The evening world., 1914-02-25

Arctic sky.
10 utterly deserted did the land ap.
pear, % impossible was Il to believe
that any danger could Turk there.
that, after their unsuccessful attempt
to recover the body Of Hunter. old
Mr.. Fanshaw and Scales. the first Of
neer. took Jeanne ashore In one Of
the boats for an exploration Of the
beach and of the cluster OF empty.
half-buried huts that stood Just back
of II. They were gone from the yacht
about an hour.
BY Z o'clock, however. they had
decided that, whether o. not the sky
mans story might be true, Il was
high time to send . relief party
ashore TO md the lost ones. There
was q good deal OF necessary consul.
tation about who should 20. Clearly
II would BE- folly to send . party Of
three or four on such = mission. They
must carry. In the nrst place. fations
sufficient not only for themselves, but
for those they expected to md. They
must b strong enough, 10 the second
place. to overcome this nystsfious,
such band 70 exist. 10 fern such .
party would take practically every
able bodied man remaining on the
yacht, and there was, naturally. some
demur to this.
But Tom settled the matter. II
can't 60 ashore on account OF this
COMPOUNDED ankle. and Jeanne. Of
course. will stay here, too. But every
body else can 60. Jeanne and I are
enough to defend the yacnt. Even
supposing there was a party Of
twelve murderous HUMANS ashore
there, armed with darts and throw
lns H. 90 -
yacht without putting of in boats.
She's as good q shot a. I am.
Well keep brisk lookout, and II We
see any piratical expedition setting
out 10 capture us We will be able to
account for the whole lot OF them
before they can hope to reach the
Aurore's side.
At S o'clock accordingly the relief
expedition went ashore. and Tom
Fanshaw and the girl were left alonc
on the yacht.
Two hours later. perhaps. after they
had eaten the supper which Jeanne
had concocted In the galley, they sat.
side by side. In their comfortable
deck chairs. gazing out across the
ice noe. The evening was unusually
mild, the thermometer showing only
q degree or two below freexing, and
here in the lee OF the deckhouse they
hardly needed their furs.
Finally the girl seemed TO rouse
herself from the train Ut thought that
had preoccupied her mind. straight
ened up / little and turned for look
into her companions face. But this
little movement Of her body failed to
rouse him. His eyes did not turn to
meet hers. but remained nxed on the
Tar horison.
A moment later she stretched out .
hand and explored for HE beaeeth
cred him, found II and interlocked
her fingers with his. At that he
pulled himself up, with start. ana
abruptly withdrew his own from the
contact.
she coiorsd q little. ana her browe
knitted in perplexity. What an old
hear you are. Tom" she said. whats
the matter to-day? It's not . bit like
you to sulk Just because we disagree
about something. We disagree al the
time. but you've never been like this
70 me before"
IT always told you was q sullen
brute when things went wrong with
me-. although you never wou'o os"'v'
Alter q little perplsxed silence she
spoke again. II didn't know things
were going wrong with you. I did
not even suspect II until this morn.
ing. when Uncle Jerry said"-
"What!" Tom interrupted. "What
does the governor know about IL!
what did ne say?"
"Why, nothing. but that you were
playing In rather hard luck. no
{housht, and that I was to be nice
to you. IL the world eoing badly
realty badlv-really badlyT'
EYES," That curt monosylIabie was
evidently all the answer he meant 70
make. At that she gave up all at.
tempt TO console him. dropped back
in her chair and cuddled little
deeper down under her bear skin, her
face. three quarters away from him.
turned toward that part OF the sky
that was already becoming glorious
with the tints OF sunset.
you've never had any doubt at all.
have you, that I really deserve the
lob Of being your big brother: that
I was that quite n genuinely a. II
I had been born that wayr
mo" she said. "of course not,
Tom. dear. What put such an idea
into your hsad?"
He paied . little. and II was . min.
ute or two before he could command
tno NOr0o No wanted, 10 nio lips
because Of my hopes. suppose" be
said. ynstsadiiy. because had hoped
absurdly enough for the other answer:
because-because-rve como to low
you In the other way"
She looked at him in perfectly
blank astonishment. He would moi
meet her eyes. his own. their pupils
almost parallel. gaSed out, unseeing.
beyond her.
"But. Tom." she cried. you can,
mean that!-Oh. yes. know you
mean II, but It's only . temporary alb.
erration. II can't be moro than that!
We've known each other from the
time when We were quite small KIDS
yes, was kid AZ much a. you: nc
potter term would describe us. We've
always loved each other. and played
together. and spatted ana plagued
each other. and made MP again. and
relied on each other to see NJ through
each others scrapes. and pointed GU,
each others faults snd gioAtsd ovel
each others WhippingA We've 60
moro civiiissd. Of course. now tina
we've Grown up. but the relation Il
really the same. There can't be any
romance about II, no mystery abou
me for you. You can't possibly low,
me like that"
Cant ~" he said. Cant I? VIII