The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1911-09-09

side passage leading up to It,"
That's quite true" he said II sup
pose it's all romantic nonsense, but it
does give one certain feeling of Sc
security. However," he went
on, we're not reduced as yet to any
thing as intangible as that as sub
ject for giving thanks. You haven't
seen the whole of my list yet. I've
saved the best till the last"
He turned the paper over In his
hand as he spoke. She did not attempt
to read what he had written. but sat
there beside him, her hands clasped
about one knee, her eyes upon the
booted foot which was poised across
the other, and waited rather tensely
for him to tell her
ITS not 80 very much, but II will
mean an immense lot TO US. What
people die of in the arctic is not so
often disease or accident, or even, d.
rectly, cold or starvation. They die
more often Of disgust and WEAKNESS
and exhaustion. Your father knew
that, and he set apart from his gen
eral stores some Injuries and delica-
cies, or things that would seem to be
such to men In their plight. to be used
against emergency. I'm sure that's
why he took them up there and hid
them away. Part Of them are left
wish he could have known to whom
they were going to be of use. There's
. little cask with brandy in 1t, a good
sized pot nearly full of beef extract,
Jar of dried eggs, three tins Of con-
densed milk, big ten-pound box of
Albert biscuit"
His voice broke off there sharply,
but without the downward infection
she would have expected had he
reached the end. So she looked quick
iy and curiously up into his face. AS
quickly, her eyes sought the bit OF pa
per which still lay open in his hand.
"You didn't finish" she said. There
was something else"
Il thought too late. Oh! It's moth
ing, but 1t caught me-rather, and I
thought would spare you the twinge
that finding 1t had given me. might
better have read 1t right out. 1t was
know-Cross & BlackwelPs But there
1t was, waiting, I suppose, to lend
some sort Of an air of festivity to
their next Christmas"
The girl rose from her seat beside
him and going over to the window,
stood for while gazing up the
beach
1y1 nj to
the afternoon that 1t had been yester-
day when he set out. awning, to find
her, and had come flying down out Of
the sky to drive away the sudden
nameless terror which had beset her
That thought led him. now to visua-
lie some sticks of wood, rather too
large to carry, which had been lying
on the beach near where he had found
her. Thinking that 1t would be
good time to get them and drag them
in, he got harpoon line, and it was
the girls question what he meant to
do with the rope, which caused him to
tell her what part of the beach he in
tended to visit He asked her then II
she cared to come with him, but, after
moments hesitation, she declined.
1T will be high time for supper be-
fore you can get back" she said, land
I'd better stay here and get it ready,
that Is. unless I can help YOU"
So he set off alone.
For awhile the occupation of setting
their disordercd living room to rights
and getting the supper started were
sufficient to take the whole of the
girls attention. But later, when 1t was
a question merely of waiting for the
pot to boil, and of not watching it SO
that it would boil sooner, she moved
restlessly to the door and stood there,
before the hut, gazing down the beach
In the direction Cayley had taken He
was already out of sight around the
headland.
She wished she had gone with
Philip, and she gazed with straining
eyes toward the narrow bit of slant
ing beach around the base Of the head
land which was the place where he
must appear He was not to be ex-
pected yet, not for long time. prob
ably, for his progress. dragging those
home, must be slow.
And then, even as she looked, she
saw him, not moving slowly with his
burden, but Notwithstanding at his
topmost speed. like q man in fear of
something.
Instinctively she moved forward to
meet him, and this move of hers en-
abled him to see her. He slackened
his pace instantly. and waved her
back toward tho hut She obeyed that
imperative gesture of his, without hes
itation, but still remained in the door
way. watching him as he rapidly drew
nearer.
When he had got near enough 80
that she could see his face and read,
more or less, what she saw there, she
again moved forward to meet him,
and this time he did not wave her
back. When he came within arms
reach of her. he caught her and held
her tight In his two hands.
What is 1t, Philip" she asked,