University of South Carolina Libraries
T*. grists sons, publishers.} ? ^antilg jtopgtr: Jfor the promotion bf the political. Social. IgricaUncal and Commwial gntmats ojf Iht |?j)l<. 1 "S&ffffw.'VSSi???T * E3TTm^SHED t8S5. YORKVILLE, 8. C., FRIDAY, OCTOBER 29, 19Q9. NO. 87. _I THE BIR1 By ETTA V mi tii r ~ CHAPTER XXI?Continued. a/- \ - "And now," she said, "what do you want of me?" \ "What do I want of you?" repeated \ St John, his eyes be?lnnin? to flash tuicrlly. "Really, after our Iong parting. this is hardly the greeting I exported from you, Paulette. Is there? can there be any truth in the abomina~ - - ** ! ?* >hot ble rumor I heard irom iVlC^I IIU UMAI. | you have a lover here at Hazel Hall?" Her hands worked. Her face, if possible, grew paler still, but she did not answer. The old-time Jealousy flamed darkly into his face. "Why do you not speak?" he cried, seizing upon her roughly. "Is it true or falser' She could not bear his touch?she tore away. "Guy, I tell you I thought you dead," she answered. * "Yea; you mentioned, also that the news reached you a few weeks ago. And already you have a lover?he who was with you here in this very place tonight Truly, mine was an inconsolable widow!" ^ Her stony anguish suddenly gave way. She stamped passionately upon the floor of the pavilion. "I never loved you, Guy!" she cried. "I recognized you as my master?I feared, but i did not love you!" "And you looked on my death, no doubt, with great relief?you were f only too glad to be free. I saw that man with you tonight?I saw the looks he gave you?I could hardly keep my hands off his throat" The same St John as of old. Paulette felt her heart sink like lead within her. JP "Do not speak of him," she cried, with a gesture of intolerable pain. "What would you do?what do you want of me? L?et us taut omy oi uuidci.w. "Agreed; but first I must understand you clearly. I mistook matters once in the case of Varneck, and that blunder was sufficient for a lifetime. 1 ask you frankly, do you love this Arthur Guilter "Yes," she answered. "I love him!" He had not expected so honest a confession. An oath fell from his lips. "You are candid, at least," he said, bitterly. "You like him! Then you cannot feel particularly tender toward me. It would have been better, pern. haps, had I remained away altogether, j and left you undisturbed to your fine Philander. Your lines, of late, seem to.. have been cast in pleasant places. It seems to have been a fortunate day for you when your poor devil of a husband left you to yourself." "You told me to forget you," she cried. 3 "You for'cade me ever to think of you more, and I obeyed you." V He winced. < "True. But I was mad with jealousv. You must have known, even then, that I did not mean a word of it" 1 W "I knew nothing of the kind," she answered. "You deserted me?you left me to die?and I should have died in very truth, had it not been for General Guilte." "Do not I tell you I repent the past.?" cried St. John. "Look at me. I have been casting forlorn about the world for years, but you are lovelier than ever. You have been petted and happ>. Well, that is all as it should be; but would to heaven my love, Paulette, had died at our parting! It did not, however, though I tried hard to kill it. ^ It lives! I love you tonight more fervently than ever before. I love you? yes, and by the heavens above us, you are mine!" This last in wild exultation, advanc^ lng toward her again with hurried passion. "Don't touch me!" she cried, her disheveled hair sweeping back from her stricken face, her hands flung out before her. "You love me still? Oh, no, no! You cannot mean it!" "I love you!" he repeated, chafing savagely, - "and these Guiltes have no part nor parcel in you. It is time our secret was known?high time, I see, for ^ me to claim you as my wife. Sorry as I am to say it, you seem to have been with these people too long already. You must leave them now, Paulette, and come with me." She looked him full in his burning ?yes. "I would die sooner!" sne saia, nany. There was a moment of ominous silence. The rain began to patter on the top of the pavilion. "Be careful how you provoke me, Paulette," said St. John, through his teeth. "There's a limit to human patience, and I have almost reached it. You are my wife, and I love you, and I will have you! Why should I not go up yonder and arouse the house, and make known the truth this very hour, both to that old nian and his. heir? As well now as any time." i He made as if to stride past her. With a cry of terror, she flung herself before him. "Guy! Guy! Oh, for the love of God, no, no! Give me time to think. You have no proofs. The certificate of our marriage I destroyed with my own hands. I will deny it all?everything." He looked down on her in dark triumph. "Will you. indeed? I admire your pluck, but your judgment is at fault. Megrim lives?the Cambridge clergyman lives. I think I shall find them ^ proof sufficient in establishing my claim to you." "I will throw myself on the general's mercy," said Paulette, wildly. "He will protect and save me from you. Oh, why did you come back??why did you come here?" "When you were happy with Arthur Guilte!" he added, bitterly. "Because I supposed with one husband still living, you would not care to marry another. * For this spasm of morality I do not seem to receive many thanks. Come, come! Let neither of us seek to drive the other to extremes. Let us be calm and reasonable." Her face kep. its white, tragic look. * "What would you have me do?" she demanded again. "It is past midnight. I will not stay here longer." Ftt-MARK V. PIERCE. "There is an engagement of marriage between you and this Arthur Ouilte, I hear?" said St John. "Yes." " * - -?--J *A. annul "h'lrst Ot ail, 1 auvisc )UU IV cwmu, that" "Qo on." "And I repeat that, loving you as I do, I will not give you up. You like, no doubt this fine home of yours?the luxury and ease you have here. Naturally, you don't wish to leave It for the Bohemian life led by me. Come here again tomorrow night, when the grounds grow dark, and we may then decide, perhaps how we can compromise the matter." "Meet you again?" she protested. "I will not!" "Faith," cried he, "then to these Gulltes I go, and make a general confession. They shall know the deceit you have for years practiced on them. This hero, Arthur, shall hear that the woman of his love is little less than a common adventuress?a wife already, parted from her lawful husband by one love affair, refusing to acknowledge him now because of another." The pale, proud face crimsoned. "Stop!" she cried, with a gesture. "I will come." "That sounds more sensible," said St John. "By this arrangement we shall each have time to reflect on the situation, which is, to say the least, serious enough to demand reflection. Tomorrow night then, at dark. Do not fail me!" She turned upon him suddenly. "Who was the person by whom you sent the note to me tonight?" He gathered his cloak about him preparatory to departure. "A masker I happened to meet on the grounds. Many thanks to him! And now, will you not so much as give me your hand at parting, Paulette?" She recoiled in aversion. His light est touch at that moment seemed to her worse than death. He stepped back. "Very well," he said, Irritably. "But, remember, at dark, tomorrow!" She turned and darted out of the pavilion, and crosse-l the lawn, like a hunted deer. As she reached the piazza, she stopped to listen, hushing: her hoarse breath: but all was still as the grave, save the faint, fitful fall of rain here and there on the lush foliage. Paulette lifted the long window through which ner exit nacTUoen mtule, "and steppetf' into the dining room. As she did so, the door opening upon the hall flew suddenly back, and on the threshold, with her hair in curl-papers, and a candle in her hand, stood Hilda Burr. She started back, and holding her light aloft, started in amaze at the apparition in the window?the lovely figure in its disordered fancy dress, with golden hair, hanging damp and long about her shoulders. "Merciful heaven!" cried Hilda; "can I believe my senses? You, coming in from the grounds at this hour of the night?" and then she lowered her light, with a smile of offensive significance. "Uw'ml /Ho,i I'm euro vr?ir sudden AUCIIli VJ IOU| A <? WW. V, ^ illness passed so soon! How white and strange you look! I hear It raining. Didn't you find it somewhat damp out there?" A raging red swept over Paulette'a face. She stepped into the room, and lowered the sash behind her. A most unfortunate meeting was this! "I have been out for a breath of air," she answered, carelessly, "after your hot. stilling fete. I see that your sleep, also, seems disturbed." "I," said Hilda, "have lost the cross from my rosary, and came seeking it, little expecting such an encounter as this! How very odd you should choose this hour of the night, or rather morning. for a promenade in those wet, lonesome grounds?" Paulette's dark eyes flashed lightnings upon her. "To tell the truth, Miss Burr, this little matter does not in the least concern you. Go on seeking your cross, by all means, and cease meddling with subjects with which you have nothing to do. I bid you good-night, with great pleasure." She darted past the curl-papers and fliQ lamr, anrl vnnluhcvl nn thf? stairs. Hilda gazed darkly after her. "You waxen-faced beauty," she said, softly; "you who have stolen from me both the general's heart and Trent's? you, who hope to reign mistress here, one day, with me for your dependent? there is something in this midnight ramble of yours which must be looked to, my dear!" With an honest rapture in her bilious face, as genuine as if she had stumbled on some great, good fortune, Hilda put down her light, and began to search among the debris of the fete for her lost camellia cross. CHAPTER XXII, Rap. rap! Loud and imperative the sound thrilled through the silent garden at Hammerton. It was deep in the hot purple twilight of a sumtner's day. The fireflies were brushing through the thicket like so many stars. The moon was up. The sea lay rocking sleepily on the golden sands. Rap, rap! The person at the gate took hold, and rattled it impatiently. No voice, no sign of life without or within answered him. It was impossible to peer over the high wall, and the gate of solid oak had not so much as a crack through which to look. "Deuce take it!" muttered Mr. George Trent, for he it was who stood without like "Orpheus at the portal of Hades," "are they all dead here?" It seetned so, for though he banged away lustily, no human thing could be raised In reply. The gate was as fast as locks could make it. He stood baf llfU <11114 IUIIUUS, "Since it is plain one cannot enter like a friend." said Mr. Trent, "one must force his way. like a foe." and he began to look around him with an eye to business. A very lithe and active man was he. Making his way toward the rear of the cottage, he came to the beach?to the very spot where Serle Varneck had effected his entrance into the garden. Quite unconsciously following in the footsteps of Sibyl's lover, he climbed the wall dexterously, and dropping down on the other side, found himself In the very heart of what seemed to be a tenantless wilderness. "Indeed!" mused Mr. Trent, gazing around him in the deep, deathly silence, "she is playing the penitent recluse dodge, eh??expiating her early sins after the manner of La Valliere and the rest of them? And visitors are not admitted except by their own efforts. Well, now that we are here, let us see what we shall see." He plunged into the still green depths of the place, till he came to an up rooted tree, fallen across the way. its trunk was evidently used as a seat, and on It Mr. Trent now saw a little gray glove and a bunch of faded roses lying. He snatched them up. "Heaven above! how very dainty! What a charming hand the owner must have, and how pensive and sentimental look these roses! Can they belong to a penitent La Valllere? I think not" He proceeded with admirable nonchalance up the path, stopping now and then to look and listen, and so came unchallenged to the door of the Gothic cottage. It seemed as silent, as utterly without life as a grave. After close search Mr. Trent found a bell, and gave a peal thereat which made the house ring. A tremulous echo succeeded, dying far away within?then silence?then the door opened an inch or two, and In the aperture appeared a hard, dry, woman's face, staring out on Mr. Trent in mingled anger and amaze. , "Madame, your humble servant!" said he. She made as if to shut the door smartly upon him. He saw the design In time to frustrate it, by inserting into the open space a leg and an arm. "Who are you?" scowled Rebecca Hardin, "and how did you get here?" "I entreat you," answered Mr. Trent, with his high-dramatic air, "do not crush me in this doorway, ancient damsel. I have business of Importance with Miss or Mrs. Arnault?whichever she calls herself." "Then, be off again as soon as you may," said Rebecca, tartly, "for you'll not get in here, and you'll not see Mrs. Arnault. Business she has none with any earthly creature." "Softly!" pleaded Mr. Trent, edging an Inch or two further by main force. "Let me make an experiment. I am the . . - ** ? i n..iUA Uo?Al legal adviser ux unintu vrumc ui uu^i Hall. If I do not gTeatly mistake, tnat fact will have its weight with your mistress. I shall not stir from this spot, believe me, until I see her." He took out a card, and penciled his name and the general's together thereon. fNr he^ he said. "She will admit me?never fear." The name seemed to have its weight also with Rebecca. She moved reluctantly from her post, and allowed nim to step across the threshold. "Wait here." she said, and disappeared with his card up the stairs. Presently, from heights above, down dropped her voice again, in no way softened or sweetened. "You can come up," it said.' He ascended with boyish vivacity, and following her along a passage, was ushered into Mrs. Arnault's chamber. In her easy chair, before the Are which warmed summer and winter ner L1 altho U*nmj .* lit* UIUUUIC^S UUUy , ^cvw.ivu V..V ?* ?o longed to see. As ho stepped across the threshold, she arose, tall and white, disdaining: all support, and confronted him. Larger and darker than ever looked her splendid eyes in that face as colorless and regrular as a Greek antique. Her dressing gown of purple silk swept around her like a royal robe. A slight trembling only of her handsome mouth betrayed her agitation. Mr. Trent drew back, and made her a profound bow. For once some genuine embarrassment was perceptible in his manner. She was the first to speak. "Sit down," she commanded, shortly. "What do you want with me?" Rebecca crossed over, and assumed her usual place behind her mistress's chair. It was plain she was there to hear all that should be said. Her presence seemed to reassure Mr. Trent, for he grew livelier. "Deiigntea," ne saiu, airny, iu mant the acquaintance of a lady of whom, in times past, I have heard so much. You see in me a friend of General Guilte's?mind, I do not say I am sent by him, or that he so much as knows of this visit, but 1 come, nevertheless, for your good and his." He thought to see her change color at least; but the coolness and composure of the superb face remained undisturbed. "Splendid creature!" thought Mr. Trent. "By my soul, it's small wonder these two mad Guiltes lost their heads over her!" "For my good and his," repeated Adah Arnault, with ringing scorn. "The two can never be mentioned in the same breath! What can possess you, calling yourself his friend, to approach me?to force yourself upon me in this way?" Mr. Trent smiled. "Force myself upon you, madame? Not for the world!" he cried, gallantly. "Say the word, and I retire at once," and he rose from his chair. She waved him back. "No!" she exclaimed?"no, you shall not go till I hear you out. I thought I had hidden myself from all the world here?I never expected to hear the name of Guilte spoken again on earth." "I had some difficulty In finding you. 'tis true," said Trent, placidly: "but that always adds zest to a pursuit. As the general's friend. It is. perhaps, needless for me to say that I am well versed in the family secrets." (To be Continued.) Just In Time.?A German shoemaker left the gas turned on in his shop one night, and upon arriving In the morning, struck a match to light it. There was a terrific explosion and the shoemaker was blown out through the door almost to the middle of the street. A passer-by rushed to his assistance, and after helping1 him to arise, inquired if he was injured. The little German gazed in at his place of business, which was now burning quite briskly, and said: "No. I aindt hurt. But I got out shust in time. Eh?"?LJpplncott's. {The Conquest ? By Dr. FREDEIHCK A. COOX J Copyright, 1909, by the New York f. Herald Company, Registered In ! Canada In Accordance With Copy- j a right Act. Copyright In Mex- < * ico Under L*.ws of the Republic f of Mexico. All Rights Reserved ON snowsboes and" with spread lega I led the way. The sleds tirlrh Htrhf InnHa fnllnti'od Thf? surface vibrated as we moved along, but the spiked handle of the ice ax did not easily pass through. For Ibout two miles we walked with an easy tread and considerable anxiety, but we had all been on similar Ice before and we knew that with a ready line and careful watchfulness there was no great danger. A cold bath, however. In that temperature, forty degrees below, could have had some serious consequences. In two crossings all our supplies were safely landed on the-north shores, and from there the lead had a more picturesque effect. For a time this huge separation in the pack was a mystery to nie. At first sight there seemed to be no good reason for its existence. Peary had found a similar break north of Robeson channel. It seemed likely that what we saw was an extension of the same lead following at a distance the general trend of the northernmost land extension. This is precisely what one finds on a smaller scale wherever two Ice packs come together. Here we have the puck of the central polar sea me. ting the land ice. The movement of the land pack Is intermittent and usually along the coast. The shallows, grounded Ice and projecting points Interfere with a steady drift. The movement of the central pack is quite constant and almost In every direction. The tides, the currents and the winds each give momentum to the floating mass. This lead Is the breaking line between the two bodies of ice. It widens as the pack separates, narrows or widens with au easterly or westerly drift according to the pressure of the central pack. Early in the seuson wheu the pack is little erevassed and not elastic it is probably wide: later, as the entire sea of ice becomes active. It may disappear or shift to a line nearer tbe land. New Ice 8topa Drift. In low temperature new Ice forms rapidly, and tbls offers an obstruction to tbe drift of tbe old Ice. As tbe beavy central Ice Is pressed against tbe unyielding land pack tbe small Ice Is ground up. and even beavy floes are crushed. This reduced mass of small Ice Is pasted and cemented along Tbe' shores of tbe big lead, leaving a broad band of troublesome surface as a serious barrier to sled travel. It seems quite likely that tbls lead, or a condition similar to It. extends entirely around the polar sea as a buffer between tbe land and tbe middle pack. With tbe big lead and Its many possibilities for troublesome delay behind, a course was set to reach the eighty flfth parallel on tbe ninety-seventh meridian. What little movement was noted on the Ice had been easterly, and to allow for this drift we aimed to keep a line slightly west of the pole. The wind was not a troublesome factor as we forged along for tbe first day over this central pack. After a run of eleven hours the pedometer registered twenty-three miles, but we had taken a zigzag course and therefore only piacea sevenreen mnes 10 our creuu. The night was beautiful. The sun sank Into a purple haze, and soon there appeared three suns In prismatic colors. and these soon settled Into the frozen sea. During the night a narrow band of orange brightened the northern skies, while the pack surface glowed In magnificent shades of violet and lilac and pale purple blue. Land Clouds Still Visible. Satisfactory observations at noon on March 24 gave our position as latitude 83 degrees 31 minutes, longitude OH degrees 27 minutes. The land clouds of Grant Land were still visible, and a low bank of mist In the west occasionally brightened, offering an outline suggestive of land. This we believed to be Crocker Land, but mist persistently screened the horizon and did not offer an opportunity to study the contour. Until midday the time was used for observations and a study of the land conditions. The dogs sniffed the air as If scenting game, but after a diligent search one seal blowhole was found and an old bear track, but no alga or other small life was detected In the water of the crevices. At the big lead a few algae were gathered, but here the sea was sterile. The signs of seal and bear, however, were encouraging for a possible food supply. In returning the season would be more advanced, and the life might move northward. thus permitting an extension of the time allowance of our rations. Though the beat of the sun was barely felt, Its rays began to pierce the eye with painful effects. The bright light being reflected from the spotless surface of the storm driven snows, could not long be endured even by the Eskimos without some protection. The amber colored goggles that we had made at Annootok from the glass of the photographic supplies now proved a priceless discovery. They effectually removed one of the greatest torments to arctic travel. The darkened or smoky glasses, blue glasses and ordinary automobile goggles bad all been tried with Indifferent results. They failed for one reason or anther, mostly because of an Insufficient range of vision or a faulty constriction, making it impossible to proceed more than a few minutes without removing the accumulated condensation. Relief In Amber Glasses. This trouble wns entirely eliminated In our goggles. The amber glass screened only the active rays which injure the eye. but did not interfere with the range of vision. Indeed, the eye. relieved of the snow glare, was better enabled to see distant objects than through fieldglasses. It is frequently most difficult to detect ley irregularities on cloudy days. The puiber glass also dispels this trouble of the Pole I f I The Bi? Lead?An Arctic Hurricane ? Narrow Es I cape From Death When it ice Parted M [SEVENTH ARTICLE] +1 * perfectly, enabling the eye to search careruny every uook auu t-r?r?iv-c through the vague incandescence which blinds the observer in hazy ^ weather. The amber glass therefore reduces not the quantity of light, as do smoky glasses, but the quality. We were not only relieved of the pain and fatigue of snow glare, but the amber color gave a touch of cheer and warmth to our chilled horizon of blues. So thoroughly were we in love with ' these goggles that later they were 1 worn while asleep, with the double object of screening the strong light which passes through the eyelids and also to keep the forehead warm. On this march in the early part of the afternoon the weather proved good and the ice, though newly crevassed. Improved as we advanced. The late start spread our day's work close to the chill of midnight, and before we were quite ready to camp there were signs of another gale from the west. Little sooty clouds with ragged edges scurried along at an alarming pace, and beyond a huge smoky bank blackened the pearly glitter. Suitable camping ice was sought, tn tho oonrae of an hour an ialoo was built. The structure was built stronger thaD usual. Double tiers of snow blocks were placed to the windward and a little water was thrown I over the top to cement the blocks. I The dogs were fastened to the lee of ! hummocks, and the sleds were securely lashed and fastened to the Ice. We expected a hurricane and had not long to wait to taste of Its bitters. Before we were at rest in our bags the wind brushed the snows with a force inconceivable. The air thickened j with rushing drift. In a few moments 'the dogs and sleds were buried under banks of snow and great drifts encircled the igloo. The cemented blocks of our dome withstood the sweep of the blast very well, but many small I holes were burrowed through the snow Vail, permitting some drift to enter. ; Early in the morning, after a rush of but a few hours, the storm ceased as suddenly as it came and left a stillness which was appalling. The dogs soon began to howl desperately, as if attacked by a bear, and we rushed out. seeking guns, but there was no jMjproftQWng crgature. It was a combined signal of distress. The storm driven snows bad buried and bound tbem in unyielding frost They had partly uucovered themselves, but by trace and harness they were frozen to hardened masses, so much so that few could rise and stretch, which is a severe torment to dogs after a storm. We freed their traces, beat the cemented snows from their furs with sticks, and their curling tails and pointed noses told of common gratitude. As we skirmished about for a little stretch ourselves the sun rose over the northern blue, flashing the newly driven snows in warm tones. The temperature during the storm rose to 26 below, but now the thermometer sank rapidly below 40. The west was still smoky, and the weather did not seem quite settled. It was too early to start, so we disrobed again, slipped into the bags and sought a quiet slumber. A few hours later we were rudely awakened by loud explosive noises. Looking about, nothing unusual was detected about the igloo, and a peep through the eye port gave no cause * ' * - * * - A * ? ? ? ll/l A/l ior me aisiuroance. n was tuunuu that the ice was cracking from the. sudden change of temperature in quite the usual harmless manner, and we turned over to prolong the bag comforts. Then there came a series of thundering noises, with which the ice quivered. Abwelah arose and said that the house was breaking. I turned to rise and sank into a newly formed crevasse, which up to that moment was bridged by snow. A man in a bag Is a helpless creature, and with water below and tumbling blocks of snow from bove pressing one deeper and deeper the case was far from humorous at a temperature of 48 below. Still, the boys laughed heartily. Their bands, however, were quickly occupied. Abwelah grabbed my bag and rolled me over on snow of doubtful security. They then slipped Into furs with electric quickness and tossed the things out on safe Ice. In the extreme cold the water froze In sheets about the bag. and when the Ice was beaten off the reindeer skin was, to my pleasure, found quite dry. A few moments more of sleep and we might all have found a resting place In the chilling deep. That experience kept us ever watchful for the dangers of the spreading Ice In all calms after storms. The Ice about was much disturbed, and numerous black lines of water opened on every side, from which oozed Jets of frosty steam. The great difference between the temperature of the sea and that of the air made a contrast of 76 degrees, and the open spots of Ice water appeared to be boll lng. Anxious to move along away from the troubled angle of lee, the usual breakfast was simplified. Melting some snow, we poured down the ley liquid as an eye opener and then began at the half pound bowlder of pemmlean. but with eold fingers, blue lips and no possible shelter the stuff was unusually hard. To warm up the sleds were prepared, and under the lush the dogs jumped Into harness with a bound. The peramlenn, somewhat redueed with the ax. was ground under the molars as we went along. The teeth were thus kept from chattering, and the stomach was fired with durable fuel. As we advanced the Ice Improved to some extent, and with a little search a safe crossing was found over all of the new crevices, though a strong westerly wind carried a piercing cold. Good progress was made, but we were not allowed to forget at any time that we were Invading the forbidden domains of polhr environment. The Bitter Cold. In starting before the end of the winter night and camping on the open Ice fields in the long northward march we had first accustomed our eyes to a frigid darkness and then to a perpetual glitter with shivers. This proved to be the coldest season of the year. We should have been hardened to all kinds of arctic torment, but man only gains that advantage when the pulse ceases to beat. Far from land, far from other life, there was nothing to arouse a warming spirit. Along the land there bad been calms and gales and an inspiring contrast, even in the dark days and nights, but here the frigid world was felt at its worst. The wind, which came persistently from the west?now strong, now feeble, but always sharpinflicted a pain to which we never became accustomed. The kind of torture most felt in this wind and humid air of an arctic pack was a picturesque mask of ice about the face. Every bit of exhaled moisture condensed and froze either to the facial hair or to the line of fox tails about the hood. It made a comical caricature of us. Tne rrequeni turua in iois coarse brought both sides to the wind and arranged a line of icicles from every hair offering a convenient nncleus. These lines of crystal offered a pleasing dash of light and color as we looked at each other, but they did not afford much amusement to the individual exhibiting them. Such hairs as bad not been pulled from the lips and the chin were first weighted, and then the wind carried the breath to the long hair with which we protected our beads and left a mass of dangling frost An Icy Coating. Accumulated moisture from the eyes coated the eyelashes and brows. The humidity escaping about the forehead left a crescent of snow above, while that escaping under the chin, combined with falling breath, made a semicircle of ice. The most uncomfortable Icicles, however, were those that had formed on the coarse hair within the nostrils. It is to free the face of this bind of decoration that the Eskimos pull the facial hair out by the roots; hence the Ponl nnrortv nt mnstnrhps and hpnrda. * In the Heart of & Storm. * + New Land Sighted?Mid- J * Polar Baain a Lifeless { World ** ** \ [EIGHTH ARTICLE] + DURING two days of ctillly bluster the sleds were forced uloug with encouraging results, ami on~The evening of Sfarcb 'HC with a pedometer aud other method of dead reckonlug for |Misitioii. we were placed at latitude S4 degrees 53 minutes. The western hor'zoti remained persistently undlsturt>e<l. A brisk storm, it seemed, was gathering, but It was a loug time in coming easiwaru. uj me eveuiug ui me ?,m u we prepared for tbe blast and built the Igloo stronger than usual, hoping that the horizpn would be cleared by a good blow on the morrow and afford us a day of rest. The long, steady marches, without time for recuiteration, bad begun to check our enthusiasm. In the dally monotony of hardship we had learned to appreciate more and more the Joy of tbe sleeping bag. It was the only animal comfort which afforded a relief to our life of frlglds. and with It we tried to force upon the weary body In the long marches a pleasing anticipation. In the evening, after the blocks of snow walled a dome In which we could breathe quiet air. tbe blue flame lump sang the notes of gastronomlcal delights. A heaven given drink of Ice water was first Indulged in to quench tbe chronic thirst, and then the process of disrobing begau. one at a time, for there was not room for all to act at once. Tea In an Hour. The fur stuffed boots were pulled, and toe bearskiu pauts were stripped. Then half of the body was quickly pushed into tbe bug. A brick of pernmlcan was next taken out. and tbe teeth were set to the grind of this bonelike substance. The uppetite was laaon Knf n hulf nnntul t\f /mlH UIWU>3 lUl^r, uui a uun puuuu vi vviu withered beef aDd tallow changes a hungry man's thoughts effectually. The tea, au hour iu making, was now ready, and we rose on elbows to take It. Under the influence of the warm drink the fur coat with its mask of Ice was removed. Next the shirt, with its ring of ice about the waist, comes off. giving the last sense of shivers. Pushing farther into the bag. the hood was pulled over the face, and we were lost to the world of ice. The warm sense of mental and physical pleasure which follows is an interstlng study. The movement of others, the sting of the air. the noise of torturing winds, the blinding rays of a beatless sun. the pains of driving snows and all the bitter elements were absent. The mind, freed of the agitation of frost, wandered to home and better times under these peculiar circumstances; there comes a pleasing sense with the touch of one's own warm skin, while the companionship of the arms and legs, freed of their cumbersome furs, makes a new discovery In the art of getting next to oneself. In the Heart of a Storm. On March 27 It blew a half gale at night, but at noon on the following day the wind eased. The bright sun and rising temperature were too tempting to remain quiescent, and. though the west was still darkened by threatening clouds, the dogs were put to the sleds and off they went among the wind swept hummocks. We had not gone many miles before the first rush of a storm struck us. Throwing ourselves over the sleds, we waited the passing of the icy blast. There was no suitable snow near to begin the erection of a shelter, but a few miles northward was n promising area for camp, and to this we hoped to take ourselves after a few moments' rest. The squall soon spoilt Its force, and in the wind wblcb ronowea good progress was made without suf ferlng severely. The temperature was 41 degrees below zero F. and the barometer 29.05. Once In moving order, the drivers required very little encouragement to prolong the effort to a fair day's i march in spite of the weather. As the sun settled in the western gloom the wind increased its fury and forced rs Into camp. Before the gloom was finished a steady, rasping wind brushed the hummocks and piled up the snow in large dunes like the sands of home shores. The snow house was not cemented with water. The tone of the wind did not seem to indicate danger, and, furthermore. we were beginning to real/??iaa4 nAAil a# fnnl nnnnnmn L?iC cue gicai UCVU VI lUCI wvuviuji We therefore did not deem it prudent to use oil for the fire to melt snow, except to quench thirst. Not particularly anxious about the outcome of the storm and with senses blunted by overwork and benumbed with cold, we sought the comfort of the bags. Buried Under the 8now. Awakened in the course of a few hours by drifts of snow about our feet, It was noted that the wind bad burrowed boles in the weak spots through the snow wall. Still, we were bound not to be cheated out of a few hours' sleep, and with one eye open we turned over. Later I was awakened by falling snow blocks. Forcing my head out of the ice incased hood, 1 8aw that the dome bad been swept away and that we were being bulled under a dangerous weight of snow. In some way I bad tossed THE NEW LAND about sufficiently during an-.. keep on top of the accumulating drm. but my companions were out of algbt and did not respond to a loud call. After a little search a blowhole was located, and In response to another call came Eskimo shouts. Violent efforts were made to free their bags, but the shote settled on them tlghtSt wTfb each tussle. I was surprised a few moments later as I was digging their breathing place open to feel them burrowing through the snow. They had entered the bag without undressing and half emerged with shirt and pants on. but without feet. After a little more digging their boots were uncovered, and then, with protected feet, the bag was freed and placed on the side of the igloo. Into It the boys crept in full dress, except; coats. I rolled out to their side in my i hair. Move on Refreshed. The air came In biasing spouts, like Jets of steam from an engine, but soon after noon of the 29th the ice under our beads brightened. It became possible to breatbe without being choked with floating crystals, and as the ice about the facial furs was broken a little blue was detected in the west. The dogs were freed of snow entanglements and fed. and a shelter was made in which to melt snow and make tea. A double ration was eaten, and then the sleds began to move again. Soon the sun burst through the separating clouds and raised icy spires in towers of glitter. The wind then ceased entirely, and a scene of crystal glory was laid over the storm swept fields. With full stomachs, fair weather and a much needed rest, we moved with inspirations anew. Indeed, we felt refreshed as one does after a cold bath. The pack bad been much disturbed, and considerable time and distance were lost in seeking a workable line of travel. Camping at midnight, we bad only made nine miles for a day's effort. Awakening in time for observations on the morning of the 30th, the weather was found beautifully clear. The fog. which had persistently screened the west, had vanished, and land was discovered at some distance west, extending parallel to the line of march. The observations placed us at latitude , 84 degrees 50 minutes, longitude 95 degrees 36 minutes. ( A Long Coast Line. In the occasional clearing spells for ' several days we had seen sharply defined land clouds drifting over a low 1 band of pearly fog, and we had expected to see land when this veil lifted. 1 We had. however, not anticipated to 1 see so long a line of coast. The land 1 as we saw it gave the impression of being two islands, but our observations were insufficient to warrant such an ' assertion. They may be islands; they may be a part of a larger land extend- 1 ing far *o th' west. What was seen ' of the m^st southerly coast extends 1 from 83 degrees 20 minutes to 83 de- 1 grees 51 minutes, close to the one bun- 1 dred and second meridian. ' This land bas an Irregular mountain- > ous sky line, is perhaps eighteen hundred feet high and resembles In Its 1 upper reaches the highlands of Hel- 1 berg Island. The lower shore line was ( at no time visible. 1 From 84 degrees 23 minutes, extending to 85 degrees 11 minutes, close to the one hundred and second meridian, the const Is quite straight. Its upper r surface Is flat aud mostly ice capi>ed. c rising In steep cliffs to abc'ii twelve i hundred feet. The lower surface was so 1 Indistinctly seen that we were unable to detect glacial streams or ice wulls. c Both lands were hopelessly burled 1 under accumulated snows. We were eager to set foot on the r newly discovered coast for we be- t lieved then, as proved by later expert f ence, that these were the earth's northernmost rocks, but the pressing need for rapid advances in the aim of our c main mission did not permit of de- 1 tours. Resolutions were re-enforced and energy was harbored to press onward for tbe pole In an air line. Fair Marehas Mads. Every observation, however, indicated an easterly drift, and a westerly course must be continuously forced to counterbalance tbe movement A curtain was drawn over the land in tbe afternoon of March 31. and we saw no more of it Day after day we nowpushed along in desperate northward affnFfa fifrnnv nrlnria and fmptnppd 4 regular ice increased the difficulties, l rogress was slow. In one way or other we managed to gain a fair march between storms daring each twenty-four hours. In an occasional spell of stillness mirages spread screens of fantasy out for our entertainment Curious cliffs, odd shaped mountains and Inverted ice walls were displayed in attractive colors. Discoveries were made often, but with clearer horizon the deception was detected. On April 3 the barometer remained steady and the thermometer sank. The weather became settled and clear. The pack became a more permanent glitter of color and Joy. At noon there was now a dazzling light while the sun at midnight sank for but a few moments under a persistent northerly haze, leaving the frosted blues bathed in noonday splendor. In these days we made long marches. The ice steadily improved. Fields became larger and thicker, the pressure lines less frequent and less troublesome. Nothing changed materially. TUe tionzon movea; oar looaug vu seemingly a solid crust of lee, bat it shifted eastward. AJ1 was In motion. PHOTOGRAPHED. Often we were too tired to bnild snow houHes, and la sheer exhaustion we bivouacked In the lee of hammock*. Here the overworked body called for sleep, but the mind refused to close the eye. ( In a Lifeless World. There was a weird attraction In the <h anomaly of onr surroundings which aroused the spirits. We bad passed beyond the range of all life. For many days we bad not seen a suggestion of animated nature. There were no longer footprints to indicate other life; no breath spouts escaped from the frosted bosom of the sea. Even the sea algae of the surface waters were no longer detected. We were alone, all alone, in a lifeless world. We had come to this mental blank in slow bnt progressive stages. As we sailed from the barren areas of the fisher folk along the outposts of civilization the complex luxury of the metropolis was lost and the brain called for food. Beyond. In the half savage wilderness of Danish Greenland, there was tbe dawn of a new life of primitive delight Still farther along. In the nltlma Tbnle of tbe aborigines, the snn rose over tbe days of prehistoric joys. Advancing beyond tbe bannts of man, we reached tbe noonday splendor of thought in times before man's creation. Now, as we poshed beyond the habitat of all creatures, ever onward, into the sterile wastes, tbe snn sets. Beyond were night and hopelessness. With eager eyes we searched tbe dusky plains of frost, bat there was no speck of life to grace tbe purple' run of death. In this mid-polar basin tbe ice does not readily escape and disentangle. It is probably in motion at all times of tbe year, and in tbe readjustment of tbe fields following motion and expansion there are open spaces of water, and these during most months are quickly sheeted with new ice. Measuring the lea. Tn thpflp troubled areas we were sriv en frequent opportunities to measure ice thickness, and from our observations we have come to the conclusion that the ice during one year does not freeze to a depth of more than about ten feet. Bnt much of the ice of the central pack reaches a depth of from twenty to twenty-five feet, and occasionally we crossed fields fifty feet thick. These invariably showed signs of many years of surface upbuilding. It is very difficult to surmise the amount of submerged freezing after the first year, but the very uniform thickness of the antarctic sea ice leads to the suggestion that a limit is reach?" * ? -.??? . j ?on vnKnn f Ka (aa ea ID I lit* SW.UIIU jrcai, nucu iuc iv.v, with Its cover of snow. Is so thick that eery little Is added afterward from below. Increase In size after that Is probably in the main the result of addition to the superstructure. Frequent falls of snow, combined with the alternate melting and freezing of summer and a process similar to the upbuilding of glacial Ice, are mainly responsible for the growth In thickness, rbe very heavy, undulating fields svhlch give character to the mid-polar ce and escape along the east and west toasts of Greenland are therefore mosty augmented from the surface. [To be Continued.] Illir :s Versus Missouri.?A Missou ian informed a traveler who had InLuired about corn that "each stalk had Jine ears on it and was fifteen feet ligh." "That's nothing compared to our :orn," replied the other, quickly. "Up n Illinois, where I came from, we alvays had nine ears to each stalk, and peck of shelled corn hanging to each assel; but we never could raise any leld beans with It." "Why?" asked the Mlssourian. "Because," nodded the other, "the lorn grew so fast that it pulled the >eans up."?Circle Magazine.