at all?"
Not yet" he answered. There may
be a chance. and II 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. INT
we can always hope He thought,
when he put that bottle, which con
tanned his message, into the sea. that
there was hardly n chance In a mil
lion of It's resulting in an ~effectual re-
lief. Yet he went on living as a brave
man lives. a day at a time. And when
he died. he died without fear. Doing
that, he not only helped himself, but
he helps us in a a hat he couldn't
possibly have f~oreseen."
Her eyes filled suddenly with tears,
and a smile. of a divine a tender.
ness. touched for an instant her
mouth. But that isn't our case, you
oul 1911 I as IMP as tndl.
What makes the ~diference?" But
he knew he answer
Your wings" She said 1t hardly
above a whisper, and as she said It
she turned a little paler and her brave
lips trembled. But in an instant her
will had taken command again. II
am sure you see. It's quite plain"
she went on steadily. IF you will
spread them. those great wings of
yours. n take TO tho air with them,
and fly away. as you are free to do.
and leave me here alone. as I really
am alone. the only person marooned
here-if you'll do that. then I'll fol-
low my ather's gospel.-But you won't
go away. You can't-not a man like
you. and I know that. know I
mustn't v e suggest IT,"
Her voice ank again and grew I'M
steady. while I am starving. you
will be starving. too. And while l am
freezing, you will freeze" She
stopped there with a shudder and a
deep, gasping sob; then, Won't you
go?" she cried out. You said once
that n of us might be dreaming, but
that one was not 1. Can't you believe
it's SO? Can't you wake up from the
dream that is turning into q night
mare. and ny away?.-No, you can't!
You can't!-There is only one way out
of it,"
There was the conclusion he had
~foreseen, had foreseen long before he
could formulate it--the Inevitable cor.
clusion that had led him to pray for
an hour. And now he thanked God
that the answer was ready.
But before he could speak she
turned to him with a sudden transi-
ton Of mood. which left him gasping.
The face she turned upon him now
was radiant, flushed with life, fear
less. She held out both hands 10 him.
Come" she said: that's over. You're
to forget It ever happened. and you're
to do something for me that I want
Will you? | want this for a holiday,
Just as l set out to make It when I
IA the yacht was gone. The days
as bright as 1t was then. and We
depends on US. Come. will you do that
for me?"
Giving him her hands, she had
meant him to assist her to rise, but he
disregarded the intention and knelt
on ono knee beside her. jeanne
he said.
Her color huttered like 4 nag at
that. and she caught her breath.
Thank you-Philip."
Well have our holiday. Jeanne, but
we must have a better understanding
first"
moi No morel-I can'tl"
But he went steadily on: You said
there was only one way out. and I
knew what you meant It is a way
out-a way that I can't deny your
right to take. II we're talking of
rights. During the Ave years that I
spent at Sandoval I always regarded