The Mena weekly star., 1911-02-02

put can you imagine what ne used lL for?"
 "Oh, I know what 1t is, but that only makes the puzzle all the deeper. It's an Eskimo throwing stick. They use 1t to shoot darts with. It lies in the palm of the hand, so and the dart is put in that groove, though the butt of this one seems curiously mis- shapen l can't make it fit my hand But I can't figure out how the thing got aboard the yacht; 1t wasn't here yesterday"
 "Of course not" she said. my sky man brought It."
 He ran his fingers through his bushy gray hair perplexedly. Then he laid the thing down and seated him self at the table. At any rate" he said, i've needn't let even a mystery spoil our breakfast. Come, my dear. you've eaten almost nothing. That omelet deserves better treatment"
 Obediently she took up her fork, but almost immediately laid it down again, and he saw her eyes brighten with tears. "Of course, if there'd been any news, if there'd been anything to find. we'd have heard"
 Silently he reached across the table and patted the hand that lay there on the white cloth.
 "Oh, know oughtn't to cry" she said, "and won't; it's your goodness and kindness to me as much as any thing else. Ever since he went away you've been like a father to me, and Tom dear old Tom, like a brother And then building this ship and com ing up here yourself. facing the dan gers yourself and letting Tom face them, all for such an impossible. hope. less hope as that message the sea brought to us"
 Her voice faltered there, and she bent down abruptly and kissed the hand that was still caressing her own.
 My child" he said, your father and I were like brothers-nearer to each other than most brothers. He went away, knowing that if his ven ture failed, if 1t ended fatally for him, as 1t probably did, should regard you as my daughter-as just as much . child of mine as Tom is If you hadn't been in the case at all. wed 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 of yours and come out with me on deck"
 The moment MT. Fanshaw and Jeanne emerged upon the deck they heard the sound of oars beneath them. and looking over the rail saw one of the boats in which the shore party had set out. pulling up alongside the accommodation ladder. Three men were in if, two of the crew and Tom Fanshaw.
 What news, Tom?" his father called out anxiously enough to belle his former tranquil manner Aave you found anythingf I 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 it again, and I did 1t just when" He broke the sentence off short there. his eye falling at that moment upon Jeanne
 She paled little, for she had been quick to perceive that something he had been about to tell would not be told now or must be told differently. But she waited until his father, to- gether with the two sailors, had got tine disabled man up onto tine deck and safely installed in an easy chair. Then gravely, but steadily, Just as what. Tom? What clue had they found just as you had to come away"
 Tt was very woaderful." he said; quite inexplicable. Just as we were about breaking camp this morning we saw a man coming toward LIS across the ice We thought at first that 1t 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 soon saw 1t wasn't he, wasn't man anything like him. He was a. queer. slouching. shuffiing creature dressed in skins. and he came up in hesitating way. as if he was afraid of us. He couldn't talk English, nor understand it, apparent ly. He looked to me like Portu- guese. and I tried him in Spanish good Filipino Spanish--on the chance I thought it startled him little. and he pricked up his ears at it, but he couldn't understand that either. He just kept beckoning and repeating two words
 What words, Tom? Out with it!" This from the old gentleman, who had controlled his patience with diff ficulty during the little silence. But the younger man hesitated and looked into the girls face. mutely. hah-ques- tioningiy. before he spoke.
 The words" he said. "seemed to ba your fathers name--'Captaln 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 steadying arm across her shoulders. Tom himself half rose from his chair, only to drop back into it again with a grimace of pain and little dew of precipitation on his forehead. He looked rather white himself under the tan.
 q supposer-the girl said almost voicelessly. T suppose I mustn't dare