The Ordway new era., 1920-10-22
A Year Ago Today
BY MARY MORRISON

laNtiph= II was JuSl liAt SUI "a
she reveled in-small. intimate. and
carefully chosen. She glanced at Rod
erick Sears, the young explorer, whose
name was on everybody's lips and
whose story of being shipwrecked for
a year In the South Seas was filling
columns daily in the newspapers.
Sears was talking somewhat in an
undertone to Carol Terhune. Mrs.
Lane wished she could hear what he
was saying Carols hands were
clasped before i,er on the table. and in
the shadowy golden light of the candles
they looked like beautifully nodded
marble, and just as motionless. Mrs.
Lane raised her voice in question:
''What were you doing year ago
today. Mr.. Sears?" She asked.
The man came back to the present
with perceptible start.
"Strange that you should ask that|
he exclaimed, with his attractive smile.
81 was just telling Miss Terhune what
happened a year ago. Now that you
have asked 1 shall. of course, tell you
too"-and he gave Carol Terhune a
rather quizzical glance.
There was silence in the big room.
For some intangible reason every one
had simultaneously stopped talking
and paused to hear what the young ex-
plorer had to say. as If they felt GER
tain tenseness, rather dramatic situ-
alton, in the air. From the open win
dow came the soft murmur of the
ocean on the beach and the fragrance
of a nearby garden. Deft servants
moved without sound. Carol Terhune's
hands frightened and then withdrew in
to the shadow as ROderick Sears be
gan.
For two days we had been cooped
up in our hut while the sort of down
pour that only that part of the world
knows anything about swept the
island. Iashing the foliage to shreds.
We took turns looking through the one
window of which the hut boasted ut
steamer in distress, stuck fast on a
coral reef. Poor devilsl Our own ex-
perience was too fresh in our minds
not to know what the men aboard must
be feeling from minute to minute.
Bowman was watching when he sud
denly gave a sort of groan and turned
away. When Smith and got there, no
boat was in sight. We knew what had
happened.
At that moment, by some freak
which holds sway over that part of.the
country, the sun broke through, and In
five minutes you would never have
known there had been storm-except
for the wrecked vegetation lying
around. We three-Bowman, Smith
and rushed down to the beach to
see what we could find. Beach comb
ing is not business much in vogue
up here-but, Lord ! it was the one ex-
element down there. Then. too, we
hoped against hope we might be able
to help a stray survivor from the
steamer.
"The wreckage began to strew the
beach-here chair, there a part of
table, barrel and bits of unrecogniz-
able odds and ends. When darkness
came we each shouldered something
and hit the trail back to the hut.
Smith carried the barrel, SO of
course everything in its was his. We
watched him unpack 1t with all the
thrill of n Christmas stocking! Jove
What wasn't in that barrel! Then at
the bottom was something wrapped up
in paper-an old Sunday supplement
of the New York Times. Smith saw
the picture and didn't even stop to look
any further
"'By crickyl Fellows,' he cried. If
here isn't Ethel Barrymore! The
names soaked off. but I'd know her
any place
"All the homesickness of the last
few months was In his voice as he
hugged the picture to his heart, mur-
muring. oh. you beauty You bit of
Broadway Next to a resculng steam
er I'd rather have found you than any
thing I knowi' Poor old SMITH He
picked a long nail out of the barrel
and proceeded to hang Miss Barry
more on the wall over his shakedown.
Bowman had picked up the remain
der of the paper and was looking at 1t,
not saying a word. He was so quiet.
so intent, that finally Smith and / no.
ticed him. suppose men who have
been cooped up on desert Island for
months, waiting day after day for the
rescuing steamer that never seems to
come, are not quite normal. So when
Bowman spoke. his voice hoarse and
shaking, we didn't think he had gone
mad. We just laughed at him."
Roderick Sears stopped speaking
here and looked direct at Carol Ter
hume. Their eyes met for moment,
and not until hers had dropped again
did he continue In response to Mrs.
Lanes rather breathless-
"What did Bowman say, Mr.. Sears"
HE said, When get home am 60
ting to find this girl and marry her If 1t
takes every hour of my life and every
cent have In the world"
Scars smiled as he finished and