Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1915-12-16

What must have been her own feeltnxs
as she found herself separated from
these powerful friendsf Once moro
she found herself alone-snd enc,
more in the bind instinct for self.
preservation she did what she could
for her own safety.
She dared not think Of the fate OF
her friends she mourned then nov
ss dead but still In hsr suhccuscious
mind kept bitterly nshtins the eouvie-
ton even al Il came. And as she ar
gued- she found herseif swept away
farther and farther from the place
where last she had seen them
In some way. she knew not how.
Kitty found herself among many 9TH
ers upon the same considerable piece
OF vreckase where Roiean and Fred
eriek had endeavured to place ner
soon after the explosion Many others
now clung to this. She shuddered a.
she cast q glance about her over the
water. and drew closer to the center
OF the raft One after another she
saw them lose their hold; one after
another she saw them carried away
BY the waves. As for herself, prs-
served uiracuiously, she knew NOT
how. she fastened herself As best she
could to the fran foating floor and
ceased to struggle. MercifuIly her
senses left her for q time.
When she came once more slowly
and painfully to q realizing sense Of
what had befallsn. she looked about
her wearily.
She was alone upon the sea o.
those who had been about her. none
nov survived, Not far from her Q
body or two noated. but not q ffvtng
being vas to De seen. not . survivor
save herself had found this means q
safety.
There was no food There vss no
fresh water for her. There was no
means OF raising . sail. or usfng IN
oar. even Of hosting q signal had she
had one. And Jet the sky above her
was so blue and gentle. the sea areund
her 50 kind. that all now seemed less
terrible than II had been but now
Hungry and thirsty as she was she
shuddered as she thought Of the ADDED
pangs that might be hers. She called
aloud In her distress. her despair
There came no answer. save IN the
shrieks OF the circiing birds which
lowered. ghostliks. above her.
The waves bore her onward. she
knew not where. and cared not how.
for how many hours she could not tell
Face to face with herself. her past. her
future. the unhappy girl passed q
period OF unknown duration. engaged
In her own reflections
II was not her own life she feared TO
lose. 50 she said. for life after all was
q little thing. a temporary passage at
best But II only she might have
lived nov for the sake OF that which
she felt In her own heart-for the
sake Of that uncompietsd period Of her
own life whose dawn she acknoxL
edged to have seen but now.
He vas gone. she had seen him
swept away before her very eyes Hs
vas her e.e=T. VIC I'D 80 ottsa
tainted her and defed her. Who had
fought her IN every contest Of wits
yet IN turn he had aided her to escape
and saved her but now-instead OF
enemy he had turned into friend or
more than friend-and he was gone
The sunset Of her day earlc even with
IT'S dawn
Yes she said to herself. he saved
ne AZ the cost Of his own life And
the life Of that other faithful friend.
Roleau. the 5auntisss. II. too. had
been wasted TO saEe her oxn-the life
she now could hold but worthless.
since II must be lived alone They
were dead-and she had been the
cause Of that, What could life hold
further for her.
Kitty Gray bent her head down upon
her knees Her hair fell about her
face AMI thus she sat. she knew not
how long. resignfng herself to her
fate. making her peace with what she
felt now must come Now said she.
let me die,- And when once more
the sleep Of exhaustion came upon her
she thought ii that OF death itself
She vakened, none the less. I'm
tfre-for strong indeed are the ties
that bind Us whether OF not We Ike
70 this life into which we are born
without our asking. She wakened and
stared with hollow eyes about her a.
4 world which she neither knew nor
loved But even 80. at length her gaze
found something TO cause her eyes 10
ki7dle. her breath to come q triie
faster.
Far n the distance she had carght
sight OF the shore OF distant land
the samc sight which IN turn had met
the gaze Of that friend whom now she
nourned- Il lay there low on the sea
and distant-land. some sort OF land.
she knew not what.
She looked at IL duly. alphabetically
In truth. she was too far gone to care
Whether or not she retained con-
sciousness through the remainder Of
her voyage, she herself could never
tell
At length. q weak and uninportant
bit Of fotsarr Of the sea Kitty GRAY