The Daily Alaska empire., 1934-02-28
GODDESS
by Herbert Jensen

Her shirt. her jacket, her brooches were beginning to show the rav- ages of daily toll. They looked torn and scuffed. Her hands were swollen and red from the unaccustomed severity of working with the coarse fiber.
 Only her face looked serene and fit, that and the minted-gold glory of her hair.
 Langton said softly. Frank, girl of her courage deserves taking chances for"
 Frank turned away. He suspected that his old friend had discerned that he, Grahame, was in love with Janice. The kindly fellow, however. had not hinted at it: but certain little tactful gestures when none were necessary made Frank realize that he was conscious that perhaps at least one of his two visitors from civilization might be aware of a sen- timent that was deeper than mere comradeship.
 The thought was painful to Frank. To him Janice's decision in Holly wood had been uncompromising there was no further appeal to be made. Any thought or speculation upon what might have been served only to stir unpleasant memories.
 Langton had said that she was girl of courage; to Frank this en- forced intimacy had given him greater opportunity to judge: she was magnifcent-miraculous.
 That night he helped Langton complete the balsa-wood jacket. It was a clumsy affair made of two foot lengths of this curious wood that is lighter than cork.
 It was tied together with twisted strands of cactus fiber: shoulder straps were made of the same ma. terial. Frank tried 1t on. He resolved that in day or two he would put 1t to use.
 ATER that night, sleeping sound A ly, they were awakened by the crashing of thunder. Sheet-lightning fiared about the skies. Huddled in the doorway of the shack that screened the entrance of the cave. they stood until the sky opened it's ducts and drove them away from un- der the flimsy roof.
 Within the cave, dank with un. evaporated water from the last floods and musty with bat offal, Grahame and Langton stared at each other soberly
 Resinous torches provided in an ticipation of this emergency. had been lighted. The thunderous boom ing without precluded any possibil- ity of sleep.
 "The rains are here" muttered Grahame.
 It won't be long now" replied Laagton lightly. Frank noticed that his Friends face looked queeriy pale on the patches his beard did not cover.
 In the morning, it was Janice who told them about the curious behavior of the ahkin. The girl had insisted. despite the protest of the men. that she be the high-priest's attendant.
 She had. however. been deter. mined; therefor they had construc. ted pallet in corner of the inner cave for the ahkin and one nearby for the girl When the two white men. who usually slept in the outer shack. had entered the cave and lighted the torches. Janice had looked to the welfare of her charge.
 She had found him, his back sup. ported upright against the caves wall. rigid in state approaching catalepsy.
 She had shaken his shoulder thinking him in the midst of a dream, but he had not awakened. Usually, she knew, he slept lightly. His limbs and his body were marble-stiff. His face was frozen although his eyes were open but opaque.
 Janice reported that 1t sounded like quiet droning so imperceptible uoc bfv voica hut hy oapo1ot,at;nu she was aware that words were is- suing from his parted lips; strange words that held the cadence of mys- tic ceremony.
 He was asleep and dreaming" Frank suggested.
 Langton looked thoughtful. The two men did not press her with fur ther comment or question. but as of one accord they made their way to the streams edge.
 The sky was sullen overhead: 1t held more than hint of rain--it was threat. The stream undoubtedly was higher. tawny with the discol- oration of vegetation.
 It ran swiftly. definitely, and dis appeared into the nav of the lower cavern leaving little sponges of yell low foam clinging to the rocky DOT tals.
 With luck" stated Grahame star ing speculatiyely at the stream. "we have about week on dry ground here. After that -"
 fcopyisAt. Io34. 5y Rs5srt JsnssnJ Frank begins, tomorrow, his