The Arvada enterprise., 1911-07-13


blsd clear OF his wings.
II was Jeanne; and for a moment
he thought she was dead. She
seemed as white and cold as the snow
itself. And yet she was not dead; not
even frozen. The hands he chafed 30
frantcally were inert, but not rigid;
and. as he drew her up In his arms
and pressed his head down against
her breast, he could hear.very family
and slowly. the beating of her heart,
He picked her up in his arms and
carried her into the pilot house. The
air here was still warmer than that
out of doors, but It was no longer ex'
hausted and poisonous.
He laid her down for long enough
to light the lamp, to throw on his stiff
leather jacket and to get a little
brandy out OF the keg. This he mixed
with little water and, with the aid
Of small ivory spoon. he succeeded
in getting a little Of It between her
lips.
He took OF her heavy seal coat and
the woolen Jacket she wore under It.
and. as we'll as he could, loosened the
other clothing about her waist Last
Of all, he gathered her up In his arms
again, wrapped the great sheep-skin
bag about them both and, with the
brandy and water within arms reach,
settled down to attempt to get some
Of the warmth and vitality of his own
body into hers.
She was not fully unconscious now,
for the next time he offered her
brandy she swallowed It. Her eyelids
were fiuttering little, too, and pres
emily she sighed
He was thrilling all over with a
tremendous sense Of power. He felt
he could have brought her back from
the very dead. His arteries seemed to
be running with electricity, not blood.
Her lips were moving now, and he
bent close to catch the whisper that
barely succeeded In passing them.
"Don't-bring me back-Philip. It's
so much-easier to go-this way"
His only reply to that was to hold
her little closer.
She did not resist when he held
the drink to her lips again; but, after
she had taken two or three sips Of 1t,
she said:
Il sha'n't need any more. I'm get
ting quite beautifully warm again"
He knew 1t was true. She no longer
felt lifeless In his arms, though she
still lay there quite relaxed. He
knew he could let her go now, safely
enough. And yet he held her fast
II thought you were dead when 1
saw you lying there on the snow" he
said at last. not very steadily IF
you had been, It would have been my
own doing"
She contradicted him with sharp
negative gesture.
You left me well enough wrapped
up to have resisted the cold for any
length of time. Besides, II I'd wanted
to l could have come back in here.
But-but, Philip Oh, It seems q
dreadful thing to confess. now you
are here with mel didn't want to. |
just lay down on the snow, thinking
l could 60 to sleep and-and that
would be the end-such an easy end!"
She felt him shudder all over as
she said 1t, and she clasped his shoul-
ders and held them tight, in a desire
to reassure and comfort him.
Did you mean to do that
Was that why you asked me to fly
away for while?"
NO! No! 1t was something l saw
while you were gone, something that
terrified me. Philip. do you remem-
Der how many of the people OF the
Phoenix died Of what father called
the ice madness?"
He nodded gravely.
We'll, what ! saw made me think
that was going that way, too. Philip,
and gradually it spread out into three,
quite far apart, and then they changed
into strange colors, and stranger
shapes, and began to dance like
witches"
He laughed, but the laugh had some.
thing very like sob mixed up in 1t.
You poor child! No wonder It
dox way for the moon to set In the
arctic. It's part OF the same refrac-
ton that plays such strange tricks
with the daylight colors. No, you're
long way from ice madness. Jean.
ne"
But that wasn't all / saw, Philip.
| II wasn't the worst. saw ship
against the moon, only It seemed too
high above the horizon. somehow
That's the crowning impossibility. And
then the moons began to dance, that
wicked, witch.like dance of mockery.
| So lay down in the snow and hid my
face In my arms to to go to
sleep 1t seemed so easy and, some
| how, seemed right, too; not wicked
any way"
She felt him shuddering again, and
| his clasping arms strained her 30
close they almost hurt.
Thank God. ! came in time!" she
heard him whisper.
But you did come In time" she re
minded him, for she could still feel
him shuddering with the horror OF the
thing. you brought mo back, and I'm
not even afraid any more" Sho