The evening world., 1914-02-25

U6tk anu 0boiutboO0 nOs hOSss
was what she had left the yacht for:
and, then. II was q condition she
could terminate at will. Through the
still afr and across that quiet water
her voice would carry easily to Toms
ears. She had only to hall ana she
would hear his voice In answer.
For a moment she thought ehs
would do IL. Then she decided the
other way. n Tom saould miss her,
he would certainly coll aloud. and
she could answer, and uss bis voice
to guide her back TO the yacht. IL
was, OF course, impracticable to at
tempt 60 row back without some such
assistance. She mad only vague iaee
In what quarter the yacht lay. and
the chance OF missing Il and getting
really lost indeed was to great to DO
taken.
she scrambled out Of the boat and
pulled Il high up on the beach. The
fog made the air seem cold. though
for the arctic II was q mild night.
Two Of tho abandoned buildings ON
the beach behind her were more
sheds, wtndowless, absolutely bare,
never having served. svidsntly. any
other purpose than that Of storage.
But the third. and largest. ~ she 70.
WONDERED It, offered q shelter that
was becoming attractive. There were
some rude hunks In II whore she
could rest comfortably enough: and.
unless she was mistaken. Scales had
left in the hut . half-burned candle
4, which they had used In exploring it,
vcstas In her pocket. She could 90 In
there and make herself at home, and
at the Same time keep an alert ear
for . hail from the yacht.
She found the candle In the place
where shc remembered Scales had
laid It down. struck . light and
wedged the candle into Q knothole.
She turned toward one Of the hunks
with the idea Of stretching out there.
and BY relaxing her muscles per-
suade. perhaps. her ovsrstfung nerves
she had taken b step toward IL.
indeed. before she saw, through the
that lay right before her eyes-a
rather large, brass bound rosewood
box or chest. It had not been here 10
the afternoon when they had entered
the place. for they had searched it,
bare interior thoroughly In the hope
that there might be something which
. previous Investigators had overlooked.
This box, six inches high ana . foot
long. or moro, could not have been
hero then. II was standing now In
the most conspicuous place In the
| room-in the very middle Of the bunk.
The sight Of II might well have
caused astonishment or alarm In the
girls mind. But Il was neither alarm
nor astonishment that her next act
, expressed. She dropped down on her
knees besldo the rude wooden bunk.
drew tho chest up close In tho tight
embrace Of her young arms. laid her
face Of It's blackeAed wood, and DRIED.
Every question that might have
asked itself--how the thing could
have come there, and what tn COM
/ ing might portend to herself or "a
} the others Of the Aurora's people
! was swept away in 4 sudden rush OF
J flialN affection and regret which the
; sight OF It instantly ,awoke. II had
reached her with that audden poign-
] mate objects, familiar by long asso-
!, citation, seem to be more potent "a
call up than tho very persons Of the
friends with whom they are associ-
ated. Tho sight Of her father himself
could hardly have had 20 .instantane-
Ous and overwhelming an effect upon
her a. the sight Of this old chest,
which was ono Of the earliest Of her
associations with him.
, taken II with him on that last voy-
.. age Of bis. upon a certain further cor
ner OF his desk In the old library. Il
/ was one OF those objects Of class
that children always love-smooth,
polished. beautiful: beautiful and, at
the same time. defyinE curiosity.
It was quite q masterpiece Of cab
met work. No hinges were visible.
, and the cover fitted no closely upon
arated them was hard to discover.
And there was no trace Of keyhole or
|. lock. To those uninitistsd into its
open Il.
She remembered too the day when
her father had shown her the mys.
!. terry. had done II by way Of consola-
, ton for some terrible childish dissp-
pointment she had sustained. He had
! opened It for her and then had cal
! watching her efforts to- repeat the
? operations: correcting her mistakes
!. pointing with q long. bronze letter.
. opener. but never touching the boz
J. itself nor her own clumsy hngers.
Presently she seated herself in the
b bunk. took the little chest on hei
knees and set about opening II. He.
tween the cold and her excitsmen,
she found this rather difFlouit thtnl
: 70 do. though her mind never. neveI
: hesitated over the slightest detail o.
She knew in Just what order 20,
pressed in tho-e innocent looking 1T
,. tie ornamental tacks In the brasi
d binding: remembered the right mo
: ment TO turn the box up on its enc
{ 10 let the Just released steel ball roll
down Its channel to the pocket, wher,
. II must lie before the last pressur,
r upon the last spring would prov,
effective Hhe no moro faltered ove
q II than she would have faitered ove
E her alphabet.
}. And at last. when her numbed hng
0 ers had completed their task. tn
:. counter weighted I'D roso slowly b!
: itself. Just ~ II had used TO. and re
y vsalod to her swimming eyes th,
y contents OF tho interior.
/, Up to that moment she had no
. realised what the finding Of the Do
{ spateh box meant. II had not occur
0 red 70 her that . full account Of h.
o fathers expedition. . narrative vhicl
r would reach. perhaps. 70 the morninl
Of the last day OF all. was lying here
n right under her eyes.
q hut now when the cover vas opene,
/. she saw beneath II 4 thick volumA
% bound In rod morocco. she realizes