Arizona republican., 1914-08-07


 reached the pass when I chose between your life and the papers, and your life was to pay. And now--now that choice has been spared me and the face of the woman 1 loved shall never look into my eyes with that reproach in her own. Mo- Destiny has intervened, Lucille. I know it, feel it-in my heart.
 She watched him. fascinated. as he coollv rose and examined the provisions apportioned them' counting each biscuit, testing the water keg' For just second Rhe fancied a shadow crossed hls face then he turned and smiled re- assurngly at her
 by st1ntIng there is enough for three davs," he said quietly. q think it would be better to wait tlll morning." He drew his coat off and passed It to her, frowning down her remon- strances at the deprivation The warmth of if made her realize for the first time that she had been chilled through by the cold night air and she mashed him look of gratitude, watching him as he bent over slip of paper and compass mak- 1pg strange marks now and then upon the paper after long scrutiny of the stars Never moving ms splendid body, absolutely absorbed in making ms crude reckonings, Hugo Loubeque worked, while the eyes of Lucille closed drowsilv open ing and shutting as though she would fight away the slumber that would come, and finally clos Ing softly in profound sleep
 She woke to a sensation of pain in her head as though some giant weight rested there press Ing down as though to crunch the forehead. For moment she did not realize where she was stared about her perpexedly, tried to identify the gentle, undulating motion of the boat, the soft
 
 the melancholy of Hugo Loubeque fastened upon her as though he had not stirred from the position she had marked him in when she went sD sleep. There was something in their depths which alarmed her now, something of forebod- Ing which made her rise hastily The spy smiled
 The sun was beating down upon them fer ociously, as though it would consume those hardy intruders HeAt rays danced blindingly in every direction, mirroring the waves tantalizingly. Her head ached, when she would have spoken, she found her tongue swollen her voice thick her lips Parehed
 Water---please,' she stam1nered, then glared in horror at the international spv's down. cast face. She half rose. then sank back to her elbow again Loubeque moved carefully to her side, placing his hand upon her arm.
 There is no water, he said gently. "In their rI hurry they put an empty keg in the boat" words slowly, as does child Interpreting les son, meaningless to him. No water!"
 "There-there,' he murmured soothngly. Tt is the test of Fate, my dear. Try not to think of it-try-"
 He did not finish for the pity within him at her brave struggle not to show her fear her pain. Her lips trembed she tried bravely to smile then, with determined effort she sat upright When she would have spoken he shook his head negatively and she knew he wished to conserve even the strength that words would expend. Her head ached maddenngly and the sun seemed to fairly sizze down upon her. Times, when she al- lowed their dreadful predcament to burst upon her fully she would shake as one with the ague
 Hast night. when I discovered the keg was empty, Loubeque said reassuringly, T started working out our reckoning. We are well within the fishing zone of the coast. There is always chance of being picked up. Don't fear Lucille"
 She smiled bravely the effort only making her realize that the heat was para yzng her facial muscles. After that she sat quite still, enduring in silence the maddening heat. the worse thirst. Times, she thought she would be unable to stand it longer that she must reach into this end less expanse of ocean and drink drink; that she must plunge the boats side and allow the salt water to be absorbed by her body From watching the heat waves and enduring the sun her head was spinning like top, mirages of daz- zling beauty dancing before her only to re- cede and intensity her agony by their illusion. Sanity toppled, reeled, but always would she fight it back, inspired by the silent figure of her enemy.
 Night and the stars, but night and stars from which all klndliness had fed. Night that should have yelled the endless reach of water that com passed them about, stars that coldly stared upon the pair and brutay revealed their dire catastro- phe. Lucille felt something suddenly snap with in her throbbing forehead, little accident that seemed to instantly stop the agony end suffuse her with delicious coolness' that changed slowly to more intense heat than even the sun had brought. She knew it would be impossible to endure the strain longer. Her brain seemed whlr1Dg in another direction, like clock whose springs had suddenly gone mad. She could feel strange desire to laugh aloud as she looked over the boats side and dabbled her fingers into the cooling water. Loubeques silent figure motionless. In one long. gliding motion she half rose then dropped swiftly from the boat the ter encircling her, cooling her. tapping at her ears in soothing refrain that ulled her senses to glorious sleep visionless, profound. A sleep in which there were voices shrill male voice that banged at her ear drums; in which there was no force save the tender grip of the ocean and minute, alien tightening upon her arm; such sleep she had dreamed of having; sleep from which all incentive for wakefulness had departed and into which only the panic-stricken, agonized face of her enemy, Hugo Loubeque, intruded. She fought to open her eyes as the spy pnched her arm tried to shake her head reprovingly at him. And then she succeeded and in flash of sanity shuddered at the horri- fled face of the man who was dragging her back into the boat, face wherein the features were distorted, the teeth barred from the strain of her weight upon his shoulders. Darkness, blank, im- penetrab be-s l II m b er goblin-haunted- and desert with mirages of water that receded before her lips
 CHAPTER XIII.
 The Mystery ot Voice.