The Mena weekly star. (Mena, Ark.) 1904-1977, 1911-05-18
CHAPTER XIII.
signals.

Signals.
There were good many days after
that-not days at all, really, but an In
terminable period of night-which
were broken for Jeanne by no ray OF
hope whatever. She kept Philip and
herself alive, from day to day and this
occupation left her hardly time enough
to think whether there was anything
to hope for or not.
Much Of the time Philip was deliri-
GUS; sometimes violently so, and yet
she often had to leave him. When she
did so. 1t was with no certainty at all
that she would find him alive upon her
return.
At last the conviction was forced
upon her that Philip was actually on
came less violent and occurred at long
er intervals. The frightful condition
of his wounds began visibly to I'm
prove. Instinctively she resisted this
conviction as long as she could, refus-
ing almost passionately to begin to
hope-for the return of hope brought
an almost intolerable pain with it.
Without hope there had been no fear,
no apprehension--just as in frozen
limb there is no pain. But, as the pos
sibility of his recovery became plain.
err, the slenderness of the thread by
which his life was hanging became
palmer, too. A thousand chances
which she could not guard against
might cut the thread and destroy the
hope newborn.
He was able, at last, after a long
sleep and really hearty meal OF sus-
tanning food--which she hardly dared
give him--to get up and walk out of
their shelter to the star-vaulted beach.
Fifty PAGES or SO was all he was equal
to; but at the end of the little prom
enade he expressed disinclination to
go back to the stuffy little shed which
had been the scene Of his long illness.
The clean, wide, boundless air was
bringing back the zest for life to
him. So Jeanne brought out from
the hut a great bundle OF furs and
made Q nast OF them on the beach,
and there he lay back and she sat
down beside him.
DO you remember. Jeanne" he
said, the first time we sat out like
this, there on the ice-fioe beside the
Aurora, and told you how l h
learned to hy?"
She locked her hand into his before
she answered.
Il couldn't believe that night that I
wasn't dreaming" she said softly.
Nor I. either" he told her; "and,
somehow, can't believe It now-not
| fully;-not this part OF 1t. anyway"
He had lifted the hand that was
locked into his and pressed II to his
lips before he spoke. There was a
silence after that. Then. with little
effort. the girl spoke.
Philip, do you remember my say
ing what contempt you must have
for the world that didn't know how to
fly? Do you remember that, and the
answer you made to it?"
He nodded
Philip, is that still there? Your
contempt, | mean. for the world?'
Il don't believe" he said, that you
can even ask that serfously--you, who
gave me first my soul back again and
then. In these last weeks, my life.
| For it's been your life that has lived
In me these last days-they must be a
good many--just as 1t was your
warmth and faith and fragrance that
gave me back my soul. long ago" He
| paused a moment; then, when .e went
on his voice had a somewhat different
| quality. but the other contempt,
| Jeanne, that still exists, or would ex.
list II gave It the chance, the worlds
contempt for me. Not even your faith
coald shake that"
She had been half-reclining beside
him, but now she sat erect purposeful.
| ~. like one who has taken a resolu.
| ton
I'm not so sure of that" she said
in matter-offact tone, though there
was an undercurrent Of excitement in
It. Philip, | have been trying to
solve puzzle since you were i'll j
hoped | could solve 1t by myself. II
we're intelligent enough I'm sure
could: but I'll have to ask you to help
me. It's a string OF letters written
around picture. In locket.v
"A locket of yours?" be asked, sur
prised.
Never mind about that just now
She spoke hastily and the undercur
rent of excitement was growing
stronger In her voice.
do you want me to try It now?' he
asked. IF you'll make light and
show me the thing Ill see what
can do"
Perhaps you won't need that" she
said. Il can remember the letters
They are divided up into words, but
I'm sure they are not any foreign Ian