V 
 
 W5 T 0RY OF THE LAND OFTHE MIDNIGHT SUN FOUNDS 
 
 upon Gordon & Bennett's piay ofthe same name. % J 
 
 by GRACE MILLER WHITE. 7 ? 
 
 ^ ‘ } ! ' '‘w* 1 j * ■ \ £ 
 
 fVW JlSIltlf . , T\ i m 
 
 Oak Street 
 UNCLASSIFIED 
 
MRS. WINSLOW'S 
 
 Soothing 
 
 ^nrSw* Syrup 
 
 Greatly facilitates the process of teething by soften- 
 ing the gums and reducing all inflammation. Will 
 allay ati pain and spasmodic action, and is 
 
 Suits to Regulate the BoweiSm 
 
 Depend upon it, mothers, it will give rest to yourselves and 
 
 Relief ansi Health to your Infants* 
 
 We have put up and sold this article for over sixty years, and can say In confi- 
 dence and truth of it what we have never been able to say of any other medi- 
 cine : never has it failed in a single instance to effect a cure when timely used. 
 Never did we know an instance of dissatisfaction by any one who used it On 
 the contrary, all are delighted with its operations, and speak in terms of high- 
 est commendation of its magical effects and medical virtues-. We 
 speak in this matter “ what we do know ” after years of experience, and pledge 
 our reputation for the fulfillment of what we here declare. In almost every in- 
 stance, where the infant is suffering from pain and exhaustion, relief will be 
 found in fifteen or twenty minutes after the syrup is administered. 
 
 This valuable preparation has been used with never ~ failing 
 success In thousands of cases* It not only relieves the child 
 from pain, but 
 
 Invigorates the Stomach ami BoweiSm 
 
 MRS. WINSLOW’S SOOTHING SYRUP corrects acidity and gives 
 tone and energy to the whole system. It will almost instantly relieve griping 
 in the bowels and wind colic. We believe it the best and surest 
 remedy in the world in all ccses of 
 
 Diarrhoea in Children, 
 
 whether arising from teething or any other cause. 
 
 We would say to every mother who has a child suffering from any of the 
 foregoing complaints, do not let your prejudices, nor the prejudices of others, 
 stand between your suffering child and the relief that will be sure — yes, abso- 
 lutely sure — to follow the use of this medicine if timely used. Full directions 
 for using will accompany each bottle. Twenty-five Cents a Bottle. 
 
 None genuine unless the facsimile of CURTIS A 
 **ER$€!NS, New York, is on the outside wrapper * Sold 
 by Druggists throughout the world* 
 
 will find MRS. WINSLOW’S SOOTH. 
 BWEQJf m ING SYRUP the Best Remedy to use 
 
 for their children sharing the T®&th$ng PGPMOdm 
 
UNCLE CHARLIE’S POEMS. 
 
 By CHARLES NOEL DOUGLAS. 
 
 12mo 9 160 Pages . Cloth Pound. Price, 50 Cents • 
 
 A SURE CURE FOR THE BLUES. 
 
 NOT A DRY LINE FROM COVER TO COVER. 
 
 This is the most thoroughly entertaining book of verse 
 ever offered to the public. Every line a laugh • Every 
 page a tonic . 
 
 All the humorous gems of this author’s verse have been 
 gathered into this delightfully novel and artistic volume. 
 Humorous poem follows humorous poem, until the mind 
 is bewildered, and, just as the sides have begun to ache from 
 excessive laughter, a section of the book is reached that is 
 filled with verse that inspires, lifts the reader to those 
 heights where radiantly gleam the towers of the Holy City 
 upon the cloudless , blue of celestial skies. The beacon light 
 of faith grandly shines from out an ocean of mirth and 
 wholesome fun. 
 
 If you are despondent, sick, blue, lonesome, despairing or 
 afflicted with any of the mental or physical ills of humanity J 
 and desire to be an entirely new being read Uncle Char- 
 lie’s Poems . If you are happy and would still be happier 
 read Uncle Charlie’s Poems . In fact, there is not a 
 mental or bodily condition that will not be improved by the 
 perusal of these gems of rhymed fun. 
 
 Elegantly printed on superior paper, artistically bound in 
 cloth. A handsome, substantial volume ; an ideal gift book 
 for any occasion and within the reach of every purse. This 
 volume also contains an absorbingly interesting 
 
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF THE AUTHOR’S LIFE, 
 i together with elegant half-tone pictures of this popular 
 writer whose sparkling wit, irresistible humor, unfailing 
 cheerfulness and wonderful optimism, have made his writ- 
 ings a source of delight and inspiration to millions of Ameri- 
 can people. 
 
 This great book is for sale by all booksellers and depart- 
 ment stores everywhere, or it will be sent by mail, postpaid, 
 on receipt of price by 
 
 J. S. 0 GIL VIE PUBLISHING COMPANY, 
 
 57 BOSE STREET, NEW YORK. 
 
Under the North Star. 
 
 A ROMANTIC STORy. 
 
 Founded Upon the Play of the Same Name. 
 
 BY 
 
 GRACE MILLER WHITE, 
 
 Author of “The Warning Bell,” “Driven From Home' 
 “Joe Welch the Peddler,” “ No Wedding Bells for Her,” 
 “Sky Farm,” “A Midnight Marriage,” “Souvenir 
 Book of ‘’Way Down East’,” “Why Women 
 Sin,” “Human Hearts,” “Deserted at the 
 Altar,” “From Rags to Riches,” “A 
 Ragged Hero,” “The Holy City,” 
 
 Etc., Etc. 
 
 Copyright, 1906, by 
 J. S. Ogilvie Publishing Company. 
 
 New York: 
 
 J. S. OGILVIE PUBLISHING COMPANY, 
 
 57 Rose Street. 
 
Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2016 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates 
 
 https://archive.org/details/undernorthstarroOOwhit 
 
Clarence Bennett as Richard Warden. 
 

 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 Clara Benton’s idea of living was limited. It 
 had been her own choice that she should live at 
 home with her father rather than go to the city 
 to visit. Her aunts wrote appealing letters urg- 
 ing that a young girl could not exist in that town 
 of Kent; that her life would be dwarfed by its 
 very surroundings and environs. The city offered 
 so many opportunities, so many chances for a 
 pure, charming girl such as Clara had always 
 been. The discussion came up one morning soon 
 after they had settled in the beautiful old house 
 that had been chosen for its nearness to the pine 
 country, as Mr. Benton’s health was in bad con- 
 dition. 
 
 “I won’t go away and leave you, daddy,” cried 
 Clara, passionately. “Can’t a girl stay with her 
 father if she so chooses?” 
 
 Mr. Benton fingered his sister’s letter for a 
 
 3 
 
 804553 
 
4 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 moment without answering, and Clara saw the 
 light of indecision upon his face. 
 
 “You see,” he began, seriously, “I don’t want 
 to do anything that is going to restrict your fu- 
 ture life. Your aunt says that she has diligently 
 inquired and knows positively that there is not 
 one eligible man in this county. She says” — 
 here the speaker looked at the letter he held — 
 “that a family lives near here reputed to be 
 wealthy, with one son, a wild, headstrong boy, 
 and that when he goes to the city for a few 
 months Kent is more than well represented. She 
 implores that I should send you immediately, 
 saying that she would undertake your wardrobe, 
 adding that you knew she loved you dearly.” 
 
 Mr. Benton stopped reading and leaned back 
 with a sigh in his chair. His face had whitened 
 as he read, and the lines about his mouth were 
 tightly drawn, as if he suffered and did not wisli 
 the world to know. 
 
 Clara noted it with a stinging pain at her 
 heart. She got up quickly and came to his side. 
 
 “Daddy,” she pleaded, with genuine tears in 
 her eyes, “if you send me away from you now 
 I shall simply die in the city alone. I will stay 
 with you.” 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. g 
 
 The lines so tightly drawn seemed to grow less 
 tense and a smile gathered in the corners of the 
 old gentleman’s mouth. 
 
 “God knows, Clara, that I need you more than 
 my lips can tell ; but I cannot blast your future, 
 nor take away opportunities which come only 
 once to a girl.” 
 
 “What opportunities?” asked Clara, half de- 
 fiantly. 
 
 “Those of your getting married.” 
 
 Clara’s mind worked quickly over the situa- 
 tion. She knew that she must dissuade her father 
 from the idea in her aunt’s letter, or she would 
 be bundled off to the city without a yes or no 
 from herself. This she did not intend to have. 
 So she cuddled more confidentially toward her 
 father and whispered : 
 
 “And if I tell you, dear, that I never intend to 
 get married ; that I want to stay with you in this 
 dear old house and have my horses and dogs, and 
 that I shall be perfectly happy, won’t you please 
 let me stay? Unless” — here she arose with a lit- 
 tle show of dignity — “unless you would rather 
 have me away.” 
 
 Mr. Benton laughed happily. He took the rosy 
 
0 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 face between bis hands and looked deep into the 
 pleading eyes. 
 
 “You shall stay with your daddy,” he said, de- 
 cidedly ; “only promising me this, that if you get 
 ■weary of the flowers, of your horse, of the long, 
 white roads, and, worse still, of me, then I would 
 deem it a favor for you to tell me.” 
 
 His voice had lowered in the last half of his 
 sentence and tears gathered in the proud old 
 man’s eyes. 
 
 “I shall not be tired,” replied the girl. “And 
 now give me that letter, for I shall answer it.” 
 
 Accordingly, that day a letter was on its way 
 with a decided refusal from Clara to leave her 
 father, adding that she was perfectly happy and 
 did not wish her aunt to trouble her parent with 
 vain urgings. Once, when she was rereading the 
 words, “There is a son of a family near you, so 
 
 1 hear, who makes all London blush when he 
 comes to the city,” Clara wondered who he was 
 and in what direction his home lay, and tried to 
 imagine just how he looked. His hair would, of 
 course, be worn long and flowing in reddish locks 
 about his neck. Clara’s imagination was very 
 vivid, and before the end of the morning she had 
 made herself believe that she should like this 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. J 
 
 mysterious young man who could make wicked 
 London blush, and in her girlish innocence she 
 wondered just how he went about it. But she 
 soon forgot him and London, for the old, ram- 
 bling house was filled with quaint nooks, and 
 Clara dreamed that she saw the old ghosts of the 
 departed wandering about in the familiar rooms. 
 She stood long before the pictures of stately 
 women and dignified men, trying to imagine what 
 their lives had been. 
 
 Then she went to the stables. The sun had 
 risen to its full splendor, and Clara knew that 
 no other place in all the world could be more 
 beautiful. She was a child of nature and had 
 learned her few lessons from Mother Earth. Bet- 
 ter had she learned a few heart lessons, for to 
 every girl of the type of Clara Benton they come 
 sooner or later. Now she was wholly absorbed 
 as to just how to make her father happy — to see 
 the smiles return to his face. She remembered 
 the morning, only a few months before, how 
 weary he had looked when he told her that the 
 famous London surgeon had said that he would 
 not live if a more favorable climate southward 
 were not found for him. The tears gathered 
 slowly in the girl’s eyes, for if she had one idol 
 
g UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 in her life it was her father, her darling, darling 
 father. She had quickly consented, nay, expressed 
 a desire to find a place directly, and the outcome 
 was Kent. She despised Kent, of which the worst 
 that could be said was that not one marriageable 
 man lived in the neighborhood. 
 
 Clara was thinking less of marriage than of 
 anything else just now. Her heart was as free 
 as the birds in the trees. She had no inward 
 longings, no desire for things different, and this 
 condition caused her to cling more closely to her 
 father than if she had been more worldly-wise. 
 
 She entered the stables, brushing away her 
 tears. Next to her father, she loved Rosabelle, 
 her high-spirited horse. As she opened the door 
 she heard her neigh loudly. She knew the tread 
 of the slippered feet, and lifted her head for the 
 sugar Clara never forgot to have in her pocket 
 for her. She patted and petted, rubbed and 
 brushed the sleek hide, interspersing the pats 
 with lumps of sugar. 
 
 “We’ll take a long ride,” cried thh girl; and, 
 suiting the action to the words, she drew a small 
 saddle from a box near by and, without waiting 
 for the groom, brought Rosabelle into the sun- 
 shine, where she fastened the straps with her 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 9 
 
 own small fingers, and, with one last lump of 
 sugar, she lifted her foot high in the stirrup and 
 was away up the long, white road. 
 
 It was next to flying, so Clara imagined. Rosa- 
 belle’s feet flew like four furry balls over the 
 smooth earth. The animal took on the mood of 
 her mistress. Hours went by, and still they were 
 going on, until Clara turned in her saddle to 
 view the country. It lay before her, as far as the 
 eye could reach, filled with rolling hills and cor- 
 responding valleys. 
 
 Here and there farms, well kept, stretched un- 
 til a high fence told of another. Estates belong- 
 ing to wealthy men differed only in the huge 
 stables and the immense Gothic houses, which 
 had been handed down from father to son. Clara 
 had never seen a more beautiful scene. Suddenly 
 the thought came into her mind that one of these 
 places must be the home of the boy who went to 
 London once a year. Which one? she asked of 
 herself; and then she readily forgot him again 
 and turned toward home. Her father was wait- 
 ing for her rather anxiously, fearing that she 
 might have met with an accident during her ride. 
 A groom took Rosabelle, and Clara, with her 
 father’s arm about her, went in to dinner. Her 
 
10 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 heart was filled with rejoicing. She was the one 
 human being in this man’s life that he loved with- 
 out measure, and she returned his love and devo- 
 tion. At an early date she had lost her mother, 
 and her father had filled the gap death had made. 
 
 During dinner she described what she had 
 seen. 
 
 “We’ll take that old family carriage,” said 
 Clara, “and we’ll ride for miles and miles, daddy. 
 The idea of any one wanting me to go to London, 
 when I can live here with you !” 
 
 Mr. Benton smiled feebly, and Clara noticed it. 
 “You are ill to-night,” she cried, sharply, com- 
 ing to his side. “You will always tell me when 
 you do not feel as well as usual, won’t you?” 
 
 “I assure you, child,” said Mr. Benton, “that 
 I am only a little out of sorts to-night. Your 
 aunt’s letter made more of an impression than 
 I am willing to admit. But, there, we settled 
 that long ago ; did we not?” 
 
 He spoke these soothing words because a look 
 of pain and remorse had come quickly into the 
 face that he loved so devotedly. 
 
 “I shouldn’t have gone to ride to-day,” cried 
 Clara. “Oh, I should not have left you, my dar- 
 ling!” 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. ^ 
 
 “It is nothing, nothing, Clara,” replied her 
 father, “but one of the old attacks. James gave 
 me my medicine, and now I am all right.” 
 
 But for many days after this the old gentleman 
 was ill. Clara hoped and prayed that he would 
 speedily get well. Her poor little heart ached 
 with longing and sorrow every time she looked 
 into his pain-laden face. But there came a day 
 when Mr. Benton rose from his bed, and lie and 
 Clara carried out her promise that they would 
 ride through the country. It was toward the end 
 of the week when, one morning, Clara took her 
 father, warmly wrapped — for the days were get- 
 ting cold — into the long, white road, over which 
 she had traveled but once. She pointed out the 
 things of beauty, and was rewarded by a smile 
 of pleasure coming into the white, worn face. As 
 they turned toward home, Clara noticed a horse- 
 man coming at an exceedingly rapid rate toward 
 them. But upon seeing their carriage he halted 
 and took a hasty survey of its inmates. His eyes 
 lingered long upon the pretty face of the girl. 
 Clara could describe him accurately to herself 
 afterward. Of course, this dark young man was 
 not the rogue from London, that she was sure of, 
 for where were his auburn locks and the bright 
 
22 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 blue eyes in her imagination? These belonged 
 alone to the young man of whom her aunt had 
 spoken in her letter. This fellow was as dark 
 as the darkest night. His eyes blazed black under 
 the dark lashes, and the straight hair had been 
 cropped close to his well-shaped head. He rode 
 his horse splendidly ; but Clara felt rather afraid 
 of the expression in the masterful darkness of his 
 eyes, and she was glad when the carriage passed. 
 But she felt forced to turn, and saw that the 
 rider was doing the same. He raised his hat, put 
 the spurs to his horse, and was soon out of sight. 
 All through the evening Clara felt distressed. 
 She should not have turned around. It was rude 
 and inexcusable on her part. However, she did 
 not mention the matter to her father, and, as the 
 old gentleman did not feel so well during the 
 evening, tending to him put the episode out of 
 her mind. 
 
 But it had an opportunity to return before the 
 next twenty-four hours. The following morning 
 her father felt so much better that he urged her 
 to take a short ride on Rosabelle. And when the 
 girl had repeatedly shaken her head, her father 
 had gone to the extreme measure of threatening 
 to send her to London if she did not go out every 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. ^3 
 
 day and get what little pleasure the country af- 
 forded. So she rode slowly out into the open 
 country road and did not urge her horse to a run. 
 She wanted to think. They had come into this 
 new town for the health of her dear one, and yet 
 she had never seen him in a worse spell than that 
 of the night before. Tears gathered in the bright 
 eyes. How could she endure to see him suffer 
 when she loved him so? With these thoughts in 
 her mind, and her heart leaping with fear, she 
 did not notice that some one had ridden up close 
 to her side. 
 
 “You will pardon me,” said a deep voice. “The 
 strap underneath your horse is loose. May I ar- 
 range it for you?” 
 
 Turning, Clara saw the dark-faced young man 
 who had looked back at her the day before. Some- 
 thing in his voice caused her to accede to his re- 
 quest. He leaped from his saddle and in a twink- 
 ling had girded Rosabelle as she should have 
 been. Clara felt the blood creeping to her face. 
 She felt somehow that she owed this young man 
 an apology for staring about at him; but, then, 
 he had done the same to her. This thought turned 
 out the desire to tell him that she regretted her 
 action, and without a word he again vaulted into 
 
14 UNDER THE NORTH STAR, 
 
 his saddle. But he did not leave Clara, as she 
 expected he would. 
 
 “I believe you have taken Kent Manor, have 
 you not?” he asked, as they rode slowly along. 
 “I thought I remembered the old family carriage 
 you were in yesterday. And I heard that it had 
 been rented.” 
 
 He gave this long speech because he saw that 
 Clara’s lips were tightly closed, and he did not 
 want an awkward pause. The moment he had 
 seen her riding he had decided to make friends 
 with her. Clara nodded her head in answer to 
 his question. But she did not speak. Seeing her 
 shyness, he went on : 
 
 “You have the finest place about here, with the 
 exception of ours, which is larger and the house 
 more commodious.” 
 
 Here he paused and laughed a little. 
 
 “I could almost tell you what is in your mind 
 now at this moment — the story of the crow: 
 ‘Every old crow,’ ” and he hummed the tune, 
 which Clara had heard so many times. 
 
 This made her smile. She fancied she would 
 rather like this young man with his large quan- 
 tity of nerve. She always had thought that if a 
 knight should come riding to her, some far future 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. yg 
 
 day, he would have to take her heart by storm, 
 for he could win her no other way. But after 
 she had told the story of her father’s illness, and 
 of their coming to Kent because of Mr. Benton’s 
 bad health, she turned to listen to something 
 about himself with interest. 
 
 “This has been my home always. I seldom 
 leave, unless for the few months in winter I run 
 up to London. I have some dear old aunts there, 
 and I know I make their lives miserable while 
 I’m with them, for they told my father that their 
 days would be shortened worrying about me. I’m 
 sorry for them, but a fellow must have a little 
 fun once in a while.” 
 
 So, then, this was the young man who made 
 London suffer from shame — this dignified, dark 
 young man, who seemed now, as he rode upon his 
 black horse, the very essence of propriety. 
 
 “Where do your aunts live?” asked the girl, 
 lightly. 
 
 “Well, the fact is, they are outside of the city 
 a small distance, and, of course, it takes me a 
 time to get home early in the morning. And, be- 
 lieve me, they sit up until the break of dawn 
 waiting for me to put in an appearance.” 
 
 “And you always do?” questioned Clara, grave- 
 
IQ UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 ly, not smiling at the grief of the old ladies oyer 
 their dissolute nephew. 
 
 “No,” reluctantly replied the young man ; “not 
 always. I say that they should be reasonable 
 with me and let me take my own gait. A fellow 
 has to sow his wild oats some time, and if not 
 before he is married, then afterward. I am sow- 
 ing mine before.” 
 
 Clara shuddered. She had always been directly 
 opposed to such a doctrine. Why should a man 
 dare to say that he had to do wicked things, and 
 then frown down upon the girl who did the same? 
 She was losing a certain amount of respect for 
 her dark companion, whose name she had not 
 heard. 
 
 “But, there,” he said, looking into her face and 
 reading her antagonistic thoughts, “you don’t 
 believe in the old adage that boys will be boys?” 
 
 Clara shook her head negatively. 
 
 “I have always contended,” she replied, in a 
 low tone, “that it was the moral duty of every 
 man to be as good as he demanded his wife to be.” 
 
 A ringing laugh was her answer. 
 
 “What a queer old world you would have this 
 be ! Half of London would close its doors if such 
 were the case.” But nevertheless there came into 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 17 
 
 his mind the shadow of a regret that he had not 
 lived a better life, because he thought he read dis- 
 approval upon the beautiful, high-bred face near 
 him. 
 
 “You see/’ he went on, lamely, trying to make 
 an excuse for himself, which he felt reasonably 
 sure that Clara would not accept, “you see, a fel- 
 low is taught from the time he goes into trousers 
 that he is to have more liberty than girls. We 
 are only, and always will be, creatures of circum- 
 stance and of our environments.” 
 
 Still Clara did not speak. She would not ar- 
 gue with him. In fact, she had lost all admira- 
 tion for him. But his for her was evidently in- 
 creasing, for he went on quickly : 
 
 “I don’t want to defend a man for ill-treating 
 a woman — you must see that; but I am just try- 
 ing to explain that a man must have some experi- 
 ence before he can make a good husband.” 
 
 “I know what you are trying to explain,” re- 
 plied Clara, without a shadow of a smile upon 
 her face. 
 
 “And you do not agree with me?” 
 
 “No — indeed not. I should be sorry if I should 
 ever change my mind upon that point.” 
 
 “Then you mean that if a man could not assure 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 you that he was in the past as good as you are 
 yourself you would not marry him?” 
 
 “I would not ask him to assure me. I should 
 know. There is a saying, you know, that murder 
 will out, and so it will.” 
 
 They had lowered the gait of their horses until 
 now they were walking. Beyond lay the small 
 town of Kent, and once Clara lifted her eyes and 
 could see the house in which she and her father 
 lived so happily together, and her heart thrilled 
 with thanksgiving, for here was a being who was 
 absolutely true to her in thought and deed, and 
 she loved him always, for she knew that he had 
 been true to her mother. She remembered that 
 day when, dying, lmr mother had clasped the 
 hand of her husband and, after consigning the 
 welfare of their child to him, had said : 
 
 “Thank you, darling husband, for being so 
 true, so upright and gifted always, and for mak- 
 ing my life a paradise upon earth.” 
 
 Clara remembered this as if it had been said 
 yesterday. And now again she shuddered as she 
 wondered what kind of a life the woman would 
 lead who would take this handsome black-eyed 
 stranger at her side for better or for worse, for 
 as long as they both should live. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 19 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 “I HAVE not told you my name, nor you me 
 yours. I should like to know your father. I be- 
 lieve we could become better friends; could we 
 not?” 
 
 Clara inclined her head. She had no objec- 
 tions to remaining friends with this young stran- 
 ger ; in fact, she rather wished it. But she would 
 ask her father if he might be allowed to come to 
 the house. 
 
 “It is my father’s home,” replied the girl, “but 
 I am sure that you are welcome. My name is 
 Clara Benton.” 
 
 “Clara Benton. Clara Benton.” 
 
 He repeated the name twice, lingering over the 
 last words as a nun might linger over her beads, 
 lovingly. 
 
 “My name is Richard Wardon,” he added, as 
 the girl held out her hand. “I shall do myself 
 the honor of visiting your father in the very near 
 future.” 
 
 Clara watched him as he cantered away, and 
 
20 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 she was still watching him as he turned in his 
 saddle and, seeing her, lifted his hat and disap- 
 peared. She told her father of the experience, 
 and Clara thought she read a slight disapproval 
 in his face as she recounted what had been said to 
 her. But when she repeated that he was coming 
 to call upon him, Mr. Benton’s face relaxed a 
 little. 
 
 “You must be careful, my child,” he chided, 
 “about making the acquaintance of strangers in 
 a country of which you know nothing. I fear for 
 your charming, friendly nature. You have no 
 idea that there is great wickedness in the world.” 
 
 “Yes, I have, daddy,” replied the girl. “I be- 
 lieve that this young man is very wicked when 
 he goes to London. He makes his aunties sit up 
 all night for him, and then does not come home 
 at all.” 
 
 “Did he tell you this?” interrogated Mr. Ben- 
 ton. 
 
 “Yes; and I told him I thought a man ought 
 to be as good as the woman he expected to 
 marry.” 
 
 “Your conversation grew rather personal, 
 didn’t it, dear?” asked Clara’s father, drily. 
 “What else did he say?” 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. £1 
 
 “That young men were better for sowing their 
 wild oats. That they would do it some time or 
 other, and before marriage was better than after- 
 ward.” 
 
 “Rubbish!” ejaculated Mr. Benton. “That’s 
 an idea that long ago exploded, and many good 
 countries went with it. In my opinion, there is 
 as much need for a man to be good as for a 
 woman.” 
 
 “I think so, too,” replied Clara, “and I was not 
 afraid to tell him so. He thought at first, I think, 
 that I would laugh at the manner in which he 
 treated his poor old aunts, but I didn’t. But he 
 is coming to call, and maybe he won’t be so bad, 
 after all.” 
 
 “And we can’t expect all the world to think in 
 the same way we do, can we, birdie? There, now, 
 run to bed and get your beauty-sleep, or the roses 
 
 will fade from your cheeks.” 
 
 ******* 
 
 In another home about a mile distant a young 
 man stood with his back turned toward a grate 
 fire. He was tall, straight and lithe of limb, 
 while his black eyes were dreamily fixed upon a 
 large setter dog lying at his feet. 
 
 “A penny for your thoughts, Dick,” said a 
 
22 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 handsome elderly gentleman, near enough like 
 the younger one to know that they were father 
 and son. 
 
 ‘■What sort of folks live in the manor, do you 
 know, father?” Dick asked, without heeding the 
 old adage. 
 
 “I’ve heard they were very nice,” was the re- 
 ply, “although I know nothing of them; father 
 and daughter, so the butler says. You know, he 
 is a brother to James, who is over there.” 
 
 Dick nodded with an air of question. 
 
 Seeing his interest, Mr. Wardon continued : 
 
 “The servants will gossip, you know, Dick, and 
 from them I learned that the daughter is a 
 beauty, while the old man is an invalid and not 
 expected to live long. James says that the girl 
 is devoted to her father.” 
 
 “I can believe it,” replied Dick; and, although 
 his father glanced keenly at him, he gave no fur- 
 ther information. 
 
 The subject was changed almost instantly. 
 
 “I suppose you will get ready for London 
 soon ?.” asked the old man, later. 
 
 “I’ve rather changed my mind about London 
 this winter, father, and I suppose Aunt Maria 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. £3 
 
 will be disappointed.” And here the ringing 
 laugh echoed through the room. 
 
 The father laughed also. He seemed to be one 
 in sympathy with this handsome son of his. 
 
 “Your aunts say a great deal more than they 
 mean. However, if they restrict you too much in 
 your pleasures, you may have an apartment of 
 your own. That way you could do as you please.” 
 The color flooded into the dark face of Dick 
 Wardon as he remembered a beautiful, proud 
 face, so grave in its innocence and youth. He 
 would have given worlds then to be able to say 
 that his life had been along the same lines as her 
 own. 
 
 “I don’t think I shall go to London this sea- 
 son,” he said, after a few moments’ silence. “I’m 
 getting tired of the same old thing. May I have 
 a few friends down here?” 
 
 Before replying, the father looked at the son 
 as if he thought that he had taken leave of his 
 senses. Then he replied slowly : 
 
 “Dick, you may do as you like. But after so 
 many seasons in London you will be lonely, I 
 know. Is there any reason why you should not 
 go to London?” 
 
24 
 
 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 There was a suspicious ring in the father’s 
 tones, and he looked inquiringly at his son. 
 
 “None whatever,” was the curt reply. “I may 
 be settling down; who knows?” And again a 
 sweet face, the sweetest Richard Wardon had 
 ever seen, floated about in his cigar smoke. He 
 said no more about London, but his father no- 
 ticed that he began to prepare for the winter in 
 the country. It must have been as Richard had 
 said — he was settling down. Then the fears of 
 all the female portion of the family had been for 
 naught. For a long time after Richard had gone 
 to bed the father sat thinking of his son. This 
 boy was all that was left to him out of a lot of 
 children. Even the mother had been taken. 
 
 He had known all along that, although the boy 
 was rash, he was not bad at heart. He was al- 
 most glad that Dick had decided to stay at home 
 that year. It would put the lie in the teeth of his 
 enemies that he cared for nothing but rioting. 
 But never did it occur to this man that the boy 
 whom he idolized had met his fate that very day 
 upon the broad, smooth road in the shape of the 
 pretty daughter of the sick man of the manor. 
 
 (. In his chamber Richard Wardon was taking a 
 solemn oath. “For her sake,” he was saying 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 25 
 
 feverishly to himself, “I will live down that Lon- 
 don past. She will never know just how bad it 
 was, for I shall keep her from those who might 
 tell her. I will show Clara Benton that I can 
 be a man and have repentance enough to live 
 above what has gone by.” 
 
 That night he dreamed that Clara came to him 
 and said that she loved another ; that his life had 
 been such that she could not blend hers with his. 
 And he remembered long afterward the agony of 
 that moment when he had awakened, and the 
 dream had been so vivid that it had seemed true. 
 He sobbed aloud in thanksgiving, and it w r as a 
 long time before he could settle his thoughts to 
 sleep. 
 
 Clara, in her bed, also dreamed of him ; but it 
 was with a shudder and not a sigh that she 
 awoke. 
 
 “I saw another face,” she whispered to herself, 
 “a, good face. How I should love to see that face 
 again !” 
 
 Alas for the fate of Dick Wardon! The girl 
 dropped asleep with a satisfied sigh that dreams 
 always went by contrariwise, and that probably 
 he had a little girl somewhere whom he loved, or 
 
26 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 maybe be looked at all attractive girls as be had 
 looked at her. 
 
 ******* 
 
 The winter opened, and, although it was mild, 
 yet it was necessary to have fires. Clara was 
 beginning to become acquainted with some of the 
 young people of the country round about, but 
 she always found that wherever she went Richard 
 Wardon was her escort. She was growing to like 
 him better, for had he not given up going to Lon- 
 don? Maybe he was not so bad, after all, and the 
 old maid aunts had made a mistake. He was an 
 excellent escort, dancing beautifully, and always 
 ready to obey her slightest wish, until Clara al- 
 most desired that he would differ with her in 
 some things; but she never reasoned to herself 
 that he was in love with her. In fact, he had kept 
 his lips sealed all through the winter months to 
 give her a chance to forget that he had lived in 
 London in a manner that she disapproved of. He 
 knew now that he would not have her think other- 
 wise. She was too good and too pure to condone 
 sin even in the man she might love. Her father’s 
 improving health gave Clara happier days, but 
 she always refused to leave him when she saw the 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 27 
 
 lines tighten about his lips or a fatigued expres- 
 sion come over his face. 
 
 But when his eyes sparkled and his hand was 
 moist she would yield to his importunities and 
 go with Richard to ride or to a dance, where 
 merrymaking was the occupation of the hour. 
 
 So when the day came that he told her of his 
 love she was stunned, hurt, and severely proud, 
 imagining that he could be her constant com- 
 panion for so many beautiful months and come 
 out heart-whole. She had done it, why not he? 
 Her father was daily growing stronger and every- 
 thing was in a happy state. She had noticed that 
 Richard always protected her in every way, but, 
 then, she believed that she would have done the 
 same for him. How many times she had enter- 
 tained him highly, and had even forbidden the 
 servants to wait upon him. They had been to a 
 party, and had come home early because Clara 
 had worried a little about her father. The hour 
 being reasonable, she had asked her escort to stay 
 an hour or so. Here he took the opportunity. 
 Mr. Benton had retired and Clara had assured 
 herself that he was sleeping nicely, and she was 
 sitting very quietly in the cosy library, where a 
 wood fire threw out its grateful heat. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 28 
 
 “Clara,” began Richard, “we have known each 
 other a very long time.” 
 
 “Have we?” she murmured, frankly. “It seems 
 always to me. I believe, Dick, you are one of 
 those chaps that a girl feels at home with almost 
 as soon as she meets him.” 
 
 “Do you, Clara?” exclaimed Dick, delightedly. 
 “I’ve wanted you to feel that wav, for, Clara, I 
 want you to marry me. You see,” he went on, 
 hastily, “I’m awfully sorry about those thought- 
 less and foolish words I spoke the first day I met 
 you. I know they’ve always been upon your 
 mind. But I can live that down — I know I can. 
 London is a big place, and I wasn’t any worse 
 than many other fellows there.” 
 
 There was something in her face that startled 
 him — something that gave him misgivings and 
 sent the blood into his face warmly. It was a 
 mingling of friendship without love, disapproval, 
 and, most of all, regret. It was as if she looked 
 upon the last of her happy winter as if she were 
 saying good-bye to a dead friend. 
 
 “Clara, if you tell me that you don’t love me, 
 I don’t know what I won’t do. I’m such a reck- 
 less devil.” 
 
 “Go back to London and do worse than be- 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 29 
 
 fore?” she asked, bitterly, rising also. “There, 
 Dick, that was unkind of me to say that. I do 
 beg your pardon ; but don’t let’s speak of it again. 
 I don’t love you the way you do me, and can’t 
 you forget for a time that you have spoken ?” 
 
 “No, I can’t,” replied Dick, a dangerous light 
 leaping into his eyes. “I simply cannot. You 
 must love me, Clara, you must !” 
 
 He was down at her side now, his voice filled 
 with desperate appeal, his eyes pleading for his 
 happiness. 
 
 “Don’t, Dick,” begged the girl ; “don’t. I can’t 
 change my heart any more than can you. Wait 
 a while and see if one of us does not change a 
 little.” 
 
 This was poor consolation, but Dick had to 
 acquiesce to her desire. For many days they 
 were both miserable, and the father of each noted 
 the difference in his child. 
 
 One evening Dick said to Clara : 
 
 “If I could do something to make you love 
 
 me ” and here he halted. 
 
 “Maybe I should if you did something,” and 
 ever afterward the girl repented her words. Sud- 
 denly there leaped into her mind a queer sensa- 
 tion and her eyes took on an unseeing look. She 
 
3Q UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 began to talk in a rambling manner. When she 
 aroused herself Dick was shaking her furiously, 
 and her eyes were blood-red. 
 
 “Clara, what were you saying? Your face is 
 still pale. What about boats and such things?” 
 
 The girl rubbed her eyes and looked steadily. 
 
 “I was looking into the future,” she said, with 
 a sorry smile, “and I saw you far away from all 
 you love, and you were working to live down your 
 past.” 
 
 “For you?” he asked, forlornly. 
 
 She nodded her head. 
 
 “And that’s what I shall do,” he replied quick- 
 ly. “You shall see me a man some of these 
 days, a real man, one for whom you shall not have 
 the blush of shame upon your face.” 
 
 He turned away, and Clara realized after he 
 had gone that it had been a sob she had heard in 
 his voice. Before she could say anything the 
 man had disappeared, and Clara Benton knew 
 that she had had a glimpse of the future, knew 
 that some state had been placed upon her where- 
 by she had looked into the coming days of her 
 lover. It had left her weak and tired, and after 
 she had gone to bed she lay thinking a long time 
 over what she had seen. To-morrow she would 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 31 
 
 tell Richard that he must never think of her as 
 his wife, that, she did not love him and desired 
 him only as a friend. But this she knew would 
 pain him, but better be truthful than deceitful. 
 With these thoughts in her mind she dropped 
 into a feverish sleep, and did not awaken until 
 her maid was tapping upon the door. 
 
 * <3 f * * * * * 
 
 When Richard Wardon reached home he found 
 his father still reading in the library. His fine 
 face lighted up with genuine pleasure when he 
 saw who his visitor was. 
 
 “I may come in?” and without waiting Rich- 
 ard was seated beside Mr. Wardon in front of 
 the grate fire. 
 
 Suddenly the elder man noticed the odd expres- 
 sion of his son’s face. 
 
 “Something has happened,” he said, slowly. 
 “I’m sure it’s something dreadful.” 
 
 He half arose, but Dick motioned him to be 
 
 seated. 
 
 “ ’Tis nothing ; only I have had a shock. I 
 asked Miss Benton to marry me and — she — has 
 refused.” 
 
 “Refused you !” ejaculated Wardon. “That 
 girl refused you !” 
 
32 
 
 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 “Yes. ’Twas her right, wasn’t it?” 
 
 “But think of it. Her father can’t even own a 
 
 place. James tells me ” 
 
 Dick waved his hand imperiously for silence. 
 “If she were as poor as a church mouse, if she 
 had nothing in the world but her own dear self, 
 she would then be a thousand times too good for 
 me. Oh, father, why didn’t you tell me that some 
 time I would regret my life in London? that some 
 time a good woman would refuse me happiness 
 because of it?” 
 
 “If that’s the reason,” slowly began Mr. War- 
 don, “then she’s a fool. There is much in a man’s 
 life that a woman must wink at.” 
 
 “Not Clara Benton’s kind,” replied Dick ; “and 
 the main question is, how am I going to make a 
 man of myself and win her love, for I shall go 
 to the dogs if I don’t.” 
 
 “Whew !” whistled Mr. Wardon. “Is it as bad 
 as that? I’m so sorry, so very, very sorry. But 
 what do you want me to do?” 
 
 “Help me get a commission of a ship for, say, 
 two or three years, where I can make a man of 
 myself. She will wait for me, I know, and God 
 knows I would do more than that for her.” 
 
 There was silence for a while, and Dick noted 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 33 
 
 that his father furtively took out his handker- 
 chief. 
 
 “You’re all I have left, boy,” said he, after a 
 while. 
 
 “I know it, daddy; but you wouldn’t keep me 
 home here with a breaking heart, when I can 
 make something out of myself and then be a de- 
 cent citizen after that?” 
 
 The elder man shook his head at the appeal 
 in Dick’s voice, and suddenly he got up and went 
 to the desk and began drawing papers toward 
 him. He handed Dick a letter, and when he had 
 read it he commanded : 
 
 “Write and say that I accept; that to-morrow 
 I shall be ready to start, and will be there by the 
 time the steamer is ready. I shall go up to Lon- 
 don and say good-bye to both the poor old aunts, 
 and then ” 
 
 Dick had his father by the hand, holding it 
 close. They looked into each other’s eyes, these 
 two men who had been all in all one to the other, 
 and then Dick broke away and the elder man 
 seated himself by the grate fire and was there 
 long after the embers had died out. 
 
 The next day Clara looked in vain for Richard. 
 She knew that he would come soon. She had not 
 
34 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 been able to go out on her horse, because her 
 father had been a little worse. It was not until 
 the third day after Dick’s declaration of love that 
 she saw him. She was sitting upon the little 
 vine-covered porch with her fancy work, when 
 he bounded to her side. 
 
 She rose to her feet and held out her hand. 
 His face was pale, and she knew that he had been 
 suffering. 
 
 “Clara, Clara, listen. I am going as you said — 
 away off to South Africa, and you are to wait for 
 me. I claim you as my wife. In two years I shall 
 be back, and then, God, what a happy man I 
 shall be!” 
 
 He only hesitated a moment before pressing the 
 girl close to his heart and imprinting kiss after 
 kiss upon the sweet upturned face. Passion 
 blazed in his dark eyes, while Clara felt that she 
 was being dragged down from some high ideal 
 that had taken her years to reach. 
 
 In an instant, before she could argue with him, 
 he was gone. She called after him, but he did 
 not hear, and that night, when she sent a note 
 asking that she might see him, it was returned 
 unopened, with only a polite regret from the pri- 
 vate secretary of Mr. Wardon that both gentle- 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 35 
 
 men had gone to London and he did not know 
 when they would return. So Clara had to be con- 
 tent to wait until she could send a letter ex- 
 plaining just how it had happened that she had 
 given him false hope, if that was what he was 
 entertaining. 
 
 Then her father was taken very ill. The house 
 became dark; famous men took up their abode 
 there. The angel of death entered and took away 
 the beloved, and Clara was left alone. Poor lit- 
 tle Clara Benton, without friends or foes, fol- 
 lowed her father to his last resting place, and 
 then gathered together the few things she loved 
 and went to London to the home of her aunts, 
 where she lived the following year as one in a 
 dream. In fact, so many times had the spells 
 of second sight come to her that she had begun 
 to feel that Richard Wardon would, after all, 
 play a prominent part in her life. She had seen 
 him fighting in the front of battle; she had seen 
 him holding out his hands to her, and once she 
 had dreamed with terrible reality that he was 
 forcing her to the altar against her will. She 
 had awakened with a shudder, and every day her 
 cross seemed heavier to bear. 
 
36 
 
 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Clara had met but few people, her deep 
 mourning keeping her from entering the brilliant 
 society into which her aunts had longed to take 
 her. The constant recurring of this habit of 
 looking into the future was making the girl thin 
 and pale. She had lost the high color which had 
 been one of her chief charms in the County of 
 Kent, and the blind old aunts did not notice that 
 there was anything the matter. 
 
 But there came to the house a friend for whom 
 Clara had more than a friendly affection. She 
 was the wife of a lieutenant of the English navy, 
 a dear, rattling little woman, whom everybody 
 loved, and none found cause to hate. She adored 
 her husband, and he thought no less of her. She 
 had chosen Clara Benton as her own protegee, 
 and, as the girl grew to love the woman, they were 
 much together. 
 
 Clara was now beginning to go out a little, as 
 her father had been dead almost two years. She 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. gj 
 
 had left off the heavy black with a feeling of rev- 
 erence in her heart. Her darling had never liked 
 her in such grewsome raiments; but it was the 
 custom, and she had no other home than those of 
 her relatives, so she had listened and dressed her- 
 self in the blackest of crepe. 
 
 One evening Mrs. Craton called Clara up on 
 the ’phone, asking that she might be allowed to 
 bring one of her husband’s friends with her to 
 call. She described him as being a delightful 
 fellow, one with all the vigor of youth, and yet 
 such a reputable past that any girl would be glad 
 of his acquaintance. Clara was just beginning 
 to open her eyes and to take interest in youth 
 again. She had mourned so sincerely for her 
 father that the years had seemed almost as 
 months in their flight. 
 
 Imagine her surprise when she stood holding 
 for an instant the hand of a gentleman with 
 whom she seemed to have had an acquaintance. 
 
 “Lieutenant Frank Alden,” announced Mrs. 
 Craton, swelling with pride as she presented him. 
 Where had Clara seen him before? She was so 
 abstracted that she considered it necessary to 
 explain her rudeness by saying that she believed 
 she had met Mr. Alden a very long time ago. 
 
38 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 That gentleman gallantly replied that it was -im- 
 possible, for had he met her he would never have 
 forgotten her. There was a manner about him 
 that constantly called Richard Wardon to her 
 mind, and she felt a sigh of relief, when she 
 looked at the finely formed body of Mrs. Craton’s 
 friend, and his long, curly locks of auburn hair, 
 that she had been sensible enough to refuse to 
 marry Dick. His passion had stirred her only 
 to disgust. She had liked him as a friend, but 
 not as a lover. 
 
 Suddenly as she stood talking to the young 
 man, whom she was more positive than ever she 
 had met, she began to feel the dizziness of second 
 sight. She was back in Kent and living over the 
 time when she had first heard of Richard War- 
 don. Her father was before her with an open 
 letter. He was telling her that in that neighbor- 
 hood lived a young man who was so wild when in 
 London that the whole city blushed with shame 
 for his pranks. 
 
 Then a thought as to how he looked rushed into 
 her mind, and Frank Alden was the very man 
 she had thought to be Richard — the auburn hair, 
 the laughing eyes, and the boyish expression; 
 above all, the perfect frankness and honesty with 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 39 
 
 which he talked. She gathered herself together 
 with the feeling that this man was going to be 
 a factor in her life, an influence for good, just 
 opposite to that of Dick’s. Her hand shook, and 
 those about her noted the pallor of her face. 
 
 She crushed, down the feeling and with an ef- 
 fort laughed off the spell ; but that night when 
 she was alone she knew that Richard Wardon 
 and Frank Alden were to be the two influences 
 in her life for good and evil. 
 
 There was now great talk of the Admiral’s ball 
 which was to be held upon the flagship, and Clara 
 and Mrs. Craton looked eagerly forward with de- 
 light to that event. 
 
 The evening arriving, there was a flutter of ex- 
 citement among the female portion of the party 
 as the officers paraded for their benefit in their 
 full-dress uniforms on the deck of the ship, in 
 full sight of all. Mrs. Craton swelled with pride 
 as she saw her husband showing off his finely 
 cut clothes and his well molded form. Mrs. Cra- 
 ton never saw virtue in any man but this one 
 who was her own especial property. 
 
 “If you could get one like him, Clara,” she was 
 saying as the officers strolled past; “but, then, 
 
40 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 that’s impossible, for there is not another like 
 him anywhere.” 
 
 Clara laughed, but smothered it as Mrs. Craton 
 continued : 
 
 “Now, there’s Alden; he is such a nice fellow; 
 of course, not like my Will, but I’d rather see you 
 his wife than any one else’s.” 
 
 “Don’t you think I had better wait until he 
 asks me, Lucy, dear? Do you think it would be 
 just right if I should propose to him?” 
 
 “Of course not, silly child,” replied Mrs. Cra- 
 ton, seriously, who, by the way, was an English- 
 woman, and for whom it was hard to see through 
 even the slightest joke. 
 
 Then she saw her husband coming toward her. 
 His face had grown ghastly, and she ran to meet 
 him. 
 
 “Will, dear,” she gasped, “there is something 
 the matter. You have heard bad news.” 
 
 “Only that we have been ordered away from 
 here, and I shall leave you for God knows how 
 long. Heavens, such a life ! I sometimes cannot 
 bear it even for my Queen.” 
 
 Lucy Craton lifted her small gloved hand and 
 covered the lips of the speaker. She knew that 
 of all loyal men in the world this husband was 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 the one. She knew the strength of his love for 
 his country and his Queen. But she, too, felt the 
 tremor of separation, and tears slowly filled her 
 eyes. 
 
 “We must be brave, Will, dear,” she whispered, 
 and, now that they were alone upon deck, she 
 put up her lips for a kiss, which he ardently gave 
 her. 
 
 “I can’t be brave and happy to-night, Lucy. I 
 wanted to be home with you at least a month. 
 They have no mercy upon a fellow in this busi- 
 ness.” 
 
 Again the small fingers were raised to the dis- 
 senting lips. 
 
 “I don’t mean to make it harder for you, little 
 woman,” he said slowly, taking her in his arms, 
 “but you have no idea what it means never to 
 see the face you love best in the world for so 
 many weary weeks and months. But, there, dar- 
 ling, I’m not going to spoil your evening, nor am 
 I going to say things that will cause me to regret 
 afterward. Lucy, haven’t I tried to be a good 
 chap to you?” 
 
 “The very noblest in all the world,” she ex- 
 claimed, with a catching sob in hen breath. 
 
 Just then they heard a low laugh. Turning, 
 
42 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 they both saw Captain Harding standing before 
 them. 
 
 “I declare,” he shouted, loudly and with great 
 good humor, “I believe that you two people will 
 spoon in heaven, in spite of the presence of the 
 angels. Shame, shame! Come and rejoice that 
 we are again on duty.” 
 
 “Captain,” and Craton’s voice shook a little 
 with emotion, “would you rejoice if you were go- 
 ing to leave a woman like that? It’s all right 
 with you, for you haven’t any one to leave. 
 But ” 
 
 Here he stopped and turned away. His earnest 
 words had caused the jollity to fade from Hard- 
 ing’s manner, and he responded earnestly : 
 
 “Will, old fellow, I’ll tell you right now that 
 I don’t believe if I had one like her all the king’s 
 horses and all the king’s men could ever make 
 me leave her. I wish I had a wife.” 
 
 “Well, Captain,” and Lucy Craton looked after 
 her husband, as he stood at the edge of the ship, 
 “while you are away I shall find you a beautiful 
 woman, and she shall be your wife when you come 
 back. 
 
 “But you have not told me how soon you leave, 
 I suppose we have a week at least?” 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 43 
 
 The Captain precipitately fled, while Craton 
 took his wife in his arms. 
 
 “Sweetheart,” he whispered, “we are going in 
 just one hour and a half. That means, darling, 
 that I do not spend one moment of the time away 
 from your side. Lucy, Lucy, the woman does not 
 breathe who is your equal.” 
 
 “That may be, dear. I am always saying the 
 same thing about you. But, Will, have you every- 
 thing with you to make you comfortable? Think 
 well now, for that northwest passage is terribly 
 cold.” She shuddered at the words. She could 
 not believe that in a little while, such a very little 
 while, her husband would be gone. 
 
 Just at this moment Clara appeared at the 
 door of the saloon and called Lucy. 
 
 “Why, Lucy, did you know the boat goes so 
 soon? I never want to dance again. Oh, I feel 
 as if something awful was going to happen — 
 something different.” Her eyes had taken on 
 that look of almost insanity, and she drew Lucy 
 away from her husband’s side. 
 
 “Don’t, Clara,” soothed Mrs. Craton. “I know 
 just how you feel. I can’t express it myself.” 
 
 Suddenly there appeared on Clara’s face an 
 expression of horror. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 44 
 
 “He is coming home,” she cried. “I am lost, 
 lost !” 
 
 Mrs. Craton took Clara’s hand in hers and 
 forced her to a seat. 
 
 “You shall tell me all about it. I know that 
 you have a habit of seeing things which must be 
 very disagreeable to you. Now tell me, for we 
 will soon have to say good-bye to all these dear 
 boys.” 
 
 “If I only dared to tell you, dear,” sobbed 
 Clara, after she had lost sight of the vision. 
 
 “You must tell me nowiand here. I shall know. 
 Has that stupid boy Frank been saying some- 
 thing to make you feel badly?” 
 
 “No, no, not that. But, Lucy, I do feel as if 
 he loved me. He shows it in every move he makes, 
 and I do not dare to love him in return.” 
 
 “Why not, pray?” There was a sharp tone in 
 Lucy’s voice that impelled Clara to lean over and 
 take the delicate fingers in hers. 
 
 “Don’t be angry with me, dear,” she implored ; 
 “don’t, for then I would have no friend in all 
 the world, and I need you, Lucy; I need you.” 
 
 “Then tell me why you can’t marry Frank 
 Alden.” 
 
 ’Twas a pitiful story when all told : How she, 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 45 
 
 * 
 
 Clara, had received attentions from the hand- 
 some Richard Wardon, his declaration of love, 
 and his hasty departure from home, leaving her 
 no chance to tell him that she could never be his 
 wife; and now that happiness had come to her 
 she did not dare to extend her hand to take it 
 “But why did you not write to him?” asked the 
 practical Lucy. 
 
 “I did, twice; but what was the use? One let- 
 ter came back to me the same as I sent it. The 
 other missed his ship in some way, for he sent 
 me no answer.” 
 
 “But he is not in this part of the world,” ex- 
 postulated Lucy. “Why do you borrow trouble 
 until you have to? Don’t cross the bridge until 
 you come to it.” 
 
 “But he is here in Liverpool now, at this mo- 
 ment. And God knows what will become of me!” 
 “Don’t be foolish, Clara, don’t. He can’t make 
 you marry him if you do not wish. But let me 
 tell you this: If you think you are in any way 
 bound to him, then don’t promise Frank to marry 
 him, for I know he will ask you before the ship 
 goes. Be a good girl and resist the temptation,, 
 and then you will be happier in the end.” 
 
 As they sat thoughtfully for a moment, a stir 
 
40 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 on the deck caused them both to look up. Frank 
 Alden stood there, with a resolute expression in 
 nis eyes. He was silently demanding something, 
 and each woman in her heart knew what it was. 
 
 Mrs. Craton rose and went away to find her 
 husband and Frank sank down upon the chair 
 beside Clara. 
 
 “I’ve never wanted to see any one so badly in 
 all my life,” said he, breaking the silence with a 
 sigh. “You see, I am going away so soon, and 
 I have something of such importance to say to 
 you.” 
 
 Clara lifted her hands appealingly. 
 
 “Will you wait until you return from your ex- 
 pedition before telling me?” she faltered, slowly 
 lifting her eyes, now filled with tears. 
 
 “I can’t,” breathed the man ; “I simply can’t. 
 You know what it is. I love you. And I am not 
 deceived — I know that I have your love in re- 
 turn.” 
 
 Clara dropped her face in her hands. She was 
 living over again the agony of her father’s death, 
 when she had seen him go away into that un- 
 known place, leaving her alone, while her plead- 
 ings fell upon empty ears. Frank Alden was 
 drifting from her life, and she was powerless to 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 47 
 
 hold him long. She dared not allow him to 
 breathe one word of his passion, although her na- 
 ture told her that she returned all or even more 
 than he felt for her. Again the vision of the re- 
 turning steamer and the dark-browed man watch- 
 ing the home-coming shores and thinking of her. 
 If she had only told him that day ; but she knew 
 too well that he would not have listened to her. 
 
 The minutes were rushing on. She could hear 
 the loud breathing of the man at her side, min- 
 gled with the lapping of the waves. She could 
 even hear above it all the beatings of her own 
 heart, and she felt that if Frank should take her 
 
 in his arms 
 
 Just then he spoke. 
 
 “I may tell you now,” he said at last, chok- 
 ingly, “ I love you. Why should I wait? You 
 are mine and no man dare take you from me.” 
 
 She made no answer, and when he gently drew 
 her head to his shoulder and lifted her lips to his 
 she allowed her feelings to guide her actions. 
 When the call came for those on board to say 
 good-bye she had become the promised wife of 
 Frank Alden. She had tasted of the joys and the 
 bitterness of life. She would face that home- 
 coming man with a decision he could not mistake. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 48 
 
 As they walked in she said, hysterically : 
 
 “Frank, Frank, dear, promise me you won’t 
 tell any one that I have sworn to be your wife. 
 Keep the secret until I give you permission to 
 tell it; will you?” 
 
 “If you wish,” he replied, gravely, “I will keep 
 the secret; but I do not see the reason.” And 
 she dared not tell him why, dared not bare her 
 heart to this truthful young man. In after years 
 when she was suffering the tortures of uncer- 
 tainty and terrible doubt she wished that she had 
 done so. 
 
 Frank left her a few moments alone. She went 
 to the door and looked out upon the water. What 
 a different evening they would have had had it 
 not been for orders for them to sail. If she could 
 have been with Frank a little longer she might 
 have had the courage to tell him about Richard 
 Wardon. But perhaps it was better thus. She 
 heard the sound of hurrying footsteps behind her. 
 She did not turn her head, thinking it might be 
 the steward or some other sailor. But a voice 
 that penetrated her brain and brought a cloud to 
 her face sounded clear in her ears. 
 
 Turning, she came face to face with Richard 
 Wardon. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 49 
 
 “Ah, I have looked for you until I became des- 
 perate. Darling little girl, I am home to claim 
 my wife before the whole world.” 
 
 She stood rooted to the spot and dazed with 
 fear. His black eyes were filled with passionate 
 longing, his lips dangerously close to her face, 
 but still she seemed held as if by some invisible 
 power. 
 
 “But I knew of your loss, sweetheart, and that 
 you were stopping with your aunts in London. 
 Then I found that you had come down here for 
 the ball. I could not curb my restless spirit to 
 see you again.” 
 
 Then Clara regained her senses. She stayed 
 his forward motion with her hand and said, 
 slowly : 
 
 “Mr. Wardon, you have made a dreadful mis- 
 take. I have never for one moment contemplated 
 being your wife.” 
 
 She had to be brave, much as she feared this 
 dark man. For Frank’s sake she had to hold up 
 her honor, which had been slightly trailing in 
 the dust. 
 
 “You are chaffing me, Clara,” said the man, in 
 deep tones; “you can’t mean what you say. I 
 have worked, prayed, longed for you for two 
 
50 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 whole years, and I defy any other man to take 
 you from me.” 
 
 He turned slightly, as if he expected that man 
 who should claim her to rise out of the darkness 
 or from the sea. He was leaning heavily against 
 the door, and Clara drew him guiltily to the deck. 
 She knew that for the safety of both she must 
 keep Frank Alden from knowing her secret, and 
 from letting Richard Wardon see him as her 
 lover. 
 
 “I wrote you a letter,” she explained, “and 
 then another. The first came back to me. The 
 last one never did. I tried to explain how you 
 had that day taken me by surprise and that I had 
 not had time to explain why I could not be your 
 wife. I do not love you.” 
 
 She was determined to be brave; to let him see 
 that she could be staunch to her colors, if it came 
 to a test. But disbelief was written upon his 
 face. 
 
 “You were too hasty and too confident about 
 yourself and about me,” she went on eagerly, now 
 glad that she was given the opportunity to get 
 the burden from her mind. “You entirely mis- 
 understood, and I am grieved for your sake; but 
 I must be truthful, must I not?” 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. gl 
 
 She wanted him to see it all as it was, and 
 there was a certain pleading in her voice that 
 drove the evil spirit in the dark man to the point 
 of desperation. 
 
 “Has another man courted you since I have 
 been gone?” he asked, hurriedly. “I will know. 
 Have you given your heart to some one else?” 
 
 Clara lifted her head proudly. She challenged 
 this man’s right to question her upon a subject 
 so personal, so sacred. 
 
 “I believe,” she said, slowly, “that you are ex- 
 ceeding your right. If I am promised to another, 
 it is not an affair for you and me to talk about. 
 I demand that you shall question me no further.” 
 
 “You have broken your faith with me,” said 
 Wardon, stepping back a pace or two, “and quib- 
 bling will not save the cur that tempted you. 
 While I was working alone on that awful ship 
 you were loving another, giving of my store of 
 love to a ” 
 
 “Hush !” ordered Clara. “You shall not speak 
 of him so, and I shall never tell you his name if 
 you plead between now and eternity.” 
 
 She felt her heart swell within her, and now 
 how thankful she was that Frank was to leave 
 in such a little while. Everything was tending 
 
52 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 to the point of departure, and the loud calling 
 of the sailors had sent a sweet emotion over her 
 that she had never felt before. She looked upon 
 Richard Wardon as if he were a murderer. He 
 would take the life of her boy if the truth were 
 known to him. But the ship would sail and the 
 name of her lover be kept sacredly secret. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 53 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 Clara was standing alone. She heard the de- 
 parting footsteps of the crazed man, and she 
 thought with a tremor of relief that Frank had 
 promised that he would not mention their engage- 
 ment. 
 
 As she stood looking and listening with all the 
 avidity of her nature she saw two sailors, full of 
 wine and in the best of good humor, passing and 
 repassing. Their vain chatter and poor attempts 
 at jokes filled her with disgust. But they did not 
 realize that a tragedy was being played under 
 their very gaze. 
 
 The sound of their voices, the rapid talking of 
 the one and the stuttering of the other, passed 
 from her ears. She dared not linger there; and 
 yet what should she do? She did not want to see 
 Frank just then, for fear their meeting would 
 be witnessed by Wardon. 
 
 When Lucy Craton saw the girl again she was 
 startled. 
 
54 
 
 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 “You’re ill, child,” she said, quickly. “Poor 
 little Clara, the sun never seems to shine for 
 you.” 
 
 “Let me sit down a moment, Lucy,” begged 
 Clara; “I want to tell you something. He was 
 here to-night.” 
 
 “Who?” 
 
 “Richard Wardon. I told you his ship had 
 come home. I am never wrong. He will meet 
 my darling, for to-night I have given my love, 
 my life and all that is in me to Frank Alden.” 
 
 “But they will never meet,” replied Mrs. Cra- 
 ton, feelingly ; “and in a little while your lover 
 will be gone, and then the danger will be passed.” 
 
 Frank Alden came through the dark doorway, 
 his splendid uniform showing off well his fine 
 figure. 
 
 “I’ve come to say good-bye, dear; and if we find 
 the North Pole, why, then, I shall come home 
 and ” 
 
 Clara had her fingers upon his lips in fright. 
 
 “We are not to whisper it to any one. Of 
 course, I don’t mean dear Lucy; she knows every- 
 thing about me. I love you, I love you !” 
 
 If Richard Wardon had been standing there 
 watching, Clara believed that she would have 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 55 
 
 murmured the passionate words in Frank’s ear. 
 Lucy Craton turned away. There was something 
 sacred in the scene, that she could not view with- 
 out great emotion. 
 
 She walked toward the right, where she knew 
 she should find Will, her darling, her noble hus- 
 band. This left the lovers alone for a few mo- 
 ments, and each devoted the time to communing 
 in spirit with the other. It was such a sweet ex- 
 perience to both. 
 
 Clara heard the sound of the Captain’s voice. 
 She knew he was giving orders to some one. Sud- 
 denly she heard words that completely turned 
 her soul into darkness and caused her heart to 
 beat with terror. ’Twas an order from Harding. 
 
 “Craton, I’m sorry,” he was saying, “to drag 
 you from that pretty wife of yours. I wish you 
 might stay with her or be an old bachelor like 
 myself ” 
 
 “Or take her along,” breathed Craton. “That 
 would be better than all.” Lucy clapped her 
 hands. 
 
 “And I’d go,” she said, with delight. “I would 
 not need a second invitation, I can tell you.” 
 
 “But pretty women are not allowed on the 
 boat,” said the Captain, good-humoredly. “Cra- 
 
56 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 ton, we’re going to wait a little while for a new 
 fellow who has joined our ranks. He knows the 
 sea from beginning to end. He came on board 
 to-night and asked me to take him. His name is 
 Wardon.” 
 
 Clara fell limp in the arms of her lover. She 
 knew that the doom she feared for her love would 
 overtake it, if not here, then on the high seas, 
 when these two giant men should meet. Her 
 heart felt cold and unresponsive, her lips dry, 
 while every hope seemed to have died in her 
 heart. There was nothing on earth that could 
 keep these two men apart but the promise Frank 
 had given her. She realized that Wardon was 
 leaving the country for a while, and that he did 
 not know whom she loved. It was the same bitter 
 fate that had pursued her since her birth, that 
 had taken every loved one from her life. 
 
 She clung weeping to her lover. She begged 
 him to remember that he had promised her that 
 he would never mention her name to one living 
 soul. It seemed such a small, such a petty thing 
 to think of just when he was going away, per- 
 haps to his death. Frank satisfied her fears by 
 saying that he would remember, and, loosening 
 her fingers from an almost deathlike grasp upon 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 57 
 
 his, he slipped away to the boat which was to 
 carry him to his own ship, which was but one of 
 the fleet. 
 
 Clara stood for a long while where he had left 
 her. His kisses were yet warm upon her face. 
 She went to look about. Men were hurrying to 
 and fro with energy. The time for the fleet to 
 start had come, and the sounding of bells, whis- 
 tles and voices mingled with the murmuring of 
 the waves. 
 
 Clara wanted to hear more. She saw the Cap- 
 tain talking to Craton. 
 
 “He won’t be long,” Harding was saying. “I 
 felt sorry for him. There is a woman at the bot- 
 tom of every man’s trouble in this world, I be- 
 lieve. I really thank God that I escaped.” 
 
 “And you have lost happiness, also,” said Cra- 
 ton, “for the greatest happiness in all the world 
 is that of a woman’s love. I would rather have 
 my Lucy than the money of this empire.” 
 
 His voice was so reverent, and so deep his 
 tones, that tears sprang to his wife’s eyes. 
 
 “I shall always make you love me the same,” 
 she said, slowly; “always, always. I am yours, 
 yours.” 
 
 Clara could have repeated that a man was ah 
 
58 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 ways at the root of a woman’s sorrow if she had 
 wanted to speak. But her heart was sore and 
 she preferred silence. Out upon the sea the dif- 
 ferent lights from the various ships twinkled on 
 the water. She could hear the lapping of the 
 oars of the boat that was taking her lover from 
 her. She stood thinking dimly that the end of 
 her life had come, that there was nothing now 
 to live for. Frank had gone, and to sail with 
 him at the same time was the enemy of them 
 both. Lucy came and led her away. Her eyes 
 were still seeking the Viking, upon which boat 
 she knew her beloved would live for many weary, 
 frigid months. She did not know whether the 
 two men would be upon the same boat or not. 
 She hoped and prayed that they might never see 
 each other during their voyage, although she felt 
 that this was almost impossible. 
 
 But she must have some comfort, some idea 
 upon which to live until they should return. As 
 the train left Liverpool, and she knew that the 
 fleet had gone, she took comfort in the fact that 
 she had secured the promise from Frank. It con- 
 soled her, and she snatched at it as a drowning 
 man would at a straw. 
 
 Infinite pity sprung into her heart when she 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 59 
 
 thought of her own predicament. Filled with 
 vague alarms for the future, run down in health 
 by the constant recurrence of second sight, and 
 then to be alone, without even the man of her 
 choice by her side. She drew down her veil to 
 hide the scalding tears that would force them- 
 selves through her burning lids. Mrs. Craton 
 understood, for her own heart was bitter with the 
 parting from her loved one. She could never 
 understand why it had been put into the laws 
 that a woman should not accompany a man upon 
 his voyage at sea when that man was employed 
 by the Government. 
 
 London looked bare and cold, and neither 
 woman cared to accept the invitations that had 
 accumulated in the short time they had been 
 gone. Clara’s aunts were tired of seeking for 
 some marriageable man for her, and so they left 
 her to her own devices, which, most of the time, 
 were concocting plans whereby she could sepa- 
 rate her lover from his enemy, or that she could 
 save him from an impending fate. 
 
 When Clara had told her straightforward 
 story to Richard Wardon the light seemed to 
 fall out of the eatth for him. He had lived in 
 her presence in his imaginings so long ! He had 
 
00 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 overcome his desire for London and the life he 
 had led; had taken a hasty departure and had 
 gained prominence in the navy. And ’twas all 
 for her sake. How many times he had told him- 
 self that he could live for her, and her alone; 
 that out of her love for him and his for her he 
 could rise a new man, ready for the world’s bat- 
 tles without flinching. 
 
 Many times, oh, so many, many times, he had 
 seen her, on his homeward journey, in her beau- 
 tiful girlhood, so fresh and sweet; and tears, ter- 
 rible, passionate tears, welled into his eyes, and 
 he allowed them their sway. It was a relief to 
 cry. He had heard from his own father that 
 Clara’s was dead, that she had gone to her aunts 
 to live until such time as she should have a home 
 of her own ; and the hot burning thought scorched 
 his soul as he registered a vow to heaven that his 
 home should be hers and that he would make her 
 a happy woman. And when his thoughts were 
 rushing madly toward her, one small, ever-living 
 idea seemed to spring into his heart. He would 
 be the father of Clara’s children. He would hold 
 their baby faces and they would laugh into his 
 eyes, and their mother would be happy in the 
 happiness of her loved ones. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. (ft 
 
 It is hope like this that crazes a strong man 
 when such hopes are shattered. Richard War- 
 don could not gather together the scattered 
 threads of his life in the few moments after he 
 had parted from Clara. He dared not stay with 
 her. He felt that a tragedy threatened and that 
 he would be in its midst. So when the Captain 
 said that he would willingly allow him to join 
 their expedition, Wardon drew a great sigh and 
 accepted it as coming from a power higher than 
 his own. He knew well that Clara did not love 
 him. But so firmly grounded in his heart was the 
 thought that at one time she had been his that 
 against the man who had stolen her from him he 
 held an undying hatred. And now, as he looked 
 over the side of the vessel, he made another vow 
 that if he ever came in contact w 7 ith this man 
 he would have the revenge which would be to his 
 soul as sweet wine. He felt that he had been 
 robbed of a great and priceless gem; as if the 
 earth could never give him another like his lost 
 treasure. 
 
 He stayed a long time alone, and only raised 
 his head when he heard a footstep near him. 
 
 “Getting time to roll in, is it?” asked Craton, 
 standing beside the stranger. “You must be 
 
62 under the north star. 
 
 tired. Tlie Captain tells me you’ve only arrived 
 from one long voyage. It’s a wonder you would 
 elect another.” 
 
 For a moment there was silence. Will Craton 
 had that in him that all men realized as truth. 
 He had no touch of curiosity in his tones, which 
 would have wounded a high-temperamental man 
 such as Wardon. There was but a tinge of regret 
 and wholesome warning. 
 
 “You know the old saying,” Craton went on, 
 with a light laugh : “ ‘All work and no play 
 makes Jack a dull boy.’ ” 
 
 “Yes; and another which I might quote,” re- 
 plied Wardon, in a deep voice : “ ‘When a man 
 comes face to face with his own soul and finds 
 murder there, then let him beware.’ ” 
 
 There was a pathos in liis tones that touched 
 the sympathetic heart of Craton. 
 
 “I don’t know who you are,” he said at last, 
 “but I will say this : if ever I can do anything to 
 befriend you, do not fail to call. In this hazar 
 dous life that we live one never knows.” 
 
 He walked away with a full feeling in his 
 throat, leaving the silent, suffering man still 
 looking into the sea. 
 
 After he had gone to bed the greatest suffering 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. @3 
 
 of his life came to Richard Wardon. He felt that 
 he had turned his back upon his love, his hopes 
 and the greater part of his soul life. He strug- 
 gled with a passion that few men realize. 
 
 But the next morning the sailors saw but a 
 morose man walking the bridge, sometimes with 
 the Captain, sometimes alone, but always think- 
 ing, always dry-eyed, and terrible in expression. 
 
 Onward and ever onward through the north- 
 ern waters the fleet pushed its way. The destina- 
 tion was to be as far as the ice and snow would 
 allow, then by sleds to reach the remotest north- 
 ern spot. Several terrible storms had so reduced 
 the number of their ships that the men were now 
 crowded together. After leaving the vessels a 
 limited number pressed in through the density 
 of winter until they reached some small cabins 
 which had been deserted by another exploring 
 party. One morning they awoke to see the sun 
 shining upon perpetual ice about them. Nothing 
 but ice and sparkling sunshine, which gave not 
 warmth, but grandeur to the scene. Even the 
 master mind of the Captain grew faint as he 
 realized that they were securely locked in among 
 the great icebergs which belonged to the northern 
 country. For a long time they held consultation 
 
(J4 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 together. They had been out months now, and 
 every man was weak, not only from cold, but 
 from deprivations. Craton felt thankful that he 
 had made a friend of Richard Wardon, for it was 
 during these terrible days that he learned to ap- 
 preciate the strong nature of the man. Several 
 of the men had been taken from the steamers and 
 sent back to England by ships on their homeward 
 voyage. But no man was allowed to leave who 
 could still do his duties. 
 
 Several had died. There were left such a piti- 
 ful number out of all the strong men who had 
 started that this morning, when they realized 
 their danger, Richard Wardon had sullenly re- 
 marked that fate meant to take them all by slow 
 degrees. Day after day went by, and they watched 
 the ice pile higher and higher, until there seemed 
 but small loopholes through which the sailors 
 could make their way, once in a while catching 
 the fish that were thrown up on the ice. So grave 
 had become the situation now that every man 
 was willing to take terrible risks to save his own 
 life and that of his companions. 
 
 Even now and then small portions of the huts 
 had been torn away to help keep life in the miser- 
 able beings by fire. Craton and Frank were far- 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 65 
 
 ing worse than any of them. Their constitutions 
 seemed to have stood more than was already pos- 
 sible. But Warden was as sturdy as ever, and 
 it was only when he looked at the men who were 
 almost like brothers to him that he groaned 
 aloud, wishing that it were in his power to aid 
 them in some way. He had never become well 
 acquainted with Frank Alden. Their natures 
 were so absolutely different that there was no 
 affinity between them. It was Craton and Frank 
 who loved each other, and Craton and Wardon. 
 
 The stuttering sailor whom Clara had seen and 
 his drunken companion were all that were left 
 of the common men. But the two had stayed 
 together, getting on with amazing good humor 
 until this morning, when death seemed to be star- 
 ing them in the face. 
 
 “We — we — might as well — well — make up our 
 minds to die, old man,” said James, the stutterer. 
 “There ain’t no use a-struggling here with dry 
 bones and hot water.” 
 
 “Well, we ain’t dead yet, be we?” asked his 
 companion, cracking at some bones of animals 
 which the men had found upon the ice; “and as 
 long as you can stutter, old fellow, you ain’t 
 dead.” 
 
66 
 
 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 With one more vicious chop he landed the 
 bones in the pot. 
 
 “What’s the use of bones any more,” he said, 
 after a while, “when there ain’t no wood? Stutty, 
 what’s the matter with sawing off your whis- 
 kers?” 
 
 “Now — now — now — none of your meanness, 
 Johnnie,” replied the other. “You ain’t so near 
 heaven that you can make your old chum feel bad, 
 be yer?” 
 
 He said this with many a stutter, until his 
 companion was convulsed with laughter. Even 
 in the terrors of the north these two ignorant 
 men had kept up the spirits of the whole com- 
 pany. 
 
 “I wouldn’t hurt yer, Jim,” said John, after 
 he could get his breath; “but if ye’d sing ye’d 
 never stutter.” 
 
 This speech sent them both into peals of merri- 
 ment, and the deadly crash of bones went on 
 while they created the fun. From afar Craton 
 looked at them with dull eyes. He felt that he 
 could not go much farther. His strength had 
 completely given out. His idea of home had be- 
 come sharpened by suffering, and he desired with 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. Q~ 
 
 every fibre in his being the sweet little wife to 
 whom he could get no word of his welfare. 
 
 His whole ambition had been warped by their 
 peril. He cared not now to reach the North Pole 
 or to find the great expedition that the Govern- 
 ment had sent them to rescue. They seemed to 
 have enough to do to rescue themselves. Over 
 on another bank he could see Frank, his thick 
 hair just peeping above the blanket. Craton 
 would have done much for the lad, but there was 
 nothing left in his power to do. 
 
 He moved uneasily as he heard the bones tum- 
 bling into the pot, and wondered vaguely what 
 animal they had belonged to. Probably a bear; 
 not a man, for they were not so formed. 
 
 “Boys,” he cried, “get that hot water on the 
 bones quick. It’ll warm us up a little, anyway.” 
 
 “Ain’t enough wood,” called back John, while 
 Jim commenced to stutter something, which was 
 so interminably long that neither of the other 
 men could wait to listen. 
 
 “Sing it, fool,” guffawed John, and Jim closed 
 his lips. 
 
 Craton could stand their jangle no longer. 
 
 “Go, Jim,” he ordered the stutterer, “and see 
 how the Captain feels — I mean Elsworth.” 
 
gg UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 “He wor very near death this morning, sor,” 
 replied John, trying to blow a spark or two from 
 the fire underneath the wet wood. “I saw his 
 eyes a-rolling up.” 
 
 “John,” cautioned Craton, rising on his elbow, 
 “you should not torment that poor fellow about 
 his stuttering. No good ever comes of that.” 
 
 “Got to do something,” growled John, slowly, 
 under his breath ; “and I can tell you one thing, 
 sor, that if he thinks that he is going to marry 
 that Irish lady that’s a-working fer your own 
 wife, what he’s been looking at every time since 
 you sent him to youse home with messages, he’s 
 got another think coming ; for she’s got the blar- 
 ney tongue in her head, and she don’t ’low him 
 no words much lessen a dozen when he ought’n 
 to be saying one.” 
 
 John emphasized his words with an oath and 
 a ferocious poke at the fire. 
 
 “So Jim’s thinking of marrying Molly, is he?” 
 replied Craton. “Well, it’s the way of the world, 
 I suppose.” 
 
 A footstep caused Craton to turn his head. 
 
 “Ah, you, Richard? How’s the Captain?” 
 
 “Elsworth? He’s near the end. I wish the 
 doctor could do a little something for him, hQ 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 0Q 
 
 suffers so. ’Twould be a mercy to put the poor 
 byeast out of the way.” 
 
 “No, not that,” shivered Craton; “for always 
 in this land of ice while there’s life there’s hope.” 
 Wardon made no answer to this. He was famed 
 for his moody silence, and most of the men re- 
 spected him for it. 
 
 “Go with me to see Elsworth, Dick,” said Cra- 
 ton, “and maybe we can do something. It’s hard 
 to see one’s own companions die out here in the 
 ice and snow without a chance to even help them. 
 But I suppose, as I said about Jim getting mar- 
 ried, it’s the way of the world.” 
 
 Richard had taken him by the arm and was 
 leading him along. He would gladly have shared 
 some of his own strength with this noble young 
 fellow, but then, with a shrug of his shoulder and 
 a dark smile, he remembered that he might need 
 it all himself; for he was then thinking: “If I 
 ever find the man who took my happiness away 
 I shall make him suffer as he has made me.” 
 
 Dick had never for one hour ceased brooding 
 over his troubles. Never had he forgotten the 
 rosy-faced girl who had been his ideal so many 
 years. He felt that fate was going to give him a 
 Chance to wreak his vengeance, and then how 
 
70 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 sweet it would be. Yes, he would need all the 
 strength he had in his body to live until that time, 
 for it was a matter of conscience. He had sworn 
 that he would kill this man, and so he would. 
 If he could have seen far away in London the suf- 
 fering of Clara his heart might have softened; 
 but, as he had not the gift of second sight, he 
 went moodily on helping Craton to the door of 
 the sick officer. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 71 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 John was left alone pounding bones for more 
 soup. He could hear the crackling of the little 
 twigs under the wet wood, and he leaned down 
 and warmed his hands a little, keeping up a per- 
 petual grumbling, until Frank turned uneasily 
 in his bunk. 
 
 “What are you doing there, John?” he asked, 
 in as strong a voice as he could use. “I’ve heard 
 nothing but quarreling and grumbling, until a 
 fellow can’t rest.” 
 
 “I’m making bone soup, sor,” replied John, 
 slowly, “and it do take a power of hard work and 
 ravelin’.” 
 
 “But as long as you’re not sick don’t grumble,” 
 cautioned Frank. 
 
 John looked out of the corner of his eye at the 
 man on the bunk. Every one loved Frank with 
 all his heart, while the sailors would have almost 
 given their lives for him. If he could think of 
 something to arouse him. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 72 
 
 “Be you.se at all seasick?” he asked, after a 
 little stirring of the bones. 
 
 “No; only a little weak,” replied Frank. “I 
 ought to be up this minute working with the 
 other boys, but my legs don’t work always.” 
 
 “Then keep still, or you will be seasick, if youse 
 don’t cure it the way I did mine onct.” 
 
 “How was that?” asked Frank, with a show 
 of eagerness. “Anything to get away from these 
 awful thoughts,” he muttered, as he turned in 
 his bunk. 
 
 “I stuffed myself,” replied John, with a grin. 
 
 “What !” 
 
 “That’s what I did, sor,” went on John. “You 
 see, sor, it wor when I first went to sea, and I was 
 uncommon fond of eating, and my captain saw 
 that, fer he says to me one day: ‘Now, John, you 
 stuff till you can’t eat no more.’ He wouldn’t let 
 up, so I et and et until my stomach was so all- 
 fired full that nothin’ but a good spell of seasick- 
 ness could do me any good. And wasn’t I sick ! 
 Why, sor, when I thinks of them good things 
 a-going to waste in the sea thet day, when we be 
 a-starving here, it makes me mad.” 
 
 He gave a vicious stir to his bone soup, adding 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 73 
 
 a little salt to savor it, and looking out of the 
 corner of his eyes at the young man on the bunk. 
 
 Frank had fallen back in the usual position 
 and was evidently thinking again. John’s story 
 of his former days seemed to make no impression, 
 for there was still that expression of languor in 
 the blue eyes that made the rough sailor gulp 
 down a sob. 
 
 The soup being finished, John obeyed the order 
 of Craton to take it to the Captain. 
 
 Before going he gave a few spoonfuls to Frank. 
 The young man sat up after this with a groan. 
 He would try to get about, and then if there was 
 an expedition party sent out to find help he might 
 be among those chosen. He hoped so, at any rate. 
 To be left amid the ice and snow with his 
 thoughts would be enough to kill him. For many 
 months he had thought of nothing but his darling 
 Clara; thoughts of the woman he loved so de- 
 votedly had become the best part of his soul. 
 During the w r eeks they had been kept in this mass 
 of snow and ice, banked in by bergs that were 
 larger than their ships, he had not tried to keep 
 his mind from Clara. Everywhere he had been, 
 every task he had performed, had been done with 
 her in his heart. 
 
74 
 
 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 He had kept his promise to her, though, and 
 had not mentioned her name even to his best 
 friend. 
 
 Craton came in to him as he was dragging him- 
 self to his feet. 
 
 “Feel better, Frank, asked the officer, in a hope- 
 ful tone. 
 
 “Much,” replied Frank. “But for this con- 
 founded weakness I should be all right.” 
 
 Craton stood looking at him thoughtfully. 
 
 “Frank,” he began, slowly, “I am going to or- 
 der them to chop up your bunk; we are short of 
 firewood as well as provisions. You don’t mind?” 
 
 A light flashed into Frank’s eyes. 
 
 “Then there will be some leaving soon?” he 
 asked, searching Craton’s face for an answer. 
 
 “Yes; the expedition starts immediately. Lots 
 will be cast for the men who are to join. You 
 may or you may not go.” 
 
 Frank sank down again. He could not wait 
 until he knew T whether he was to be one of those 
 chosen or not. 
 
 “Every one will take their chance,” went on 
 Craton, slowly. “I have the impression that I 
 shall be left behind.” 
 
 “I hope not, old fellow,” replied Frank. “Are 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 75 
 
 they going to draw now? I know one fellow who 
 will object/’ said Frank, after a moment’s silence. 
 “He’ll think he ought to go, whether he is drawn 
 or not.” 
 
 “And his name?” asked Craton. There was 
 something in his tone that told Frank it was 
 not necessary for him to ask that question ; but 
 Frank was not slow to answer. 
 
 “Why, Wardon, of course. Could a man be a 
 greater bear than he is? He has proven that he 
 has the temper of the devil and not even good 
 manners.” 
 
 Craton held up a warning hand. 
 
 “Don’t,” he said, slowly ; “don’t, please. I like 
 him, Frank, and he has been my friend since com- 
 ing here. And, then, remember that you were not 
 on his ship. You had no chance of forming an 
 estimate of his character. I know that in his 
 life he has had a bitter disappointment which 
 would be enough to frighten any man with a tem- 
 perament like his. He loved a woman and lost 
 her.” 
 
 Immediately Frank’s thoughts flew back to the 
 little girl he had left in London. He knew that 
 if hope were dead in his heart he would be a 
 worse bore than Richard Wardon ever could be. 
 
76 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 He had never liked the man, and so had kept 
 away from him. It was as Craton had said ; he 
 had taken no pains to cultivate Wardon’ s ac- 
 quaintance. He liked Craton, but heartily dis- 
 liked Wardon. But that he had lost his love 
 somewhat softened the young man’s heart as lie 
 thought of Clara, so when he heard a footstep 
 and, turning, saw Wardon, he stepped forward 
 and said : 
 
 “Mr. Wardon, I hear there is a chance to get 
 out of this horrible place. It may be our good 
 luck to be chosen.” 
 
 “I do not care to leave here,” replied Richard. 
 “I have no fault to find with anything but the 
 suffering of the men from cold and hunger. I 
 should say this were an ideal place were it it not 
 for that.” 
 
 “I can’t agree with you,” replied Frank, slowly, 
 allowing his eyes to rest upon Craton as much as 
 to say : “There, I told you so ! What a bear he 
 is !” 
 
 “It has seemed like heaven to me,” went on 
 Wardon, in a communicative tone. “I hate the 
 thought of ever going back to the world of 
 women.” 
 
 Just then the Captain — the same dear Captain 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 77 
 
 Harding, only a great deal thinner and over- 
 looking than when pretty Lucy Craton promised 
 to find him a wife — came in among them. 
 
 “Men,” he said, slowly, a lump gathering in 
 his throat, “there’s no use for me to rehearse all 
 our troubles. You know as well as I do just what 
 we have gone through since we left London, and 
 if we ever get back alive it will be through the 
 mercy of a higher power than ours. But we can’t 
 stay here and starve. So, while I dislike to sep- 
 arate you, for fear of never meeting again, we 
 have decided to send those who are able to go 
 out on an expedition to seek help for those who 
 are left and too weak to go. We have no chance 
 here of being rescued, for we are far in advance of 
 any of the parties that have started out.” 
 
 Everybody nodded assent, with the exception 
 of Wardon, who listened attentively, but gave 
 no sign. He was whittling with his knife a sliver 
 of wood from the corner of Frank’s bunk. 
 
 “Game is too scarce,” went on the Captain, 
 “for us to count much upon having enough for 
 so many through such a winter as is coming on 
 here. The time has come when we must look to 
 our lives.” 
 
 “Tell us your plan, then. Captain. We are 
 
78 UNDER THE NORTH OTAR. 
 
 all loyal to you. Whatever you say shall be 
 done.” 
 
 Harding bowed his head slowly. He knew that 
 these men loved him, that any one of them would 
 willingly lay down his life to aid him. Craton 
 had spoken these words as he looked appealingly 
 at Wardon, but there was no response from the 
 silent man whittling at the stick. 
 
 ‘‘My plan is,” went on the Captain, “that a de- 
 tachment of men shall go forth this very day and 
 try to reach the nearest settlement, where help 
 and provisions may be sent back to those that re- 
 main. The direction to be taken and the precau- 
 tions to be adopted are all ready. The only ques- 
 tion now is who shall stay and who shall go.” 
 
 He looked about upon the little crowd of expec- 
 tant men with anxiety. He wanted to do what 
 was the square thing by them all, but he knew 
 that there would be a little grumbling, no matter 
 who was taken. Of course, every man would 
 want to go, for there was a certain hope of reach- 
 ing out in that icy wilderness, that life lay be- 
 yond. But to those that remained it might mean 
 death. 
 
 “Do you want to go, Wardon?” asked Craton, 
 bending over his friend. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 79 
 
 “It makes no difference to me,” replied War- 
 don, shortly; “go or stay, it’s all the same to me.” 
 
 “What do you think of allowing volun- 
 teers ■” 
 
 The Captain’s eyes lighted up. Here might be 
 a better way than to draw lots, for then every- 
 body would be satisfied. 
 
 “Who will volunteer to stay here with the 
 sick?” he asked, deliberately. “Of course, there 
 is a risk, but not much more than in going.” 
 
 Not a voice answered. Every man wanted to 
 be up and doing. Every strong arm longed for 
 something to do, something to look forward to. 
 
 “Ah, we can’t settle it that way. Then we will 
 cut. Bring out the dice, Craton.” 
 
 “Let chance decide it,” said Craton, as he came 
 back. He cast an anxious glance at Wardon, but 
 there was not even a quiver of an eyelid to let 
 Craton understand that his interest was under- 
 stood. 
 
 “All who throw over six go,” said Captain 
 Harding. “Who shall try first?” 
 
 “You, sir,” replied Craton, handing him the 
 box. 
 
 The Captain threw seven. 
 
 “Good for you, old man,” whispered Craton, 
 
80 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 and then he turned over the box. “Three” stared 
 him in the face. He shivered a little and then 
 laughed. 
 
 “I’ll stay. What’s the difference? The sick 
 must have some one to look after them.” 
 
 Wardon then took his chance and a six turned 
 up for him. 
 
 “You’ve another chance, Wardon,” said Cra- 
 ton, eagerly. “You neither go nor stay. Take 
 another.” 
 
 Then Wardon caught Frank’s eye, and said : 
 
 “You, Mr. Alden, have what the women call 
 a lucky face. Throw for me.” 
 
 Frank had his fingers upon the box. 
 
 “Shall I?” he asked, seriously, and, receiving 
 a nod from Wardon, turned over the box. 
 
 “Five,” he said, looking at the number. “You 
 stay, old man.” 
 
 And Wardon took up his whittling again. 
 
 “Now throw for yourself,” was all he said to 
 Frank. 
 
 “Eight!” shouted Frank, and the dice had 
 given him a new lease upon life. A time before 
 he had felt that there was nothing left; now it 
 seemed as if Clara’s hand beckoned him to come 
 to her. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. gl 
 
 The party was ready to start. Craton and 
 Wardon were going to stay. It rather pleased 
 the officer, although he knew that his life would 
 have been better if he could have escaped the 
 dreary cold of the camp. But there would be 
 many bunks to cut up, many old things that could 
 be burned, and while there was warmth they 
 could live. 
 
 He placed his hand on Wardon’s shoulder, ask- 
 ing him to wait until the others had gone, that 
 he wanted to speak to him. And when they were 
 alone he said : 
 
 “Dick, you are getting worse every day, and 
 what’s the use? I know that you have suffered; 
 but you must rouse yourself and help save these 
 perishing men.” 
 
 “I don’t care whether I’m saved or not,” an- 
 swered Dick ; “I swear I don’t.” 
 
 “But you should care,” argued Craton, seating 
 himself on the edge of Frank’s bunk and making 
 a place for Wardon to seat himself. “I don’t 
 forget what you told me on our way from Eng- 
 land, but no woman who does not love you is 
 worth such devotion as you have for her.” 
 
 “I think more about the man who took her 
 from me,” muttered Wardon, allowing his eyes 
 
82 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 to fall beneath the steady gaze of his companion. 
 “My only hope to live is to get vengeance upon 
 him.” 
 
 “You are wasting a valuable life for the salve 
 of a maddening dream that will do you no good 
 and will not harm another,” replied Craton, dep- 
 recatingly. “She is probably married by this 
 time.” 
 
 “I am not so sure,” said Wardon. “I believe 
 the times that we long for come to us. I know 
 that I should recognize this man if I should see 
 him.” 
 
 “Rubbish, Wardon !” said Craton. “Why, you 
 might live within elbow-room of him and yet not 
 be aware of the fact.” 
 
 “That could never be,” replied Dick, shaking 
 his head emphatically; “never, never be. He 
 would disclose it to me. But what’s the use of 
 talking like this? You and I are to stay here 
 with the sick and dead.” 
 
 Just as they were speaking one of the sailors 
 came in, saying that the fuel had given out. And 
 Craton roused himself quickly. 
 
 “Here’s Frank’s bed. Chop it up; he won’t 
 need it again. Lucky dog ! Go get the ax. It’s 
 dry as tinder.” 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 83 
 
 When they were alone again Craton saw an 
 expression peculiar and ugly upon the face of his 
 companion. 
 
 “Look at me, Craton,” Wardon said at last, 
 seeing that the other had noticed. “See how I 
 have lived and thrived through all this awful 
 time. No man among you is as strong as I am. 
 No one among you has the strength that I have. 
 Why have I been spared like this, when even your 
 Captain can hardly draw one leg after another? 
 Just for the meeting with one man, and that day 
 will come, as surely as there is a God above us. 
 He shall stand alone with me and — vengeance.” 
 
 Craton uttered a groan. He dreaded to hear 
 Wardon speak in terms like these. He leaned 
 over and placed his hand upon those of his com- 
 panion. 
 
 “Dick, old man,” said he, “since the very first 
 day we met I believed in your better nature as 
 your brother might. You are putting that faith 
 to a hard test. If one of your enemies had told 
 me that such murderous feelings were in your 
 heart I would have told him that he lied. But 
 to hear it from you, boy ! I beg of you not to re- 
 peat it. I love you, Dick, as my brother, and I 
 want to always offer you my hand as I do now.” 
 
84 
 
 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 He was extending his shaking fingers to War- 
 don, who took them slowly. 
 
 “You are kinder to me than I deserve,” he mut- 
 tered ; “and be kinder still and forget what I have 
 said. I shall never mention it to you again, and 
 I can only say that I hope I shall forget it as 
 soon as I know you will. A man cannot overcome 
 his nature. Remember this in the coming years, 
 and also that I loved one woman with all the 
 strength of a man who could love. There, I’ll go 
 to w'ork.” 
 
 The sailor, as if anticipating his wish, entered, 
 with the ax, and Wardon, seeing his determina- 
 tion, took it from him. 
 
 “Let me do that, old man,” he exclaimed, hop- 
 ing to get his thoughts out of the train into which 
 they had drifted. “I’ve more muscle left in my 
 arm than you have.” 
 
 The sailor relinquished the ax immediately. 
 
 Then Craton, giving his companion a hearty 
 look, gave an order to the sailor, and Wardon 
 was left alone with his task. 
 
 He began furiously to chop the bed to pieces^ 
 wdiile he said to himself : 
 
 “If I could only get such thoughts out of my 
 head. They seem to be born there as fast as flies 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. g5 
 
 in the summertime. What a noble fellow that 
 Craton is! But what does he know of life? He 
 possesses, body and soul, the woman he loves, 
 God bless him ! and I hope he will never know the 
 pain of losing her.” 
 
 He was battering down the long side pieces of 
 the bunk as he muttered, and suddenly his atten- 
 tion was arrested. He was staring at letters that 
 had been carved in the wood. 
 
 He whispered them out loud : “C-L-A-R-A !” 
 
 With fury in his heart he threw the board 
 from him. 
 
 “Curses on the man who dared carve that 
 name! Why should it be that name above all 
 others?” 
 
 He looked about suspiciously, then examined 
 the letters more carefully. With an expression 
 in his eyes as of a crouching tiger he again went 
 to chopping. Then he found on the next plank 
 the initials “F. A.” 
 
 “It’s Alden’s bed,” he whispered, relieved. 
 “Maybe he has a sister Clara. It gave me such 
 a start to see that name. My heart pounds as 
 if it had received a great shock.” 
 
 One after another of the dry boards were torn 
 down. There before his eyes, looking up at him 
 
gg UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 as if they were human, Wardon saw the letters 
 “C. B.” many times repeated. 
 
 “ ‘C. B.,’ ” muttered Wardon. “Who is ‘C. B.’? 
 It’s none of the officers — no one that I know. I 
 suppose” — and here he stooped and heaved a sigh 
 — “I suppose his sweetheart has those initials. 
 Poor devils, off here alone by themselves, they 
 have nothing to do but to carve letters in the 
 sides of their bunks. I’ve always thought that 
 Alden was a moony sort of a fellow. He’s so 
 
 young, too. But a fellow can love ” 
 
 He stopped here as if he had been tongue-tied 
 and slowly took up the last board he had torn off. 
 Tormenting his soul and tearing the blood from 
 his heart were the words “Clara Benton” deeply 
 cut into the plank. 
 
 “I’ve — found — him — at — last!” he whispered, 
 with a halt between each word. “Oh, God ! what’s 
 
 come to me? Craton, Craton, take me away ” 
 
 He had raised his voice, but it sounded hollow 
 and queer to himself. He could not realize that 
 for years he had been in the same ship with the 
 man who had robbed his heart of all it held dear. 
 
 Just as the words dropped from his mouth 
 Frank Alden stepped into the officers’ hut and 
 stood face to face with his enemy. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 87 
 
 r CHAPTER VI. 
 
 The two men stood looking at each other with 
 peculiar glances — one with an expression of 
 questioning, the other accusing. Richard War- 
 don saw in the straight young figure before him 
 the man for whom he had longed, the robber who 
 had stolen his sweetheart from him, and from 
 whom he would demand the price that he himself 
 had paid. Frank thought W T ardon had lost his 
 mind, had grown ill, or something had happened 
 within the past few moments. 
 
 “What’s the matter, Wardon?” he exclaimed, 
 hastily coming forward toward his companion. 
 “You look really ill. Has anything occurred?” 
 
 Craton’s voice prevented an answer, as the offi- 
 cer came in. 
 
 “Get your things ready, Frank, and don’t take 
 much. Here, I’ll help you, lucky dog!” 
 
 He was facing Wardon. 
 
 “Why, Dick, chap, what’s the matter with you? 
 Good heavens, how pale you are !” And Frank 
 Alden replied: 
 
■88 
 
 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 “I was asking liim if he were ill. Why don’t 
 you speak, man, and let us help you if we can?” 
 
 “I’ll help him, Frank,” replied Craton. “You 
 have to get your things ready, for you have but 
 ten minutes.” 
 
 “There is nothing the matter w T ith me,” replied 
 Warden, but his voice was so completely changed 
 that Craton hardly recognized it. It was full of 
 concentrated passion and rage. 
 
 Suddenly he changed completely; the expres- 
 sion of insanity faded from his eyes. He turned 
 toward the men. 
 
 “I’ve been a bore. There, Mr. Alden, shake 
 hands. I did not mean to act as if I had lost my 
 senses. Are you nearly ready for the expedition?” 
 
 And while he was speaking his heart was sing- 
 ing : “Thank God, I have found him at last, at 
 last !” 
 
 “Almost ready,” Frank answered. “But I am 
 hardly as fit to go as you are. I wish I were half 
 as strong.” 
 
 “You don’t look strong,” stammered Richard. 
 “The dice had better have sent me than you. We 
 men of Kent are always well and strong.” 
 
 Craton was regarding Dick with a fixed expres- 
 sion. There was something underneath it all 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. §9 
 
 that he did not understand. Just what it was he 
 could not tell. 
 
 Frank raised his eyes. 
 
 “You came from Kent?” he asked, eagerly. He 
 would ask Wardon if in his time in that County 
 of Kent he had ever known Clara. Just to meet 
 some one who had known her and her father, 
 which pleasure he had never experienced, would 
 be happiness. 
 
 “Yes; my home is there,” replied Richard, 
 slowly, never relieving the young face opposite 
 him of that relentless stare. “Do you know any 
 one from there?” 
 
 “I ought to,” replied Frank, with a happy 
 laugh. “Some very dear friends of mine once 
 lived there. But they have been gone a long time 
 now.” 
 
 Craton had drawn nearer. He knew there was 
 an undercurrent of some kind. He could feel it, 
 but just what it meant he could not tell. 
 
 “One of the older families?” asked Richard, 
 eagerly. “I knew them all.” 
 
 He stopped a moment as a thought came over 
 him. He was transported in an instant back to 
 those days when he had been with Clara day 
 after day. He could see the graceful, girlish 
 
90 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 form flying along upon her horse, her merry 
 laugh ever repeating itself in his ears. He was 
 brought back to the moment by Frank’s voice. 
 
 “Not one of the old families there,” he said, 
 “but the Bentons.” 
 
 “You don’t mean Clara Benton’s family?” 
 asked Craton. “Of course, you knew her, Frank ; 
 I forgot that. So she lived in your county, 
 Dick ” 
 
 But he did not finish the sentence, for he read 
 the truth in the vicious expression that had 
 rested upon Wardon’s face. He knew that at 
 last, after all these weary months of waiting and 
 longing, Richard Wardon was standing face to 
 face with the man he hated. 
 
 But he breathed more freely when he remem- 
 bered that Frank was to leave in a few moments 
 and that Wardon was to be with him until the 
 return of the rescuing party. 
 
 These thoughts were banished for a few mo- 
 ments by the entrance of a sailor, reporting that 
 one of the men who had enlisted to go with the 
 party that day had been seriously hurt upon the 
 ice. Craton directed him to report to the Cap- 
 tain, who would find a suitable fellow to take his 
 place. Craton was too interested in the little 
 
UNDER THE NQRTH STAR. 91 
 
 drama that was being carried on just then to 
 leave. 
 
 Frank and Wardon had entered again into the 
 discussion of the Bentons. 
 
 “What became of Clara after her father died?” 
 asked Wardon, trying to draw his enemy out. 
 
 Frank’s face flushed quickly. 
 
 “What can give you authority to call the young 
 lady by her first name, Mr. Wardon?” 
 
 “I will answer your question by asking you 
 another. What right have you to ask or to care 
 how I call her?” 
 
 “The right which I insist you shall respect,” 
 replied Frank, hotly; “the right of being her fu- 
 ture husband. Clara Benton is going to marry 
 me.” 
 
 Frank had forgotten his promise to his be- 
 trothed. He turned quickly to a little box in 
 which he had stored away his few belongings and 
 hastily began to take them out. His face was red 
 and angry. Seldom, if ever, in his life had he 
 felt that desire to strike a man as now. His love 
 and respect for Clara rushed over him, and he 
 strove to thrust down a sob that kept forcing its 
 way into his throat. 
 
 Wardon, with a snarl like an animal, stooped 
 
92 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 to pick up tlie ax. But Craton, who now under- 
 stood, pushed him aside and, placing his foot 
 upon it, gave Wardon a warning look. 
 
 From that minute the friendship between these 
 two men was broken, and Craton would fight 
 Wardon every step of the way. He realized now 
 that Frank was engaged to the woman whom 
 Wardon had loved. He knew that there would 
 be a murder if it were not prevented. His would 
 be the staying hand. 
 
 “Impossible to dispute your right, Alden,” 
 mocked Wardon; “but you may look upon the 
 matter differently when I tell you that Miss Ben- 
 ton and I are old friends, that her father and my 
 father knew each other. She and I were — were — 
 like brother and sister.” 
 
 “I’m sorry, Wardon, I spoke as I did,” he said, 
 slowly. “I was hasty. You will forgive me?” 
 Like a manly man he offered his hand, and 
 Wardon grasped it hastily. 
 
 “She is fond of you, then, Alden, I suppose — 
 
 / 
 
 extravagantly fond?” 
 
 Frank uttered a happy laugh. 
 
 “Of course she is. Clara Benton is not the girl 
 to promise to marry a fellow if she didn’t love 
 him.” 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 93 
 
 Wardon groaned inwardly. He had had proof 
 of this, and it was superfluous for Frank to tell 
 him it. But he had asked for the sting and had 
 received it full in his heart. 
 
 “Thank heaven the dice have parted them !” 
 whispered Craton, for he felt that a tragedy 
 would occur if he did not interrupt it. “Frank 
 goes with the expedition and Wardon stays here 
 with me.” 
 
 At that moment the Captain entered the offi- 
 cers’ hut. 
 
 “One of the men from the other hut has broken 
 his leg,” said he, “and I shall have to ask one 
 other to go with the expedition.” 
 
 He looked questioningly at Craton. That offi- 
 cer was silent, but Wardon, with a glitter in his 
 eye that did not escape Craton, stepped forward 
 and saluted. 
 
 “I wish to take his place,” he said, in a low 
 voice. “I have changed my mind, Captain, about 
 it being all the same to me whether I go or stay.” 
 
 “But you can’t go, Dick,” ejaculated Craton ; 
 “you simply cannot go. I will not let you.” 
 
 A sneer crossed Wardon’s lips. 
 
 “Is it for you to say, Craton, whether I shall 
 go or not? I thought the Captain ” 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 94 
 
 “So it is, Wardon,” interrupted the Captain. 
 “Mr. Craton has evidently forgotten himself. He 
 recollects that I am commander here. You will, 
 indeed, make a good man upon a long journey. 
 In perfect health and the best shot among us. I 
 really was on the point of mentioning you.” 
 
 “Wardon cannot volunteer, Captain,” put in 
 Craton, eagerly ; “he cannot take a right that was 
 not given the rest of us. Chance has decided who 
 should go, and I think ” 
 
 “And fate has decided it,” replied Wardon, 
 walking slowly up to Craton and looking him 
 long in the face. “The man who was hurt is from 
 our ship, and I demand the right to have one of 
 our men put in. What if we cast the dice again 
 and a Viking man gets the chance? Captain 
 Harding says that I may go.” 
 
 Alden was interested in the discussion. Sud- 
 denly it seemed to him that there was a battle of 
 giants going on. 
 
 He did not know that his life would be the 
 price that would be paid if Wardon won. 
 
 He heard Craton calling his name. He turned 
 with his small bundle in his hand. He was ready 
 for the journey. 
 
 “I want to speak to you before you go, Frank. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 95 
 
 You are just from the sick list, boy, and look 
 ready to drop. Won’t you stay behind? Take 
 
 the advice of a friend ” 
 
 “Leave him alone,” muttered Wardon, threat- 
 eningly, to Craton, with great stress upon the 
 word “him.” 
 
 “Your place can be easily filled, Frank,” per- 
 sisted Craton, “if you say so ” 
 
 “Leave him alone, I tell you,” growled Wardon. 
 Still Craton went on. 
 
 “Frank, you told me only a little while ago 
 that you did not believe you could stand the fa- 
 tigue of the journey. I beg you to stay ” 
 
 Wardon ran savagely toward Craton. 
 
 “Craton, I told you ” 
 
 But Craton had stopped the words. 
 
 “I understand it, Wardon,” said Craton, slow- 
 ly, “and I know that the time for your revenge 
 has come. I shall not let him go if I can help it. 
 He is my friend, and so were you. But from to- 
 day ” He turned about, not wishing to say 
 
 anything in the heat of temper that he would re- 
 gret. He knew that this tiger nature had suf- 
 fered much, that his heart was sore for the loss 
 of his love, and his own thoughts flew back to 
 London, to the dear little woman who was always 
 
96 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 in his mind and heart. If he should lose Lucy ! 
 Yes, he knew just how unhappy he would be. 
 But he would not murder another human being, 
 that he knew. He was looking at Frank implor- 
 ingly. 
 
 “I am grateful, Craton,” replied Frank, with 
 a genuine blush of pleasure on his face, “for the 
 interest you take in me; but, old man, I’ve made 
 up my mind to go, and go I must.” 
 
 They were starting out now, and Craton knew 
 that if he did not make one more attempt to save 
 Frank’s life it would be lost. He held out his 
 hand pleadingly. 
 
 “Frank, old man ” 
 
 But the sentence was never finished, for War- 
 don had stepped between the two and he had 
 whispered fiendishly to Craton : 
 
 “He is going out over the snow and ice, to 
 places where human feet have never before trod. 
 He is going with me.” 
 
 Everybody was looking at the two men. No 
 one could understand why Craton was begging 
 that Frank would stay behind. Some thought his 
 mind had turned, others that he had a reason. 
 Wardon laughed sardonically. 
 
 “Craton,” said he, “you’ll leave the idea in the 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 97 
 
 minds of your fellow-men that you have lost your 
 reason. Alden is as strong as most of the party. 
 You will have your hands full here looking out 
 for the sick.” 
 
 He held out his hand to Craton, who ignored it. 
 Wardon shrugged his shoulders, and Craton fol- 
 lowed the travelers a short distance. Each man 
 took the last look at the old huts and each one 
 carried his meager bundle. Craton’s eyes were 
 riveted upon Wardon. If he could get this giant 
 fiend either to stay at home or to allow the boy 
 to stay he would feel that he had accomplished 
 much. But this was impossible, so he turned 
 back with a sickening heart. Then, remember- 
 ing caution, he said, loudly : 
 
 “Frank, heaven guard you for the sake of 
 Clara, and may God keep you safe! Until you 
 return, and as long as you can stand, keep with 
 the main body of the men.” 
 
 Richard Wardon threw back his head. He had 
 heard the words, and, wrapped in his great, warm 
 bearskin and looking like a huge animal, he went 
 back to Craton slowly. 
 
 “While Frank Alden lives he stays with me,” 
 he said, in a deadly tone. “There will come a 
 
98 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 time before you see him again that he will stand 
 between me and vengeance.” 
 
 ******* 
 
 How his eyes had blazed and what a devilish 
 expression he had had in them. Craton thought 
 of it every moment all day. He could not get that 
 look out of his mind. What did Wardon intend 
 to do to Frank and what were his plans? Of 
 course, he had not made any, for had not he 
 started in such a hurry? Craton felt, nay, he 
 was sure that Frank would not be able to stand 
 the journey long. Then he would be given over to 
 the care of a well comrade, and that comrade 
 would he Wardon, he was sure. But Craton had 
 done the best in his power. He remembered now 
 distinctly all that had happened the night they 
 had left Liverpool : Clara’s wild embarrassment, 
 the peculiar manner in which his wife had acted, 
 and then Frank’s elation when they had shaken 
 hands to wish each other good-night and had 
 gone to their own ships. Wardon had been 
 placed upon the Warrior, and that had given 
 him a chance to become acquainted with him. 
 Now, when he was angry with him, disgusted at 
 the smallness of the man’s nature, he could not 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 99 
 
 but admit to himself that there were many points 
 about this big fellow that made one admire him. 
 
 But such a foolish desire for revenge Cratou 
 could not understand. He loved Lucy, but a 
 man’s life was of more value than a woman’s 
 love. He found the sailor, John, moodily heap- 
 ing wood upon the fire. His friend the stutterer 
 had gone with the expedition. That left him 
 without a companion. 
 
 “Don’t use all the wood, John,” cautioned Cra- 
 ton. “How are the sick? Have you given them 
 any soup?” 
 
 “Sure, sir ; but there ain’t many more bones to 
 crack, and me hands are almost busted givin ’em 
 the cracks. You never tried breaking bones, did 
 you, sir?” 
 
 “No, John, nor stones, either. But here, give 
 me the ax and you go and rest.” 
 
 John smiled aside, that his superior officer 
 could not see him, and betook himself away. 
 Craton lifted from the corner the long legbones 
 of some animal that had died in the snow. They 
 simply had to keep alive upon the broth made 
 from such as this. 
 
 As he had said before, while there was life 
 there was hope. But just now, while he made 
 
200 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 the splinters fly from the bones, he thought of 
 Frank, of Wardon, and the curious manner in 
 which they had been brought together. He him- 
 self had been responsible for it, too, in a manner. 
 Had he not given the order for the chopping of 
 the bunk? and he knew that it was upon this that 
 Wardon had discovered the long-kept secret. 
 
 He looked into the fire. The boards were now 
 burning, and he could see the charred initials of 
 Clara Benton. 
 
 She was in London. He wondered if, after all 
 the faith Frank had placed in her, she were still 
 true to him. Three years nearly since they had 
 seen each other, and a woman can change much 
 in that length of time. 
 
 Of course, not his wife, not his Lucy. She 
 would be waiting for him if fate kept him away 
 from her for twice as many years. And then he 
 thought of his own affairs. 
 
 Lucy was his ideal of a wife, and maybe some 
 day, oh, that beautiful thought ! she would be the 
 mother of his children. He determined in his 
 mind that if heaven allowed him ever to get to 
 his home again he would settle down. He would 
 withdraw from the navy, and then life would 
 begin. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. ] Q1 
 
 The fire burned low, and it was long before he 
 could arouse himself from his far-away thoughts 
 to go among his sick comrades and see to their 
 wants. 
 
 He found the man with the broken leg in great 
 pain. The doctor had set it, but still there lin- 
 gered great distress about the afflicted parts. 
 
 Craton set about with his instinctive habit of 
 helping others, and with hot water and a small 
 bit of morphine he soon had the poor fellow in 
 repose. After this he went back to the breaking 
 of bones, and his thoughts, and he continually 
 wondered where Frank was, and if he were keep- 
 ing with the main body of the men. 
 
102 
 
 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 In the meantime the months and years had 
 dragged by for the two waiting women in Lon- 
 don. Clara’s aunts had both died, leaving her 
 lonely indeed. But the love and friendship that 
 had sprung up between Clara and Lucy had never 
 lessened in the least, and the fact that husband 
 and lover were on the same fleet made the tie the 
 dearer. So when Clara was left alone arrange- 
 ments were made for her to live with Lucy, and 
 thus began the lonely life of these two women. 
 For the first few months letters came regularly, 
 telling of the wonders of the North. Then they 
 began to grow scarce, and more and more time 
 elapsed, until there came a day when letters were 
 so rare that both Lucy and Clara had given up 
 looking for the postman to bring the news of 
 their wanderers. Many times Lucy had owned 
 to herself that she was comforted by the report 
 that Clara had been given a glimpse of the fleet, 
 and once Lucy came to her and asked her if she 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. ^03 
 
 had seen anything. They were sitting together 
 one cold night when London was enveloped in a 
 fog, and this subject was again broached. Both 
 women had been silent for a long time, when 
 suddenly Lucy spoke : 
 
 “Clara, it seems to me I shall go mad if some- 
 thing does not happen, or we do not hear from 
 them.” 
 
 “It has seemed the same to me,” replied Clara, 
 her face assuming a clouded expression. They 
 seldom ventured to say such things to each other, 
 for long ago they had both decided that it would 
 be better to speak only when they were satisfied 
 that all were well. But the time had grown so 
 long and the days so weary. 
 
 “But you have the assurance in your heart,” 
 went on Lucy, recklessly, “that you will hear 
 from him through the visions that come to you. 
 I have no such assurances. I only have to blindly 
 wait. I have often laughed at you, dear, when 
 you have told me that you had seen them, but 
 now I do believe, and if you have seen anything 
 tell me.” 
 
 She leaned forward eagerly and the flickering 
 light from the grate fire played upon her face. 
 She had grown but little older. Lucy Craton was 
 
104 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 one of those women upon whom Time lightly 
 lays his hand. But with Clara it was different. 
 She was of a passionate nature. Her heart bled 
 from fear through all the long days and nights. 
 She dreaded to think that possibly these two men 
 might meet upon the ship, and for months she 
 had seen nothing. 
 
 Her last vision was given her when they left 
 the disabled fleet and went into the huts to live. 
 This she had told Lucy, who had laughed away 
 her fears. But now, as the winter months came 
 on and the days began to grow dreary, Lucy 
 wanted to know something. Anything was bet- 
 ter than not to hear at all. And what if Clara 
 could see into the future? Then she could tell 
 about their loved ones. 
 
 “I have nothing to tell,” said Clara, under her 
 breath. “The last time I saw them they were in 
 the huts, I think they are still there, for if any- 
 thing had happened to Frank I should have 
 known.” 
 
 “I believe you would,” replied Lucy, with con- 
 fidence that caused Clara to raise her eyes and 
 look into her face. 
 
 “I say that,” went on Lucy, “because I have 
 come to believe that they must be somewhere 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 105 
 
 where they are unable to get us a message. And 
 if they are in those dreadful huts that you de- 
 scribed, then, of course, they could not send let- 
 ters.” 
 
 ‘‘They are there,” replied Clara, with decision ; 
 “but there will be a change. I feel that I shall 
 know something in a day or two, and if you want 
 me to, then I will tell you.” 
 
 “I do, Clara, indeed I do, for it seems some- 
 times that I shall lose my mind entirely. If I 
 could only be satisfied that Will lived, even if he 
 were never to return, to know that he lived and 
 did not suffer would be a great deal for me. I 
 ask you to relieve my anxiety if you should be 
 given any sight.” 
 
 Clara did not answer to this, but she suddenly 
 straightened up in her chair. 
 
 “You know, Lucy,” said she, “that I have no- 
 ticed lately that poor little Molly looks pale and 
 thin. You know her lover went away with ours. 
 I suppose these ignorant women love the same 
 as we do.” 
 
 “Possibly,” replied Lucy. Her thoughts were 
 far away from Molly and her sailor. She had 
 enough to worry about. Was not her own hus- 
 band somewhere locked in the cold world, while 
 
100 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 she, his wife, waited and longed for him to re- 
 turn? 
 
 Clara went on : 
 
 “Molly told me that she had had no letter from 
 Jim, as she calls him, in such a long time that 
 she, too, fears that a disaster has befallen the 
 ship. She believes that they are in the huts. I 
 told her I had seen them there.” 
 
 “I believe it now, too, Clara, only I fear that 
 you brood too much upon the matter. Oh, if we 
 could only know, if we could only know !” 
 
 “I do not believe that we would be as happy,” 
 replied Clara. “What if we were certain that 
 our boys were dead — would you feel as contented 
 then as you do now?” 
 
 Lucy shivered. 
 
 “Don’t speak so, Clara, she implored; “it is 
 too dreadful, too awfully dreadful to mention. 
 Of course, if I knew that my Will were dead I 
 should die, too — that’s all there is about it. But 
 1 know they are not dead.” 
 
 “I know it also,” said Clara; and then they 
 both lapsed into silence, while the wind roared 
 outside, lifting the fog and sending it away in 
 drifts over the city. 
 
 “The only thing I dread is” — and Clara raised 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 her heavy eyes and looked at Lucy — “that Rich- 
 ard Wardon should by some means find out that 
 Frank and I love each other. That would be fatal 
 to Frank, also to me.” 
 
 “If they have not yet found out about it,” 
 soothed Lucy, “then I should not think you 
 would worry that it could possibly come at this 
 late day. And you think that a vision would be 
 given you if such a thing should be?” 
 
 Clara nodded. 
 
 “Then calm yourself, child,” argued Lucy, “for 
 Frank is keeping the secret because you asked 
 him to.” 
 
 Clara sighed deeply. This was her only hope. 
 She knew that Frank would keep his promise if 
 he remembered. But three years was such a long 
 time. She got up from the chair as if it bur- 
 dened her to remain seated. Her long black 
 dress trailed up and down, curled in and out, as 
 she walked. Lucy watched it with fascination. 
 She imagined it a snake, and then shuddered. 
 
 “Clara, don’t walk like that. It seems to me 
 that you have lost your last friend. And I am 
 here, dear.” 
 
 Clara came close to her instantly. 
 
 “Forgive me,” she whispered, “if I have al- 
 
108 
 
 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 lowed my grief to overshadow yours. I know 
 and feel more keenly than you can imagine that 
 to lose a husband is terrible. I do not take the 
 dignity from your loss, sweetheart.” 
 
 She was kneeling now by the side of the weep- 
 ing woman. It was the first time in many months 
 that they had given up hope. Perhaps it was the 
 roaring of the wind. Perhaps something was 
 being impressed upon them. Nevertheless, their 
 grief was genuinely terrible. 
 
 “I have always expected that I would be told % 
 of any move they might make,” Clara said, still 
 kneeling. “It seems almost impossible that they 
 should stay out in those terrible huts all this 
 time.” 
 
 “But they might not be able to leave,” replied 
 Lucy. There was a touch of hope in Lucy’s voice 
 and she looked at Clara for an answer. 
 
 “I have thought that also,” Clara replied ; “but 
 the days go on and yet there is nothing, and now 
 it is years. If they were dead I should like to 
 know, for this awful hope is killing me.” 
 
 Suddenly Clara rose again and rang the bell. 
 “I’m going to question Molly. She has been 
 confidential with me about her Jim, as she calls 
 him. I wonder if she feels the same way we do?” 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 109 
 
 “Of course,” replied Lucy, philosophically, 
 “for love is love the world over.” 
 
 Molly responded to the touch of the bell. She 
 stood with shuffling feet, and once shuddered as 
 the wind gave a roar about the building. 
 
 “You wanted me, mum?” she asked, looking at 
 Lucy. 
 
 “Yes,” replied Clara, without waiting for Mrs. 
 Craton to answer. “I wanted to know what last 
 word you received from your Jim.” 
 
 Molly opened her eyes wide and did not reply 
 for a moment. 
 
 “You see, Molly,” explained Lucy, “I have a 
 dear husband on the same fleet as your sweet- 
 heart, and my friend here” — and Lucy leaned 
 over and took Clara’s fingers in hers — “she is en- 
 gaged to a gentleman who went with them. So 
 if you have heard anything ” 
 
 “I told you the other day, miss, when you was 
 telling me about your vision, that I hain’t had no 
 letters in a long time.” 
 
 “I know you did, Molly,” said Clara; “but 
 would you mind telling us just how Jim de- 
 scribed the place?” 
 
 “Sure, mum, you kin take the letter if youse 
 wishes.” 
 
1X0 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 Molly fumbled in her bosom and took out an 
 exceedingly worn paper that looked as if it might 
 have once been a letter. She unfolded it and, 
 with a bow, handed it to Clara. 
 
 Clara read it out loud. It was new to her, and 
 Jim gave a graphic description of the huts snug- 
 gled in the ice. He told how they had left their 
 ships and, with bundles, had journeyed on toward 
 the north; ending by saying that he imagined 
 that the exploring party that had gone before 
 had all perished in the storm and ice, for there 
 were traces of struggles and several human skele- 
 tons by the way. 
 
 As Clara handed the letter back to Molly there 
 was an expression of desperation in her eyes. 
 
 “They could not survive in such a place as that. 
 Frank was careful not to enlarge upon the hor- 
 rors of it to me, the same as Will was to you. I 
 have less hope than ever.” 
 
 “And sure, miss,” put in Molly, “I feels as bad 
 about me boy, if he do stutter, as any goil could 
 feel. But I’m hoping all ther time thet I’ll get 
 news of him.” 
 
 “You couldn’t get news, Molly,” replied Lucy, 
 gravely, “if Jim were dead.” 
 
 “Thet’s true, mum,” replied Molly, shrewdly; 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 Ill 
 
 “but I don’t let meself say tket he even might be 
 dead; fer as long as I’m a-hopin’ every day, then 
 I can be happy. When I loses thet hope, mum, 
 I loses all.” 
 
 The feet shifted again in embarrassment. The 
 girl was driving her lesson home. 
 
 “You can go, Molly,” was all Lucy answered. 
 
 Molly still lingered. 
 
 “I hain’t said nothing offendin’, have I, 
 missus?” 
 
 “No, indeed,” answered Clara, again, before 
 Lucy could collect herself. “I am very glad you 
 have spoken so; for it’s true, when one loses hope, 
 then life is no longer livable.” 
 
 The two women were silent for a long time, and 
 it was not until they were forced to that they 
 parted, and each sought her couch, but not to 
 sleep. Clara prayed earnestly. She desired now 
 to be given some information about her darling ; 
 and the fact that Lucy also believed made her a 
 little happier. 
 
 She lay thinking long after darkness had set- 
 tled over the room. She thought that she should 
 never be able to sleep again. Suddenly she felt 
 the visionary languor stealing upon her. She 
 
;Q2 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 did not try to fight away the feeling. What she 
 had prayed for was coming. 
 
 She saw Frank weak and sick in the northern 
 huts. Then she saw Richard Wardon bending 
 over her own initials cut in the wood. She read 
 murder in his terrible expression. She saw the 
 party start out, saw Craton follow them the short 
 distance and then go back with the sad expres- 
 sion upon his face. 
 
 The vision faded after she had seen Wardon 
 walk back from Craton with the sneering leer 
 upon his face. She could almost hear his words, 
 “He will stay with me.” 
 
 Then it was over, and Clara, with a very white 
 face, slipped on her dressing gown and softly 
 tapped upon Lucy’s door. A gentle voice bade 
 her enter. 
 
 “I have seen them all,” said Clara, in an apa- 
 thetic voice, “and Richard knows that I love 
 Frank.” 
 
 “Isn’t it a freak of your imagination?” Lucy 
 asked quickly. “We were talking about it, you 
 know.” 
 
 “No; I saw them all. Will was there. Rich- 
 ard and Frank are not with Will — why, I do not 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. } };> 
 
 know. But there will be an awful tragedy and 
 I shall lose my darling.” 
 
 Clara had given way to the tears which had 
 gathered slowly in her eyes. Her slender frame 
 was convulsed with sobs, while Lucy tried in vain 
 to quiet her. 
 
 “Child, you will make yourself ill,” she cau- 
 tioned. “There, do not weep. You did not see 
 him actually killing Frank, did you?” 
 
 “No.” 
 
 “Then rest for a while. Here, come in bed with 
 me and maybe you will hear something more.” 
 
 “Not until I hear the worst,” shivered Clara. 
 But she did not speak again, for Lucy soon 
 dropped into a fitful doze, and the other girl, her 
 eyes wide open, staring into the night, lay think- 
 ing until morning. 
 
 The next day Lucy changed her mind a little 
 about her absolute belief in visions. The sun- 
 light had robbed her of the feelings of the super- 
 natural. But she listened again while Clara told 
 of what she had seen. 
 
 “There, there, dear,” she said, after Clara had 
 ceased speaking, “don’t look so downhearted. It 
 will all come out right. It must. Why, some- 
 
114 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 times you hear of sailors being away in that 
 northern country for years and years and then 
 returning.” 
 
 “Don’t be vexed with me, Lucy,” implored 
 Clara, “but I simply cannot get over the dream 
 that I had. I am perfectly miserable about it.” 
 
 And so the days dragged on, until one morning 
 Molly came bouncing into the room with the mail. 
 
 “I thought I had a letter from me lad,” she 
 said, plaintively, “but there ain’t not a word.” 
 
 As Lucy tore the wrapper from the evening 
 paper her fingers shook, for she had seen in 
 Clara’s face, almost, the intelligence that there 
 would be news of their loved ones. 
 
 Her eye ran quickly over the list of steamers, 
 and then, with lips slowly framing the words, she 
 said : 
 
 “Have you the strength for me to read you 
 what is here?” 
 
 Clara nodded her head emphatically. 
 
 Lucy began to read : 
 
 “ ‘'NEWS OF THE NORTHERN EXPEDITION — CAPTAIN 
 HARDING’S FLEET. 
 
 “ ‘The following intelligence from St. John’s, 
 Newfoundland, has reached us for publication: 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. ;Qg 
 
 A whaling vessel has reported to have met with 
 the survivors of the expedition in Davis Straits. 
 Many are reported dead and some are supposed 
 to be missing. The list of the saved was collected 
 by the whaler, but is not vouched to be absolutely 
 correct. Further particulars will be gathered if 
 possible. The following are the survivors as re- 
 ported in their rank : 
 
 “ ‘Captain Harding. 
 
 “ ‘Lieutenant Craton.’ ” 
 
 The paper fluttered from Lucy’s fingers and it 
 fell at Clara’s feet. 
 
 “Clara,” gasped Mrs. Craton, “my husband is 
 coming home to me. May heaven be thanked for 
 such precious news.” 
 
 Clara was staring at the paper. 
 
 “Poor child,” said Mrs. Craton, almost imme- 
 diately. “Forgive me, I’m so selfish. I did not 
 read on, but I will.” 
 
 She then read a list of the names of the dead. 
 She did not proceed, but said quickly : 
 
 “You see, he is not dead, but ” 
 
 She waa reading again : 
 
 “ ‘Among the missing are Richard Wardon and 
 — and — Frank Alden.’ ” 
 
116 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 Again the paper fluttered to the floor, and this 
 time neither woman noticed. It had yielded its 
 all to them, and they were now waiting, and for 
 what? Clara was too miserable to weep. She 
 fixed her eyes upon Lucy appealingly. What was 
 there to be said? 
 
 “Darling,” said Mrs. Craton, after a little 
 while, “if I seem too happy to you, remember 
 he is coming back to me. I would help you if I 
 could. I am not so sure now that your boy is 
 dead. You saw for yourself that it said that the 
 news might not be authentic. We will cheer up 
 a little, and I will promise not to look too happy. 
 I know one thing — you are getting thinner every 
 day,” and Lucy took the white fingers in hers. 
 “I shall send for my good old doctor and he will 
 give you something to cheer you up.” 
 
 Clara sighed as she ascended the stairs to her 
 bedroom. How like the human heart ! Lucy had 
 forgotten that only the day before her own heart 
 was losing its life-blood in anxiety for her be- 
 loved, and now — well, Lucy had the assurance 
 that Will was coming back to her. 
 
 Clara sat down with a feeling of lost hope and 
 again gave herself to the thoughts of the puzzling 
 dream of the night before. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 117 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 True to her word, the next morning Lucy had 
 the good doctor to see her little friend. When 
 Clara, pale and worn through a sleepless night, 
 descended the stairs she w r as met by Mrs. Craton. 
 
 “You are to be ready to see the doctor at ten,” 
 she said decidedly. “I told him over the ’phone 
 that you were really sick.” 
 
 Lucy looked like another being since the news 
 of her husband’s safety. She only desired now 
 that Clara should feel in better spirits. “Any- 
 way,” reasoned Lucy, “a husband is dearer than 
 a sweetheart, and she must learn to bear the 
 shock.” 
 
 Clara gave her usual quiet smile, only this 
 morning it was tinged with despair. 
 
 “What good will he do me?” she asked. “I am 
 not sick in my body, and he can’t cure a dying 
 soul.” 
 
 “Clara, for heaven’s sake, will you please not 
 talk in that manner any longer? It simply makes 
 me shudder.” 
 
Ug UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 “Then T will be silent,” said Clara, walking 
 toward the dining-room. 
 
 Lucy ran after her. 
 
 “Clara, dear, dear girl,” she cried, “don’t get 
 that hopeless tone in your voice. Child, it is 
 doubting the mercy of heaven. Listen, God has 
 saved my husband ; He surely can save Frank.” 
 
 “But He hasn’t,” replied Clara, petulantly. 
 “He has taken from me the only human being I 
 love devotedly, and I will not live and shall not 
 try, Lucy.” 
 
 A sharp expression of pain rested upon Mrs. 
 Craton’s face. Clara noticed it. 
 
 “Forgive me, Lucy,” she ejaculated, her better 
 nature overcoming her despair. “I was cruel. 
 You know that I love you very, very much, in- 
 deed; but so different from Frank. Now, then, 
 you love me with an entirely different emotion 
 than you do Will ; don’t you?” 
 
 “Of course,” reluctantly replied Mrs. Craton. 
 
 “Exactly,” said Clara. “Then you know how 
 I suffer for Frank. No other man in all the world 
 is like him to me. I will see your doctor, though, 
 Lucy, and take all the bitter medicine that you 
 want me to.” 
 
 Mrs. Craton turned away with a sigh. She felt 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. \\§ 
 
 that it was useless to argue, and nothing but the 
 news of the safe return of her lover would do 
 Clara any good. The little woman’s large heart 
 pounded furiously as she thought of the happi- 
 ness it would cause if sudden news came that the 
 lad had been rescued. But she shook her head 
 thoughtfully as she went into the drawing-room 
 at the bidding of Molly, as the doctor waited for 
 her there. She, too, was sure that Richard War- 
 don had found out that Frank loved Clara and 
 had taken his revenge by putting him to death. 
 
 As she neared the door she slipped from her 
 pocket the small clipping she had cut from the 
 paper and passionately kissed the name which 
 was to her the dearest in all the world. 
 
 A laugh interrupted her emotion. 
 
 “I’ve caught you !” cried a merry voice. “Kiss- 
 ing a letter, I’ll bet.” 
 
 Lucy laughed blushingly. 
 
 “I confess to being caught in the act, doctor,” 
 she said. “You see, I am so happy to have this 
 precious bit of paper that I cannot bear to have 
 it out of my hands.” 
 
 She held out the clipping and the doctor read 
 it with evident delight. 
 
 “I have only congratulations for you, my dear 
 
120 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 Mrs. Craton,” he said, “for it would, indeed, have 
 been a misfortune if that noble husband of yours 
 had been lost. I suppose some of these days he 
 will be coming home.” 
 
 “I hope so.” 
 
 “So do I, for your sake. You do not need any 
 doctor; now, where is my patient?” 
 
 “Let me tell you about her first, doctor,” re- 
 plied Lucy. “You see that the news was not good 
 for her, as the poor child had her sweetheart upon 
 the same expedition.” 
 
 A low whistle from the doctor was his only 
 answer. 
 
 “He is among the missing — that one,” she went 
 on, pointing out Frank’s name. 
 
 “How does she take it?” asked the doctor, now 
 thoroughly interested in the case; “crying, ner- 
 vous, all broken up?” 
 
 “No,” replied Lucy. “I wish she were more 
 demonstrative; but it is so deep that she just gets 
 thinner and thinner every day, until I despair 
 of her life if it goes on. And yesterday when she 
 saw this clipping she seemed to feel that the 
 opinion she had held for a long time had been 
 verified. You see” — and here Mrs. Craton hesi- 
 tated; she did not want to betray a trust that 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. J21 
 
 Clara liad placed in her — “you see, she has 
 dreams, and she recently had another. They are 
 sort of a second sight, and several times she has 
 seen her lover.” 
 
 “Tush, tush, what rot !” exclaimed the doctor. 
 “I never heard anything like it in all the world. 
 Who would ever think a well-educated woman 
 would believe in such nonsense?” 
 
 “I’m not so sure it’s nonsense, doctor,” hesi- 
 tated Lucy, as she sank back in her chair. “Why, 
 it seems so natural as she tells it.” 
 
 “Vivid imagination,” grunted the doctor. 
 “There is a chance also that he is living, for the 
 report says that the news might not be authen- 
 tic.” 
 
 “I’ve told her that also,” replied Lucy, “but 
 nothing shakes her confidence in what she sees. 
 I’ve known her to tell several things that came 
 exactly true. For instance, she foretold of the 
 home-coming of a man some little time before his 
 arrival. Her faith is so strong in it and it is all 
 so uncanny that it gives me the shivers.” 
 
 “It’s all a hallucination,” replied the doctor, 
 breezily. “Poor little thing ! Let me see her.” 
 
 “I am here, Lucy,” said a quiet, sweet voice, 
 
122 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 and Doctor Margrave rose to his feet with a bow 
 to Clara. “You wanted to see me, doctor ?” 
 
 “I have a scolding for you,” replied Margrave, 
 when he could get his voice ; “yes, a severe scold- 
 ing. First of all, how do you feel to-day?” 
 
 “The same,” replied Clara, allowing her gaze 
 to rest upon the doctor’s face as if to assure him 
 it would not benefit her whatever he might say. 
 
 “But you don’t look as w T ell,” replied he, plac- 
 ing a finger upon her rapid pulse. “Here, here, 
 now, this won’t do. It’s that confounded report 
 in the paper that is to blame for this condition. 
 You have a fever, child. Now listen to me. You 
 know that there is an old saying that we worry 
 most over the children that never are born. Now, 
 then, the paper only says that your friend is miss- 
 ing. It does not even say that he is dead ; and if 
 it did, it also says that the report might not be 
 authentic. Now, then, are you going to be a sen- 
 sible girl and put these morbid thoughts out of 
 your head? I’ll then guarantee that you will get 
 w r ell bodily.” 
 
 Clara rose suddenly. 
 
 “Is this all, doctor?” she asked, quietly. “Then 
 I will go upstairs. You will excuse me, Lucy. 
 I am so tired.” 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 123 
 
 Tears were resting upon Lucy’s cheeks when 
 the doctor turned to her again. 
 
 “The child’s in a bad state,” he said, reluc- 
 tantly; “very bad. If I could only get her mind 
 into a good condition, then I am sure she would 
 pick up. But a burdened brain will always harm 
 the strongest body.” 
 
 “I know that,” wept Lucy, “and I told her last 
 night that if I could share my happiness with her 
 I would gladly do it. But I can’t ; so what’s the 
 use of trying, Avhen she simply won’t look up to- 
 ward the brighter things?” 
 
 The doctor did not answer for a few moments, 
 but he was thinking of a certain little woman 
 who had been sick in bed but a week before, and 
 all caused because she worried for an absent hus- 
 band. But he did not mention this when he next 
 spoke. 
 
 “I see a marked change in the young lady since 
 I last saw her,” he said earnestly; “a very marked 
 change. The trouble is not, I trust, beyond hu- 
 man aid. The great hope for her is that Alden 
 is still living and that she may hear of it soon. 
 If I knew that I should have no fears for her. 
 But as things are now” — and here the doctor 
 picked up his gloves and slipped them over his 
 
124 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 long fingers — “I own I dread tliat settled con- 
 viction of his death will cause hers also. Her 
 heart is not in a good condition. It is sometimes 
 strong and other times weak. She has a low 
 nervous fever, which will consume her if some- 
 thing is not done. If you wish to call in other 
 advice, then do not let me deter you.” 
 
 “No, doctor; I feel that you are competent to 
 tell me,” replied Lucy. “There must be some- 
 thing that I can do for her.” 
 
 “Then try a change ; take her away from here,” 
 ordered the doctor; “and if you try the right 
 place, no telling what will come from it.” 
 
 “She refuses to leave,” said Mrs. Craton. “I 
 said to her only last week that we would go some 
 where else, but she would not listen.” 
 
 The doctor reflected for a few moments. 
 
 “I have a plan which I think she would not say 
 no to if you should ask her.” 
 
 “Yes?” breathed Lucy, eagerly. 
 
 “Have you any influence at the Admiralty 
 here?” asked Margrave, after he had kept Lucy 
 waiting long enough to give her the fidgets. 
 
 “Of course,” she replied hesitatingly, not un- 
 derstanding; “my own father is Secretary of the 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 125 
 
 office, and one of the lords is his very dear 
 friend.” 
 
 “Good ! Then here is my plan,” and the jovial 
 doctor walked up and down the room, rubbing his 
 gloved hands together. “The only chance that 
 will do that girl any good is one that regards Mr. 
 Alden. In short, I w^ant to put her strange con- 
 victions to a test.” 
 
 “But how, doctor? I do not understand.” 
 Lucy was standing now, her eyes wide open and 
 dry. 
 
 “Well, how would this do : If you should say 
 to her that you are positive that the lad is living, 
 that you know it without a shadow of a doubt, 
 but that you think it would be a good thing to go 
 over the ocean and see for yourselves?” 
 
 “Do you mean ” 
 
 “Yes ; that’s just what I do mean,” replied the 
 doctor, seeing the question in Lucy’s eyes. “Meet 
 the expedition on its way home. You know that 
 a relief boat is to be sent out to pick up all these 
 men and bring them home. If you have the 
 power, then you may be able to get a permit to 
 go on board and help in the rescuing work. You 
 say your father is connected with this office. I 
 am in favor of Miss Benton trying this, for I can 
 
126 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 say as a medical man that the trip will benefit 
 her and may bring her back her lover — who 
 knows? Now, what do you think about my plan?” 
 
 “Splendid !” replied Lucy, who afterward 
 blushed when she remembered that she had been 
 thinking not of Clara, but of seeing her own 
 darling husband sooner than she had expected. 
 
 “I will go to my father this very night,” she 
 said eagerly; “and if there is any way for him to 
 manage it I am sure that he will.” 
 
 “It might be well,” went on the doctor, looking 
 at her critically, “for you to chip in a word or 
 two with the lords, for — you are a very pretty 
 woman, Mrs. Craton.” 
 
 Lucy blushed and laughed. She was so re- 
 lieved, for she was sure that Clara would jump 
 at the chance to go toward Frank, for, at any 
 rate, then they would know. 
 
 When the doctor had gone Lucy mounted the 
 long stairs with a singing heart. Never since 
 Will had left home had she felt so happy. It 
 seemed now that there would be an end of her 
 difficulty. 
 
 She softly opened the door of Clara’s room and 
 w r ent in. The sight that met her eyes she would 
 never forget — never as long as she should live. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. \27 
 
 Clara was standing in the middle of the floor, her 
 eyes fixed upon nothing, but with a vacant stare, 
 as if she were looking backward into her own 
 soul. Lucy halted, for she knew that another 
 vision was being given the girl. Suddenly she 
 began to speak. 
 
 “There’s ice and snow as far as the eye can 
 reach.” 
 
 Then she halted a moment, and her eyes grew 
 restless as those of the blind when one is anxious. 
 
 “Frank says he can walk no farther. His limbs 
 are tired and he is starving for food. He — he — 
 says that they must go on and leave him.” 
 
 The words were falling mechanically from her 
 lips. Her eyes still held to vacancy. 
 
 “The Captain says they must go on, or that 
 they will all become weak like Frank is. He — he 
 — is in the snow. It is Wardon who says that he 
 will stay behind with Frank. They are all gone, 
 and Wardon, with the devil in his face, is bend- 
 ing over ” 
 
 The vision faded here, for the girl gasped for 
 breath and dropped upon the floor. Lucy leaned 
 over her. 
 
 “Clara, Clara!” she called. “Child, you will 
 lose your mind. There, don’t do that again.” 
 
128 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 She had helped the girl to the bed, and with 
 gasping sobs Clara explained her vision. 
 
 “He will be killed. I shall never see him again 
 — never. That man, who pretended to love me, 
 is taking his precious life from me. I hate him ! 
 I hate him for ever and ever!” 
 
 Suddenly there came into her eyes another ex- 
 pression, and she held out her hands. 
 
 “Frank, Frank,” she cried, “while you can 
 stand keep with the others.” 
 
 Strange as it may seem, these were the very 
 words that Craton had shouted to his friend as 
 the rescuing party had set out. 
 
 Lucy had to use strenuous measures to recall 
 the girl to her senses. 
 
 “I have something very important to say to 
 you, Clara, if you will open your eyes,” said she. 
 
 Clara did as requested and rested her tired 
 gaze upon her friend. 
 
 “Oh, Lucy !” she gasped, “it was so awful — his 
 suffering. He is dead by this time. He could not 
 live through such snow and ice with his small 
 strength. And, Lucy, T don’t want to live an- 
 other moment.” 
 
 “How would you like to go and see if we can 
 find him?” 
 

UNDER THE NORTH STAR. ^29 
 
 Clara sat up straight. These words made her 
 listen intently. She did not exert her imagina- 
 tion at all to wonder how it was to be managed, 
 but the words in themselves were enough to make 
 her listen. 
 
 “The doctor says he thinks that we could go 
 with the relief boat that is to be sent after the 
 men, and you know that my father is connected 
 with all such work here in London, and I won- 
 dered if you would not like me to get three passes, 
 for we would take Molly with us and just have 
 a change. Then you could see for yourself how 
 everything is. And the doctor says that the Gov- 
 ernment will leave no stone unturned, but that 
 they will rescue every man if it takes a year. 
 What do you say to that?” 
 
 “I would rather go than to do anything else in 
 all the world.” 
 
 This was said in a wee, gasping tone; but the 
 words gathered strength, until when she finished 
 Clara was sitting on the edge of the bed and was 
 holding tightly to Lucy’s hand. 
 
 “Oh ! do you mean it? Lucy, will you take me? 
 for I have not seen him die, and I want to, oh, I 
 want to go so very much.” Then her own grief 
 rather assuaged, she said, suddenly : “And you 
 
130 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 will see Will sooner than if you stayed here; 
 won’t you?” 
 
 “Yes, weeks sooner; and I am so happy that 
 you consent to go, dear. Now, then, we will ask 
 Molly.” 
 
 Lucy rang the bell, and the good-natured Irish- 
 woman could be heard clambering up the stairs. 
 
 “Molly,” began Lucy, “Miss Clara and I are 
 going to join the relief ship that goes out to find 
 our boys. Are you afraid of the water? You 
 may go with us if you like.” 
 
 Molly was dumb with amazement for a mo- 
 ment. 
 
 “Does yer mean, mum, thet I ken go wid yer 
 to find me stuttering Jim? I ain’t afraid of the 
 divil himself when it comes to thet, miss.” 
 
 “Then you get our things ready, for I shall 
 have to go to my father and ask for the passes.” 
 
 Already there was a great change in Clara. 
 She had risen from the bed with renewed life. 
 Her effort from that moment would be to live 
 until she should find that her darling was dead. 
 She waited patiently until Lucy returned with 
 the good news that the relief ship started the 
 next Saturday and that room would be reserved 
 for the three women without fail. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 131 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 That Frank Alden was utterly unconscious of 
 the battle going on between Wardon and Craton 
 was shown by the puzzled expression as he gave 
 the final wave of his hand to the latter, as he said, 
 audibly : 
 
 “Of course I shall keep with the others. Does 
 he think that I am going to lag behind or to run 
 ahead like a silly schoolboy?” 
 
 Captain Harding heard him and smiled. 
 
 “Craton seemed to believe that some monstrous 
 disaster was to happen you if you took this trip. 
 To me it is much more preferable than hanging 
 about camp.” 
 
 “And to me,” replied Frank, as he drew his fur 
 hood farther down over his nostrils, as the cut- 
 ting, icy wind seemed to take away his breath. 
 
 It was as Craton had said — Frank had just 
 risen from a sick-bed. He had the signs of fa- 
 tigue already upon him. But keep with the 
 others? Why, it meant death if he did not. ! 
 
132 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 For two days they traveled, stopping only at 
 night to sleep, each man rolling in his blanket 
 and dropping wherever night found them. 
 
 Richard Wardon kept his eye continually upon 
 Frank. There raged in his heart always the de- 
 sire to kill this young lover of Clara Benton ; but 
 he waited, for he knew that kindly fate would 
 give him an opportunity to be alone with Frank, 
 to explain why he was committing such a das- 
 tardly deed. Had he not sworn to take vengeance 
 upon these two for destroying his happiness? 
 
 He always made it a point to throw himself 
 next to Frank at night, fearing that something 
 might happen that he would not know about. 
 Now that he had him he should not escape with- 
 out a struggle. Many were the twinges of his 
 conscience that Richard Wardon had. Every 
 time he looked at the slender, boyish figure with 
 the bundle over his shoulder his heart failed in 
 its determination. But he had only to go back 
 to the night when Clara had enlightened him that 
 she loved him not and did love another to re- 
 establish his desire for blood. His big form 
 shook with emotion one night as they lay covered 
 with their large army blankets. 
 
 Frank was too close not to notice. 
 
I 
 
 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. ^03 
 
 “Are you ill, Wardon?” lie asked, lifting liis 
 head and peering through the cold air at his com- 
 panion. 
 
 “No.” 
 
 Frank thought he heard a sound of tears; but 
 the tone was so disgruntled that he remained si- 
 lent for a few moments, and then, as the strange 
 writhings went on, he continued, in a whisper : 
 
 “Dick — let me call you so, for we are now 
 brothers in misery — you are suffering, I know. 
 Won’t you let me comfort ” 
 
 “Comfort to the devil !” replied Wardon. “Go 
 to sleep and shut your head ! What does a boy 
 like you know of suffering? Nothing, absolutely 
 nothing !” 
 
 Frank did as he was requested in one particu- 
 lar — he shut his mouth, but did not go to sleep. 
 How could he, when there rested upon his heart 
 the fact that in some way Wardon disliked him? 
 Never had he been spoken to in that manner, and 
 he would be careful in the future not to offer his 
 well-meaning attentions again. 
 
 When they arose in the morning Richard War- 
 don grunted out a good morning to everybody 
 who took the pains to speak to him. But Frank 
 did not open his lips. He was wounded to the 
 
134 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 depth of his tender young heart. He had told 
 Craton that Wardon was a bear — so he was. 
 
 He packed his blanket slowly as he thought 
 these things. Once he raised his head and looked 
 at Wardon, and found the piercing black eyes 
 upon him. He dropped his own beneath the gaze, 
 but all through that day he wondered what it 
 meant. There had been an explanation under it, 
 but why was it not forthcoming? Frank had the 
 impression that he would be spoken to by Rich- 
 ard — something would be said. 
 
 But he waited in vain, and the two men did not 
 speak again until the next morning, when they 
 were all taking counsel together. 
 
 The Captain said that they ought to reach a 
 camp in two more days by the figures upon the 
 chart he was studying. 
 
 Frank uttered a groan. 
 
 “Two interminable days ! I cannot wait that 
 long ! I am simply too weak to go any further.” 
 
 And suddenly he began to look so. His fair, 
 boyish face looked old and haggard. He had a 
 stoop about the shoulders that comes with age 
 or weakness. His eyes had filled with tears. 
 
 “It’s not brave, boys,” he said, at last, dashing 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. ^35 
 
 the water from his eyes, “but I want you all to 
 go on without me. I can’t go any farther.” 
 
 The terrible chill of the ice about them and 
 the boy’s words startled every man into action. 
 
 “Come, come,” roared the Captain; “this will 
 never do, Frank. You will make me wish I had 
 left you behind with Craton. He thought you 
 were too ill to travel.” 
 
 “So I was,” replied Frank, “much too ill, and 
 I’m ill now ; but I don’t want any one to be kept 
 back from life on my account.” 
 
 Richard Wardon was on his feet in an instant. 
 “Get up, boy,” he ordered ; “get up, you are all 
 right. Here, give me your bundle.” 
 
 The better nature in Wardon was struggling 
 hard to put down the wicked one. He often, as 
 this morning, abandoned his threat and oath that 
 had been a part of his being so long. 
 
 The boy looked so frail ! 
 
 For a moment Frank had demurred in giving 
 up his burden, but Richard had taken it by force. 
 Then he took hold of Frank’s arm, and again the 
 cavalcade went on. There was nothing said be- 
 tween the two men, but somehow the younger 
 man, who had almost faced death, felt that he 
 was receiving a new lease upon life and obtaining 
 
136 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 vTarmth from the big body so close to him. Rich- 
 ard was having a fight with himself. There was 
 something infinitely sweet in giving to his enemy, 
 although he knew that later he would take his all. 
 Out of the abundance of his strength he would 
 give to this youth until — well, Richard did not 
 know how long he could keep the fiery devil that 
 raged within him in subjection. 
 
 All he said to Frank was : 
 
 “Craton told you to keep with the others while 
 you could walk.” 
 
 Tears again sprang into Frank’s eyes. 
 
 “You’re too good to me, Dick,” he said. “For- 
 give the way I treated you this morning. I really 
 did not intend to be so boorish.” 
 
 He half expected that Richard would say the 
 same to him, but there was no response; so all 
 through the long, cold day he half walked and 
 was half dragged, until he seemed to have no life 
 left in him. 
 
 Toward evening they camped, and one of the 
 stronger of the party caught a young animal 
 skimming over the ice. It was brought down 
 with one quick shot. 
 
 As it was being dressed Wardon took his tin 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. ]_3J 
 
 cup and caught the fresh, warm blood that ran 
 from the quivering heart. 
 
 “You are to drink this,” he said to Frank, and 
 with quiet obedience the lad did as he was bid- 
 den. After that he slept until the morning, and 
 he heard the stirring of the men who lighted the 
 fires, and soon he smelled broiling meat. It en- 
 tered into his nostrils as the song of a bird does 
 into the wanderer’s heart as he traverses the des- 
 ert. The odor made him sit up quickly, and he 
 felt better and stronger for Richard’s attention 
 the night before. He would not have believed 
 that there could be so much life in one glassful 
 of fresh blood. 
 
 Through the day Richard still kept him to his 
 side. That night closer than ever the two men, 
 whose lives had so crossed, lay without a word. 
 Then again extreme weakness came over Frank. 
 They could not be fortunate enough to catch 
 young animals every day. The rigors of the trip 
 had told on every man saving Richard. He had 
 only become a little more bronzed, a little more 
 broad-shouldered, as he raised his head often to 
 take in the deep, icy air. 
 
 He lay close to Frank that night, and then .a 
 thought diabolical as it was ingenious came into 
 
138 UNDER THE NORTH OTAR. 
 
 his head. He could not give up his desire to kill 
 this man, to torture him as he himself had been 
 tortured. But some mightier power than his own 
 seemed to be holding him back. He often thought 
 that he was simply helping Frank, to make the 
 end more poignant for his enemy, more delightful 
 for himself. 
 
 He would make Frank, the lover of Clara, fan 
 into life the dying flame of his revenge; for the 
 big man knew that it was dying, this strange de- 
 sire of his, and he would not permit it. He would 
 carry out the scheme of his life. Frank should 
 die, and he should have the pleasure of telling 
 Clara of her lover’s death agony. 
 
 With this terrible thought running through his 
 mind, he drew a little closer to Frank. They 
 were apart from the others and whispering would 
 not disturb these tired men. 
 
 “When you get back to London what do you 
 intend to do?” he asked, close to Frank’s ear. 
 
 Frank started, for he had not expected to ex- 
 change confidences with Wardon. 
 
 “I shall leave the navy, for one thing,” Frank 
 whispered back ; “then, after that, I shall be mar- 
 ried.” 
 
 “To Miss Benton?” asked Richard, his voice 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. J39 
 
 quivering in its slowness. Speaking that name 
 was as magic to him. His heart beat furiously 
 and his anger rose with each moment. 
 
 “Yes, to Miss Benton,” replied Frank, adding 
 fuel to the fire. 
 
 “Are you as fond of her as when you first left 
 home?” asked Wardon, again keeping his voice 
 in a whisper. 
 
 “More than ever,” replied Frank. “She is a 
 girl that would inspire deep feelings in any man 
 living. Her heart is like steel to any one she 
 loves, and I had her positive assurance that she 
 loved me.” 
 
 “She told you so?” 
 
 “Many, many times,” went on Frank; “and if 
 I could see her now I should get well. A man 
 needs a woman’s helping hand and a woman’s 
 love when he feels like I do.” 
 
 “Maybe she has not remained true to you,” 
 Wardon said, testily. “I loved a woman once 
 and she made me believe that she loved me. Then, 
 when I came back, after a two-year trip, she had 
 pledged herself to another.” 
 
 “Then she never loved you,” replied Frank, 
 raising his voice a little. “It has always been 
 my belief that a woman loves but once, the same 
 
^40 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 as a man. They may think they do, but tliey 
 don’t. Now, Clara Benton told me that she had 
 never loved before, and I know plagued well I 
 never knew such joy as I felt that night when she 
 told me she would be my wife when I returned. 
 She could not be untrue to me, telling me with 
 those lips.” 
 
 How vividly Richard remembered that the 
 same rosy lips had been kissed by his. But, of 
 course, he could not say even to himself that 
 Clara had promised to be his wife. He had taken 
 her by storm, had used his passion for her as 
 insistence that she should one day be his. 
 
 But he had believed as surely as there was a 
 God in heaven that Clara Benton would be wait- 
 ing for him when he returned. Of course, how 
 could any woman, after spending the months to- 
 gether they had that one sweet winter, be any- 
 thing but true ! All this time his temper and rage 
 were being rekindled into a great jealous flame. 
 The weak man at his side did not understand, 
 although he heard the quick breath going and 
 coming ; he attributed it to feelings that memory 
 had aroused. 
 
 There was no more said that night, and the 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 141 
 
 next morning, after a drink of hot water, they 
 struggled on. 
 
 It was along toward niglit that the end came. 
 Frank had kept a silence, using his strength for 
 the march. As they came within about two hours 
 of camp he said, with a groan : 
 
 “There is no use asking me. I can go no far- 
 ther. I insist that you all go on, for if you camp 
 here, then you will lose a day. I could not do 
 better to-morrow.” 
 
 The Captain was standing over him. 
 
 “Come, come, old fellow; it may not be but a 
 few miles farther on, and then we will find a 
 camp. I beg of you to try and walk.” 
 
 “No use, Captain; no earthly use.” 
 
 Frank did not make a move to rise. His weak- 
 ness had gained over his strength and he lay quite 
 still. 
 
 “Then,” said the Captain, “we cannot leave 
 him alone to die. It is only a short distance to 
 camp — that I know. It can’t be over twenty 
 miles, but God knows that’s far enough over this 
 awful ice. If life could be kept in him until we 
 could send out others with food to bring him in.” 
 He hesitated as he looked about. He was ask- 
 ing, although not in so many words, that some 
 
142 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 one would volunteer to stay with the sick man 
 until help could be sent. 
 
 “I will care for him/’ said Richard. “I desire 
 to.” 
 
 The Captain looked Wardon in the face. 
 
 “Do you mean that you will remain with the 
 boy until we can send help to rescue you both? 
 I shall never forget this, Wardon.” 
 
 W T ardon turned away with an evil smile upon 
 his lips. All through that day Frank’s words had 
 been running in his head. 
 
 Clara Benton had never loved before. She 
 loved only Frank. No other man had made her 
 feel the thrill of life or the desire to be loved. 
 
 He set his jaw over his white teeth. 
 
 His hour for revenge had come and it was 
 sweet, very sweet. He felt somewhat as he knew 
 a cat might feel when she had a small mouse 
 under her paw. To let it go a little distance and 
 then to draw it back was delight, indeed. He 
 had done this to Frank Alden; although he ad- 
 mitted to himself that he had at one time during 
 the march given up the thought of his revenge. 
 But how those words of the boy’s maddened his 
 brain ! 
 
 “It’s good of you, Dick” — and Frank raised 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 443 
 
 upon his elbow as he spoke — “awfully good of 
 you to stay with me. But I would rather you 
 would not risk your life for me.” 
 
 Again the smile crossed the set lips. He would 
 have risked much more than his life, so Richard 
 told himself as he made ready the camp, to satisfy 
 the terrible passion that tugged at his heart- 
 strings. He could have gone on with the rest, 
 could have left the lad to his fate; but there would 
 be much satisfaction in seeing the end, to know 
 that there was no one, no light-haired, blue-eyed 
 boy between him and Clara Benton. 
 
 Through the night he never closed his eyes. 
 He had spread part of his blanket over Frank, 
 saying to himself as he did so that ’twas like a 
 tiny toss of the little mouse by the bright-eyed 
 cat ; nothing to hurt the victim, yet there was sat- 
 isfaction in it for the cat. Once Frank turned 
 over, groaning, and Richard tucked the blankets 
 
 more warmly about him. 
 
 ******** 
 
 The morning found the party who had gone 
 on ahead of Richard and Frank nearer camp 
 than they had hoped to be. They now came upon 
 the tracks of men and dogs. The Captain saw 
 this with a beating heart. He thought of the two 
 
144 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 men he had left behind upon the ice and an in- 
 ward prayer for their safety crossed his mind. 
 He would never forget what Wardon had done — 
 never. He knew that it must have been a struggle 
 to remain behind the rest when they were so near 
 to liberty and life. 
 
 He would report this in London, and it should 
 go down to the young man’s credit. He was so 
 good in his own heart, and there was nothing of 
 the devil in him, that he would not have believed 
 that any man could have worked out such a 
 scheme just to satisfy his desire for vengeance. 
 They would not take camp that night, but push 
 on, for the signs of life were too sure to be mis- 
 taken. He estimated that they had left Frank 
 and Wardon back about twenty miles, while the 
 camp ahead could not be more than one mile 
 away. When they first saw smoke there was a 
 general thanksgiving, and when they marched 
 triumphant into the camp, which held many 
 white men, they gave praise to God through the 
 hearty shouts and the devouring of good food 
 which they had not tasted for months. 
 
 ******** 
 
 To leave Wardon and Frank together for long 
 without something happening could not be. The 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 445 
 
 morning opened with a terrific snow-storm blow- 
 ing the white flakes like so many feathers oyer 
 the ice and completely covering the sleeping men. 
 Richard lifted his head with an oath. They conld 
 not stay like this; they would both die; and 
 somehow, in the majesty of the falling snow and 
 the roaring of the wind, his revenge died for a 
 moment. 
 
 He looked at Frank. He knew that the boy 
 could not walk one mile in such a raging storm. 
 He stood trying to peer through the white mass 
 of falling flakes, when Frank stirred in his blan- 
 ket and wakened with a groan. 
 
146 
 
 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 CHAPTEE X. 
 
 The relief boat ploughed her great way 
 through the rough waters with three anxious 
 women on board. Clara had gathered together 
 her strength, and the excitement of the trip had 
 made a new woman of her. She felt sure that 
 she should hear something of her darling before 
 it would have been possible had she remained at 
 home, and Lucy’s absolute faith in the return of 
 both their wanderers made the time seem short 
 to the tortured girl. Even Molly had the sublime 
 faith that the good Mr. Craton and Frank and 
 her own stuttering sailor would be given to them 
 to nurse back to health. 
 
 The weather was dreadful, icebergs looming 
 up in the distance several times, and the extreme 
 cold making it impossible for any of the party 
 to be on deck. But Clara was glad to remain in 
 her stateroom, for she was so seasick, so worried, 
 that pleasure had no chance to interest her. She 
 had been assured by the father of Mrs. Craton, 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. ±±J 
 
 who was up in state affairs, that there would be 
 no danger to any of them to accompany the re- 
 lief and that there would be every opportunity 
 for her finding out the truth about her sweet- 
 heart. Lucy had taken the passes with thanks- 
 giving. Although she loved Clara, best of all 
 she loved her husband, whom she would be with 
 in a few weeks. 
 
 It seemed months before they were told that 
 they were off the Newfoundland coast, where 
 they would commence their way toward the 
 wrecked expedition. One morning the Captain 
 of the relief boat was talking to Mrs. Craton. 
 
 “We saw by one of the London papers,” she 
 was saying, “that one part of the men had been 
 rescued. Now, my husband was among the num- 
 ber.” 
 
 “It may be true, madam,” replied the officer, 
 “for all that I know, and if it is, then we shall 
 find them at the English Government camp; but 
 we have some trotting to do before that.” 
 
 Such excitement had never reigned in a 
 woman’s heart before. Lucy’s eyes sparkled with 
 delight. Clara remained rather passive. She told 
 Lucy the morning after they had started from the 
 ship toward the camp that she felt in her heart 
 
148 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 that at that moment Frank was living, but that 
 if he died she was willing to go with him. Her 
 faith in her lover was supreme. Clara had that 
 hope that lives eternal in a woman’s heart that 
 Frank still loved her, that he would always love 
 her, no matter what happened. 
 
 ******** 
 
 When Captain Harding and his crew of men 
 walked into the camp, where savory meat was 
 broiling over the fire, and where men in fur robes 
 Avere bustling to and fro, he knelt down and with 
 gratitude thanked God for Avhat had been done 
 for him and his sailors. He immediately set about 
 preparing a lot of men with warm robes and 
 enough to eat for the starving comrades left be- 
 hind them on the trail. He explained about 
 Frank and Wardon, and that many sick men had 
 been left at the huts, miles to the north. 
 
 The men who had the camp in charge were 
 only too anxious to extend help to the distin- 
 guished Englishmen ; so a sledge of dogs was put 
 
 i 
 
 in readiness and sent out, Avith Captain Harding 
 to pilot them. 
 
 Never had there been a more thankful man. 
 He would be in full time to save his dear com- 
 rades, the men who had left England with him. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 449 
 
 He loved with his whole soul Craton, and had a 
 great admiration for Frank, to say nothing of 
 Wardon. Arrangements had been made for sev- 
 eral men to return to the camp with Frank Alden 
 and Richard as soon as they should be found, 
 while the rest pressed on toward the huts. 
 
 Jimmy had been left behind at the camp, be- 
 cause he had contracted a terrible cold; so he 
 watched the Captain and the strangers climb 
 into the sledge and saw it glide away through 
 the falling snow. 
 
 ******** 
 
 Craton busied himself with the sick after the 
 departure of the others. He saw that there had 
 been no other way for the rescue to take place, 
 and knew that the Captain’s desire to find a near- 
 by camp had been not from a selfish motive of 
 finding an escape for himself, but out of sheer 
 love for his men. 
 
 So, as the days passed, and one after another 
 of the bunks was chopped up for firewood, and 
 he watched the sick grow weaker and weaker, his 
 heart went out in prayer that help would come 
 to them soon. He sent John out time after time 
 to scurry about for bones, which was the only 
 food they had by which he could keep the life in 
 
150 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 his companions. The hot soup was given every 
 few moments. 
 
 He knew that the Captain would return as 
 soon as it were possible, and so when the fourth 
 day had gone by he hoped to hear something. 
 
 His fears for Frank had somewhat subsided. 
 He had worried himself into a different frame of 
 mind. Wardon would not dare to do anything 
 to the young fellow when there were so many 
 others about, and he had warned Frank to stay 
 with the rest. 
 
 Still another day, the fifth, and then the sixth 
 went slowly by. The fuel had given out, and a 
 terrible snow-storm was making it infinitely 
 worse. He dared not send out the men to look 
 for food or bones, for fear they would be lost in 
 the blizzard, and yet he knew that the sick needed 
 what little could be found. On the morning of 
 the seventh day he awoke with thanksgiving in 
 his heart. The sun was shining through the small 
 slant window of his room. 
 
 He called John to him immediately. 
 
 “Any bones left, old man?” he asked, lifting 
 his head and looking greedily at the sunshine. 
 
 “Not a one, sir,” replied the sailor, who had 
 grown deplorably thin in the last few weeks; 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. ^51 
 
 “and there is a man dying, so the doctor says, 
 ’cause he’s nothing but starved to death. And 
 there’s no show a-getting anything on a morning 
 like this, even if ’tis fine.” 
 
 Craton turned his head away and grunted. He 
 dreaded death worse than anything. His faith in 
 the return of the Captain was at a low ebb. 
 
 “You see, sir,” went on John, “the others might 
 ’a’ bin caught in a storm — no telling. Now, what 
 on the earth air we a-going to do? We can’t go 
 and leave these fellows here to die, with the doc- 
 tor just on his last legs, too, and you and me, sir, 
 ’bout the only ones able to walk.” 
 
 “God, John !” cried Craton, jumping out of his 
 bunk in a hurry, “don’t mention the loss of the 
 rescuing party in this snow. It would take away 
 our last hope. Light a fire and we’ll give them 
 all a lot of hot water.” 
 
 “Ain’t no more wood,” replied John, drily. 
 “Then break up my bunk; I’ll sleep on the 
 floor. The men must have water, and if we can 
 keep them alive for a few days help will surely 
 come.” 
 
 He was desperate when he said this, and John, 
 without a word, obeyed the tone in his superior’s 
 voice. 
 
152 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 The morning lagged by as if lead was dragging 
 at its wings. Then, just as the last installment 
 of hot water had been poured down the eager 
 throats of the sick sailors, a sound of bells was 
 brought to Craton upon the clear air. 
 
 He stooped and listened, at first fearing that 
 his mind had given way. Then the sound came 
 nearer and nearer, until a shout from John 
 brought him into the sunlight. 
 
 “They’re a-comin’, Mr. Craton, they’re a-com- 
 in’,” yelled the sailor, and he sent his fur cap 
 whirling into the air. 
 
 And come they did. Never had there been a 
 happier moment in the life of the Captain than 
 when he hurried the good food into the famished 
 sailors. 
 
 “But there is one thing that puzzles me,” said 
 he, later, when he and Craton were alone and the 
 sailors were making ready to leave the huts. 
 “Frank Alden was so weak we had to leave him 
 a distance behind the rest, and when we sent 
 men out from the sledge to find him and Wardon 
 there was no trace of them in the snow. I fear 
 they have either been devoured by wild beasts or 
 that something worse has happened to them.” 
 
 Craton groaned. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 153 
 
 “Then Frank could not go on with the rest?” 
 he said anxiously. “And how did Wardon come 
 to be with him?” 
 
 “The young fellow got into such a condition 
 that we could not force him to' walk another step, 
 and Wardon offered to stay behind and watch 
 him until we should return. When we got to 
 that place there was no sight of them and the 
 snow had covered their traces.” 
 
 Again Craton turned away with a troubled ex- 
 pression in his eyes. He longed to tell the Cap- 
 tain his fears, and yet if he had been unneces- 
 sarily worried, then he would be doing an in- 
 justice to Wardon. Possibly the men had gone 
 in the wrong direction. 
 
 He said this to the Captain, and the latter 
 patted his guide, which was in his inner pocket. 
 
 “No chance of that,” was the answer; “not 
 while I have this. No; they are either lost in the 
 blizzard in trying to escape death, or ” 
 
 “Don’t, Captain, don’t mention it. The thought 
 is bad enough, but the words are even worse.” 
 
 Then he coughed, and the Captain looked up 
 expectantly. 
 
 “Craton, you know more than you will tell mb. 
 
154 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 Why were you so worried over that boy going 
 with us?” 
 
 “He was ill,” muttered Craton, not yet decided 
 that he should give the secret to his superior. 
 
 “But there is something that I do not know,” 
 replied the intuitive Captain. “Craton, after all 
 we have borne together, can’t you trust me?” 
 
 “That I will !” blurted out Craton. “Wardon 
 had just found out before leaving here that Frank 
 Alden is engaged to the girl that he, Wardon, had 
 loved for years. He had sworn to me many times 
 that he would never forgive if he came in con- 
 tact with the man, and I believe, on my soul, that 
 Wardon has made away with the boy and then 
 killed himself.” 
 
 “I should have known this before,” replied 
 Harding, gravely. “I might have prevented a 
 tragedy. How long did you know of this prior to 
 our starting out?” 
 
 “Just before,” replied Craton, “and I tried to 
 keep Wardon with me; but even you were against 
 me, and so I had to trust to heaven to avert the 
 probability of a crime.” 
 
 “I did not know, you see; if I had had only a 
 whisper,” and Captain Harding put his head in 
 his hands. “How true it is,” he said, after a little 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 155 
 
 while, “that all the trouble on earth comes to 
 men through women.” 
 
 “Yes; and all the heaven,” replied Craton. 
 
 But there was no time to be lost, however. The 
 sick were wrapped in blankets and placed upon 
 the huge sledges, where the patient dogs waited 
 to do their duty. And as they left, Craton turned 
 and looked long at the huts that had been their 
 homes so many months. He now only regretted 
 that he did not know where Frank and Wardon 
 were. Somehow, even with Wardon ’s terrible 
 thirst for revenge, his awful feeling of hatred 
 against Frank, Craton could not but have a de- 
 sire for his welfare. He could so well remember 
 that trip from England, when Richard had con- 
 fided to him his sorrow. But how strange it had 
 been ! Craton had not heard the name of the 
 woman, nor had he ever dreamed of asking. 
 
 Slowly the dogs pulled their enormous weight 
 over the deep snow which now covered the ice, 
 and it was almost midnight before they reached 
 the camp. 
 
 Captain Harding gave out the news the next 
 morning that the expedition would wait there 
 until their country should send them some way 
 of returning to England. A trapper was sent 
 
igg UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 out to the first station with the meager news that 
 a few of the expedition had been saved. It was 
 this clipping from the paper that Lucy had clung 
 to with such hope. The sick would have an op- 
 portunity to get well, and perhaps they would 
 hear something of Frank and Wardon. 
 
 When Clara and Lucy were tucked into the 
 sledges that were to take them to the English 
 camp they were seated side by side. 
 
 “America is a very large place,” said Lucy, 
 after she had exhausted her curiosity as to the 
 sledges and dogs which were to take them on their 
 journey. “I should have liked to look about a 
 little if Will had been with me.” 
 
 “It did not interest me,” replied Clara. “I have 
 but one thought in my mind, and there is no room 
 for any other.” 
 
 And Lucy did not have to ask what it was; the 
 luster in the eyes of her companion made it un- 
 necessary. She was thinking of Frank; of his 
 love for her; the delight she had taken in the 
 thought that he might be still alive. And once a 
 shadow crossed the fair, sweet face, and then 
 Lucy understood that Richard W T ardon, with his 
 evil influence, had mixed himself with her day- 
 dreams. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 157 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 It was still early morning when the sound of 
 bells again fell upon Craton’s ears. He had the 
 privilege of sleeping later than the rest, with the 
 exception of his own crew. They were tired, thin 
 and lean from hunger and cold. So it was de- 
 creed that the first streak of day should still find 
 them in their beds. His impatience to hear some- 
 thing from Wardon and Frank had cooled, for he 
 now felt certain that they both were dead. Then 
 his thoughts turned toward home and Lucy with 
 such a longing as he had not experienced since 
 leaving England. It could not be more than a 
 month before they would be transported. He be- 
 lieved that he would be given a long vacation ; if 
 not, his honorable discharge papers, for he had 
 
 served long and faithfully, and his health 
 
 He was thinking these things as the bells fell 
 upon his ears. He wondered what trappers were 
 coming that way so early in the morning. He 
 had heard for some time the noises made from 
 
158 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 building fires, splitting kindling, and then the 
 rattle of dishes. The jingling of bells meant that 
 they would have company to breakfast. Some 
 poor devils, no doubt, anxious to reach some 
 northern point of which they knew nothing. Cra- 
 ton pitied them. Just then he heard a shout 
 from John and a stuttering from Jim. 
 
 He sprang hastily from bed and pulled on his 
 fur clothes. 
 
 Something had happened. He heard the sound 
 of women’s voices, and yet no idea of the truth 
 struck home to him. He went outside in the cold 
 sun, and suddenly a mist came before his eyes. 
 A woman’s arms had tightly closed about his 
 neck and Lucy’s lips were kissing his. He had 
 no strength to move. He simply felt cold and 
 limp. His nerves tingled as if they had sepa- 
 rately been stung by bees. Lucy was there — only 
 that he knew. 
 
 “Will, Will, dear, open your eyes and look at 
 me, please do. I’m here with you ; don’t you see 
 that I’m here?” 
 
 Yes; he knew she was there, and only that. 
 The whole world was blotted out from his view ; 
 every other sound save her voice was dead to his 
 ears. Then he began to cry weakly, and he heard 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. ]g<) 
 
 the Captain say : “Poor fellow ! the surprise has 
 been too much for him. There, that is his room. 
 Take him there, Mrs. Craton.” 
 
 When Will Craton fully realized that he had 
 his beautiful wife with him he then felt content. 
 
 “Aren’t you glad to have me with you?” Lucy 
 asked, pressing closer to her husband. “I came 
 because I thought it would make you so happy.” 
 “Happy, happy ! That is not the word,” mur- 
 mured Craton. “Why, little love- woman, it seems 
 a century since I have been with you. Whatever 
 possessed you to come into such a country as 
 this?” 
 
 “Thoughts of you,” she replied, her voice full 
 of tears ; “only the hope that I could relieve you 
 a little, and just to be with — my husband.” 
 
 There was silence between them for a while, 
 and then they heard the sound of weeping and 
 another woman’s voice asking excited questions. 
 It had not been so well with Clara and her love. 
 
 She shook hands with the Captain, who real- 
 ized the moment he had placed his eyes upon her 
 what she had come for, and his spirit groaned 
 within him. 
 
 Clara did not speak to Craton until afterward, 
 because she knew that he had not been prepared 
 
1(}() UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 for the coming of his wife, and she did not seem 
 to notice his weakness. Her eyes were roving 
 about among the other men. She turned toward 
 Captain Harding. 
 
 “Where is Mr. Alden?” she said, in a penetrat- 
 ing voice. 
 
 The officer hesitated. 
 
 “You see,” he began, “Mr. Alden just at the 
 present moment is missing.” 
 
 “How did it come?” insisted Clara, her large 
 eyes seeming to enter the very fibres of the Cap- 
 tain’s soul. 
 
 “He could not keep up with the relief party,” 
 was his answer. 
 
 “And Mr. Wardon — where is he?” 
 
 “He was chosen from the men to remain at the 
 huts, and when we went there to rescue them he 
 was also missing.” 
 
 The Captain muttered a little prayer for for- 
 giveness. There was something about this girl 
 that touched his heart. He could not bear to see 
 the expression of misery in her eyes. And yet 
 he knew that there was nothing left for him to 
 do but to lie, and then after a while he would 
 have to tell the truth. He imagined from the 
 
\ 
 
 v, v ' 
 
 s?- ■ 
 
 UNDER THB NORTH STAR. 
 
 look in her eyes that she would demand of him 
 the full particulars. 
 
 Clara began to cry, womanlike, and this sound 
 was what broke the silence between Craton and 
 his wife. 
 
 “Oh,” said Lucy, lifting her head, “where is 
 Frank? I have been so selfish to hear about you 
 that I have forgotten the poor girl.” 
 
 She heard the story of the tragedy with a 
 groan. 
 
 “Of course, he is dead,” she assented to Cra- 
 ton’s suggestion. “There is no other solution, I 
 am sure. But I want to keep it from her that 
 
 they were together ” And no sooner had she 
 
 spoken these words than the door opened and the 
 Captain walked in. 
 
 He explained why he had told the lie to Clara, 
 or the prevarication, as he afterward explained 
 to Lucy. 
 
 “It was not a direct falsehood,” he added, “for 
 Frank did disappear from the relief party, and 
 Wardon was elected to stay at the huts. Isn’t 
 that true?” 
 
 “Yes,” nodded Craton, with his fingers tightly 
 closed on Lucy’s hand. 
 
 “Then we must both stick to that story, and 
 
162 UNDER THE NORTH STAR, 
 
 maybe she will be able to reason it out for her- 
 self after a while, and it won’t be such a shock.” 
 ******** 
 
 Molly had found her lover during this conver- 
 sation, and it was John only now who looked on 
 with envy. He very much disliked the stutterer 
 to be so divinely happy; but there was no use 
 saying anything, for no one seemed to listen. 
 
 “If I’d known this,” he said, discontentedly, 
 after a few moments, forcing Jim to hear his 
 words, “that I has to see all this lovemaking, I 
 would rather never have been rescued. I would 
 have stayed nearer the North Pole.” 
 
 “Pi-pi-pi-pity you didn’t stay, then,” stam- 
 mered Jim. “You would not have been missed 
 much.” 
 
 John sent him a terrifying glance. 
 
 “You think ’cause you got that Irish girl with 
 you that you’re all the world now; don’t you, 
 Bateman? But you ain’t so dam much. Mebbe 
 if she haddent seen you she would have liked me.” 
 
 “No-no-no-no, she wouldn’t,” giggled Jimmy; 
 “for she said when she corned here and set her 
 eyes on me that her heart was almost a-going out 
 of her body.” 
 
 “So was yourn, I bet,” grunted John. “But I 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. Igg 
 
 don’t care; when I get back to England I’m going 
 to get married, and I won’t get an Irish girl, 
 either.” 
 
 Jimmy began to laugh. 
 
 “What’s the matter wid you?” asked John, 
 shortly, stopping in his work to look at his com- 
 panion. 
 
 “I was a-laughing at you. You be so jealous 
 ’cause you ain’t had no kisses.” 
 
 John grumbled loudly. 
 
 “Well, if you could see your own face when 
 you’re chewin’ the Queen’s English ye’d have 
 something nearer home to laugh at, and don’t 
 you forget that. You put me in mind of a dol- 
 phin with a toothache.” 
 
 John’s ideas of dolphins were vague, but the 
 thought came into his mind and he used it. Molly 
 called Jim at this moment, and so there was no 
 chance for a retort. 
 
 ******** 
 
 When Lucy next saw Clara that day there was 
 such an expression of desperation in her eyes that 
 the kind-hearted little woman shuddered. 
 
 They met just before the savory meal which 
 had been prepared by the kindly trappers. 
 
164 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 Mrs. Craton whispered, her thoughts to her 
 husband. 
 
 “I’m so worried about her, Will,” she said. 
 “Look at her face — it’s like death. She knows 
 that she has not been told the truth.” 
 
 “The Captain feels the same way you do, 
 Lucy,” replied Craton. “How can we be honor- 
 able and yet merciful ?” 
 
 “But she knows, Will, dear, that Wardon and 
 Frank were together” — and here Lucy told the 
 story of the dream in London — “and I heard her 
 myself call out, in a trembling voice : ‘While you 
 can stand keep with the others, Frank.’ It was 
 while she had that vision.” 
 
 Craton whitened to his lips. 
 
 “How very strange, Lucy! I myself warned 
 the boy in those words, for I feared that Wardon 
 would kill him.” 
 
 “But don’t acknowledge it to her,” cautioned 
 Lucy. “As long as you cannot honestly say that 
 Frank is dead, and by Wardon’s hand, then it is 
 not deceiving her. Just mislead her a little for 
 her own sake. Hush ! She is here and is going 
 to question you.” 
 
 Clara’s eyes still had in them that penetrating 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 165 
 
 expression that had so muddled the poor Cap- 
 tain. Men always find it hard to lie to a woman 
 with those kind of eyes. And Craton and the 
 Captain were no exceptions to the rule. 
 
 Clara looked from Lucy to her husband, and 
 then quickly back into her friend’s face. 
 
 “You will neither of you believe,” she said at 
 last, “that it would be an act of friendship to tell 
 me the truth. There is such an air of mystery 
 about everybody that I cannot understand it, 
 Lucy. Will, I beg of you, by your love for your 
 wife, to tell me what you know.” 
 
 “My dear Clara,” replied Craton, slowly, 
 “what have I said that you should think that I 
 am not telling you the truth?” 
 
 “It is not what you have said,” interposed the 
 girl, “but what you have not said, that I am com- 
 plaining about.” 
 
 “Then believe the Captain and me that we 
 know nothing but what we have told you.” 
 
 Lucy touched Craton’s arm. He was lying a 
 little too generously. Clara did not seem to no- 
 tice, and proceeded: 
 
 “Nevertheless, I wish to ask you and the Cap- 
 tain a few questions, and I believe that it is your 
 
166 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 duty to answer me. I shall know, though, if you 
 do not tell me the truth.” 
 
 There was silence, and she went on : 
 
 “You are going to leave here, so I am told by 
 the sailors, day after to-morrow?” 
 
 The Captain bowed. He would let her do the 
 questioning, and then he would not get mixed in 
 his stories. 
 
 “Then you have given up hope of finding Mr. 
 Alden?” 
 
 What was there for the Captain to do but to 
 nod his head in the affirmative? 
 
 “Then, before I consent to go back with you I 
 want to be sure of one thing — I mean, about what 
 happened when that party was sent in search of 
 help from the huts?” 
 
 The girl was leaning far over and looking into 
 the Captain’s face. He tried to shift his eyes, but 
 again brought them back to the girl’s, for there 
 was something compelling about her. 
 
 “As I understand it, you cast lots among your- 
 selves to see who should remain in the hujts. 
 Frank cast a lot to go?” 
 
 This time Clara’s gaze fell upon Craton, and 
 he nodded his head. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 “Richard Wardon cast a lot to remain in the 
 hut. Is this what I am to understand?” 
 
 Both men smiled a little and gave the sign that 
 she had spoken truly. 
 
 “On your honor as gentlemen — English gentle- 
 men — this is heaven’s own truth you are telling 
 me?” 
 
 Of course, they could both affirm this, for each 
 remembered distinctly that it had been as she 
 said. 
 
 “On our honor,” they murmured. 
 
 “You, Will, drew a lot to stay in the huts. 
 Richard Wardon drew a lot to stay with you, but 
 he is not here. How does his name come to be 
 among the missing, also?” 
 
 Craton looked at the Captain, and that officer 
 fidgeted with his fingers and devoutly wished that 
 the cook would call them to dinner. He looked 
 about desperately, and then said : 
 
 “I must own, my dear Miss Benton, that Mr. 
 Wardon replaced an officer whom an accident 
 disabled, and who was unable to accompany the 
 party of relief.” 
 
 Clara turned to Mrs. Craton and her husband. 
 
 “There, you see,” she said, in a smothered tone. 
 “I had a strange dream in England not very long 
 
]0g UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 ago. It was as you have said — they started out 
 together. But how did they become separated 
 from their companions? Were they lost on the 
 march, or were they left behind?” 
 
 The slender form of the girl was drawn to its 
 fullest height. She commanded that they tell 
 her all by the soulful expression in her eyes. 
 
 Mrs. Craton tried to draw her away, saying 
 that the dinner must be ready. 
 
 “But I am not ready for dinner,” replied Clara. 
 “I want you to bear with my obstinacy for a little 
 while. You have always been kind to me, Lucy ; 
 now, then, do not make me believe that you are 
 cruel.” 
 
 She was imploring with her eyes, her gestures, 
 as much as with the sobbing voice. 
 
 “Well,” remarked the Captain, in desperation, 
 “Frank fell behind because he could not walk any 
 more. He was too weak.” 
 
 “Surely you waited for him?” demanded Clara, 
 in a sharp voice. 
 
 The Captain was himself again. He eyed her 
 with a pity that came from the bottom of his 
 heart. What did she know about such things — 
 about the terrors of snow and ice? 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 169 
 
 “It was a serious matter to wait even as long 
 as we did, my dear young lady,” answered the 
 Captain, in a low tone. “There were other lives, 
 those of the men we had left behind in the tent, 
 depending on our pushing on. But we all loved 
 Frank, dearly loved him.” 
 
 Craton was silent now. He had shifted the 
 burden of telling the worst to the girl upon the 
 shoulders of the Captain. Harding would use 
 discretion. Mrs. Craton leaned lovingly upon 
 her husband’s arm, awaiting developments. 
 
 “Then why was he left alone to die in the 
 
 storm?” demanded Clara. “Why — why ” 
 
 “He was not left alone,” replied the Captain. 
 “Didn’t the men say something? Couldn’t they 
 have carried him?” 
 
 “No,” replied the officer; “for out upon the ice, 
 where there is nothing but slippery bergs for 
 miles, as far as you can see, one can hardly walk, 
 much less carry a heavy burden.” 
 
 “And he was left by cowards alone ” 
 
 “Hush, hush, Miss Benton !” commanded the 
 Captain. “There was not one coward among my 
 men. You are cruelly unjust to them and to me. 
 The bravest man set the rest an example and 
 stayed behind with your friend.” 
 
170 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 The Captain was speaking now in a low, in- 
 tense voice. He was looking straight at the girl 
 with an appeal in his eyes. 
 
 “I*t was Richard Wardon who stayed with him, 
 and he is his greatest enemy. But I want to 
 hear more. Were Frank and this man friends 
 in the huts? Did they ever speak angrily to each 
 other?” 
 
 Oh, how she desired with her whole soul to find 
 out whether Richard Wardon had discovered 
 about her love for Frank. She knew it was true 
 in her heart. But to hear it affirmed by human 
 lips was her motive for questioning. 
 
 “Oh, all the men had plenty of quarrels, and 
 Wardon was a strange fellow. He could not 
 make the others understand. But everything hit- 
 ter is forgotten in camp before the setting of the 
 sun.” 
 
 “There, you see, child,” soothed Mrs. Craton, 
 “now you are answered. There were no hard feel- 
 ings between these two men. Now, the only thing 
 you can do is to pray that some time they will 
 both be rescued. Maybe they have already been 
 taken in by some trappers and are safe.” 
 
 Clara shook her head. She had heard enough 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 to know that the reason for Richard Wardon 
 offering to stay with Frank had been his knowl- 
 edge of the lad’s love for her. But she would not 
 give up her own convictions. 
 
 As they passed to the table she caught Will 
 Craton’s arm. 
 
 “Will, dear,” she pleaded, “see how many years 
 you and I have been friends. Will you tell me 
 the truth ?” 
 
 “Yes.” The officer had decision in his tone. 
 He would fence no longer. 
 
 “Had you any idea that Richard knew that 
 Frank loved me?” 
 
 “Yes.” 
 
 “How did you discover it?” 
 
 “Frank called Richard to account for calling 
 you by your first name and the secret leaked out. 
 There, you have the whole story. Wardon was 
 furiously angry, but, then, that’s no sign that he 
 has killed him. A man forgets much when he is 
 alone in a storm like those two passed through. 
 I fancy they were friends to the last.” 
 
 He spoke these words to cheer the despairing 
 girl, for her face had gone white and her hands 
 were trembling. 
 
 “W T hat a time I have had cross-questioning you 
 
172 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 all to find out what was what !” And a little smile 
 flitted over the tired, drooping mouth. 
 
 “It was no use to keep it from me. My boy is 
 dead, and it will be but a short time before I fol- 
 low him.” 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 173 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 Richard Wardon was standing over Alden, 
 looking down into his face. He noted that there 
 were tired, drawn lines about the finely curved 
 mouth and the blue eyes were sunk deep into 
 their sockets. The fair, bronzed hair that Clara 
 had so admired clung in damp, feverish rings 
 about the browned brow. Wardon had seldom 
 seen a handsomer face, even in the haggardness 
 of it. He felt a stir of pity in his heart; but the 
 thought of Clara Benton immediately took its 
 place. This slip of a boy had made her love him, 
 while he, Richard Wardon, with his immense 
 frame, his fortune, his name in the navy, had 
 been unable to make her care whether he lived or 
 died. 
 
 He always had such thoughts as these now in 
 his mind. He could not drive the spirit of re- 
 venge from him. He hated the thought of cold 
 murder. He would rather have had the boy fight 
 with him for his life, his love; but Frank lay 
 
174 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 stricken low, like a sick animal. He could not 
 ask tliat ; but be could leave him alone. In a few 
 hours the snow would cover the young form and 
 death would ensue ; then Clara would be his. 
 
 He raised himself at this thought. It had filled 
 him with a delightful emotion such as he had not 
 dared to indulge in since leaving England, for he 
 had always thought that the other man was prob- 
 ably her husband by this time. But, no, he had 
 heard it from Frank’s own lips. Again he bent 
 over the prostrate form. His eyes were filled 
 with hatred, and he shook Frank roughly. 
 
 “Wake up!” he commanded. “I heard you a 
 while ago and thought you were awake.” 
 
 “I was,” replied Frank, in a weak voice. “I 
 was; but it’s so warm under here and so cold out 
 there that I must have gone to sleep again.” 
 
 The tired white lids covered the blue eyes and 
 Frank dozed off. 
 
 Wardon uttered an oath. What would be the 
 use of his telling the lad why he was leaving him 
 to die? He would not understand. He could not 
 live in the snow longer than a few hours, and 
 kindly nature would let him sleep his life away. 
 
 But he would try, at any rate. If he could get 
 him something to eat, that would revive him. He 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 775 
 
 looked about him desperately ; then he proceeded 
 northward, making small marks in the trees so 
 that he would know his route back again. 
 
 He believed that fate was with him, for hardly 
 had he made his way through the snow but a few 
 hundred feet before the squalling of a small cub 
 attracted his attention. In an instant he had 
 the little animal and had ripped open its throat 
 to keep it from calling the mother bear. In a 
 few moments the fast-falling snow had covered 
 their traces and Richard Wardon was back at 
 Frank’s side. The young man still slept on. He 
 was too faint and weak to keep his mind from 
 wandering long, and Richard heard him mutter 
 the name of Clara as he allowed the fresh blood 
 of the cub to run into his cup. He was not long 
 in giving food to the sick man. He knew that in 
 one hour after it had entered Frank’s stomach 
 he would be able to talk, at least. Then he would 
 make him understand why he was being left to 
 die in the snow. He would paint the death in all 
 its horrors. He would tell Frank how devotedly 
 he himself had loved Clara Benton, and how he 
 was going back to her to woo and win her for 
 himself. These thoughts were indeed sweet to 
 him. He made a. breakfast out of the cub meat, 
 
176 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 eating it partly raw, for the twigs he tore from 
 the trees were wet with snow, and he was ex- 
 hausting his supply of matches. 
 
 He straightened his great form and threw out 
 his arms. Now that the sweet hour of his re- 
 venge had come, he hardly knew whether he was 
 pleased or not. The imaginings he had dreamed 
 were the best part of his past three years. 
 
 He toyed with his knife for many minutes after 
 stripping the meat from the cub’s bones. Then 
 he covered up every trace of blood, making it im- 
 possible that even an animal could smell it, for 
 the snow was heaped high upon the spot where 
 he had breakfasted, with neatness and dispatch. 
 He wound the bloody meat in his blanket, for he 
 might be days getting into a camp. He would 
 need the food before then. 
 
 And he had no scruples against sleeping where 
 the remains of the cub had rested. It was life to 
 him. He had finished, and it was now time to 
 leave Alden. He went to the spot where he knew 
 the boy was sleeping. The warm breath had 
 melted the snow as it fell, and Wardon could see 
 that, instead of the yellow pallor, there was now 
 a sign of life upon Frank’s face. 
 
 Wardon still had the delightful sensation that 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. ;|_77 
 
 there was something intensely pleasant before 
 him. He was to leave the man to die in the snow 
 — his enemy, the only man he never could forgive. 
 
 He stooped down and lifted the blanket a little 
 roughly from Alden’s face." 
 
 “Are you going to sleep all day?” he asked, 
 suddenly realizing that he had to commence some- 
 where. 
 
 Frank stirred and opened his eyes. Richard 
 could see that they looked brighter. The lad had 
 been dying of hunger. 
 
 He would die harder now, even, for the bit of 
 cub’s meat. 
 
 This thought made Wardon a little more gentle 
 as he forced Frank to sit up. It was as if he 
 were already in the presence of majestic death. 
 Of course Frank would die; no human power 
 could save him. 
 
 “I want to talk to you, Alden,” he sdi 1, gruffly. 
 He did not call the lad “Frank,” as he Lad once 
 or twice, when in his softer moods. 
 
 “Yes,” replied Frank, and he shivered as he 
 drew the blanket about his feverish body. 
 
 “You see,” went on Wardon, “it’s getting 
 rather risky to stay out here in the storm, and if 
 one wants to live he’d better move on.” 
 
178 
 
 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 Frank was looking at Wardon's face curiously. 
 There was an expression upon it he had never 
 seen before. It was as if it had been changed 
 by some terrible accident. Deep lines were drawn 
 from the forehead to the chin. Long dents cov- 
 ered the heavy brow and the eyes were crafty 
 in their intentness. 
 
 “What’s the matter, Dick?” asked Frank, set- 
 tling deeper into his blanket. “Old man, are you 
 ill?” 
 
 This question made the fury drive deeper for 
 its revenge. He would not be pitied. He was the 
 one to pity, to give mercy. 
 
 “I’m all right,” he replied, gruffly; “it’s you 
 I’m thinking of. I don’t know just what to do 
 with you.” 
 
 And how true that statement was! Wardon 
 did not know whether he wanted to let his beast 
 nature go and tear his enemy limb from limb, or 
 to leave him to the wind and the snow. Of course, 
 he knew in his heart he would decide upon the 
 latter, for he himself, Richard Wardon, was go- 
 ing back to London to marry Clara Benton, to 
 have her against her will if need be, and then if 
 — if — she would not, he would torture her soul 
 by the description of the death of her young lover. 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 179 
 
 But this thought he put out of his mind now. 
 
 Frank was speaking from the depth of his cov- 
 ering. 
 
 “Dick, you’re too good to me,” he said, weakly, 
 “and I’m not selfish enough to want you to try 
 to save me, when it might jeopardize your own 
 safety. However much I want to live, I can’t 
 ask it, Dick — I simply can’t.” 
 
 There was a peculiar feeling tugging at War- 
 don’s heart. 
 
 “You love Clara Benton very much, don’t 
 you?” he said, trying to whip the sympathy from 
 his feelings. 
 
 “Very much, indeed, Dick,” confided Frank. 
 “But I’ve wanted to tell you something for a 
 long time. I know I can’t live, that I can’t ex- 
 pect a strong fellow like you to give up his life 
 for a sick dog like me. And I’ve had it in my 
 mind for some time to tell you this, Clara will 
 need somebody to love her, and, Dick, I would 
 rather it would be you than any other man living, 
 after I’m dead. I’m going to send her a message 
 and tell her how good you have been to me. And 
 she will care for you — she couldn’t help it; any 
 woman would. You’re a fine chap, Dick.” 
 
 Had a bomb exploded at Richard Wardon’s 
 
180 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 feet lie would not have been more startled. He 
 did not reply, and Frank went on : 
 
 “I know that this is my end,” he said, falling 
 down again, “for a man couldn’t survive alone 
 in a storm like this, and I’m going to send you 
 on, Dick, to life and to — her.” 
 
 The speaker closed his eyes, and Richard got 
 up and looked at him intently. The lines had 
 gone from his face. The great, firm mouth was 
 pursed into a new resolution. He stooped down 
 and tapped Frank on the shoulder. 
 
 “Don’t go to sleep again,” he said. “I’ve made 
 up my mind about you. I shall carry you to 
 camp. We will take our fate in our own hands. 
 I shall be back in a moment.” • 
 
 He wanted to be alone with his thoughts, alone 
 in the greatness of his changed heart. He felt 
 that a healing hand had been laid upon his seared 
 life and he realized that tears were falling quick- 
 ly upon the white snow. 
 
 When he went back he found Frank still 
 asleep, and Wardon, with his giant strength, 
 lifted the slender figure in his arms, still leaving 
 it bound in the blankets, and struck out toward 
 the camp in the direction he had seen the Captain 
 take. He knew that there would be signals. He 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. J g] 
 
 wrapped his blanket of meat all about Frank, and 
 still the lad slept on and on, until the giant 
 strength of the man who carried him had reached 
 its end, and Wardon laid him upon the snow. 
 
 It was now clear. There were no falling flakes; 
 only a great white expanse before him and the 
 silent bundle at his feet. 
 
 He bent over Frank to make sure that he was 
 living. Frank put Wardon in mind of a large, 
 sleeping baby. The breath came in clear, rapid 
 gasps, showing that sheer weakness was the only 
 trouble. 
 
 Wardon made the lad eat a generous portion 
 of the cub meat, and then threw himself upon the 
 snow beside Frank, crawling under the blanket 
 to sleep. 
 
 And so the days wore away until if a friend 
 had looked into the face of Richard Wardon he 
 would not have recognized him as the same man 
 who had sworn to kill the boy who had ruined 
 his happiness. 
 
 The tall frame had bent under the great bur- 
 den it had carried for so many hours. The cub 
 meat was gone, and Richard Wardon had eaten 
 nothing for days. He had saved the portion of 
 the animal for the sick lad. As much as once he 
 
Ig2 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 desired the life of Frank he now wanted to save 
 it. He would have given his own freely for Al- 
 den’s. There was no more hatred, no more jeal- 
 ousy in his heart ; all that he desired was that the 
 boy should go back to London, to life and — to her. 
 
 This was what Frank had offered him, and 
 now, at the expense of his own existence, he as 
 freely offered it back to Frank, 
 
 On and on through the snow, until it seemed 
 that his limbs had no more feeling in them. Still 
 Alden slept most of the time. It was only at 
 night that Wardon allowed himself to recuper- 
 ate, and upon this long, last day his strength al- 
 most failed him. Straight ahead as the crow 
 flies Wardon could hear the barking of dogs. He 
 did not dare to linger long upon the way, for the 
 night was coming over them, and he knew that 
 Alden had to have food before morning, or all 
 his own sacrifice would be in vain. 
 
 Suddenly he allowed his burden to rest upon 
 the snow. 
 
 “Alden,” he said, slowly, “far ahead, but not 
 so far but what I can reach it to-night, is a camp. 
 I can hear the barking of the dogs. Will you 
 sleep here until I go for help?” 
 
 This was little for Frank to consent to. His 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. ] §3 
 
 whole life was in the hands of his friend. He 
 had never had one thought but that Dick loved 
 him. He could not see the change in the man, 
 for he was too weak to notice. 
 
 Wardon’s mind began to w ander when he came 
 in sight of the well-lighted camp. 
 
 He staggered into the presence of his former 
 companions and friends with no smile of recog- 
 nition upon his face. 
 
 Mrs. Craton saw him first. She tugged at her 
 husband’s sleeve. 
 
 “Will, there is a man who looks as if he had 
 lost his mind. He does not belong to our camp.” 
 
 Craton turned, and in the groveling figure he 
 saw the likeness of the once great Wardon — the 
 stooped shoulders, the shifting eyes and the claw- 
 like hands. 
 
 Craton rose to his feet with a white face. 
 
 “It is Wardon,” he said, slowly, letting his 
 eyes fall upon Clara. 
 
 They could never tell until long afterward 
 whether Clara had been shown that her lover 
 was living or not. She made no sign, but allowed 
 the Captain and Craton to question the crazed 
 
 mail- 
 
Ig4 UNDER THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 “It’s a lady I want,” Wardon kept reiterating, 
 “a pretty lady. She must save him.” 
 
 “Who? — save who, Wardon?” cried Craton. 
 “Where is Frank?” 
 
 “She must save him,” cried Wardon, again, in 
 an agonized tone. His mind had grasped but one 
 idea — that was that Frank wanted Clara. He 
 could remember nothing more. Bit by bit they 
 drew it out of him, and by the steady questioning 
 of Craton, who was now very much excited, they 
 understood that Kichard knew where the lad was. 
 
 They tried to make Wardon sleep and eat, hut 
 he shook his head dismally. He would go with 
 them. They found Frank sleeping where Rich- 
 ard had left him, too weak to realize that he was 
 alone. And neither Craton nor the Captain 
 could force Richard to allow them to carry the 
 lad. Again the exhausted man lifted the slender 
 form and staggered toward the camp. The women 
 could not believe that Alden would be living, the 
 cold was so intense. But when they saw the 
 limp, sleeping figure dropped before them, and 
 Wardon fall also, Mrs. Craton leaned over Clara 
 and whispered in her ear : 
 
 “Clara, who was right — you with your dreams, 
 or my belief in the mercy of God?” 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. Jgg 
 
 Wardon was again on his feet. His eyes rested 
 lovingly upon Clara. 
 
 “I could not kill him,” he whispered, “for he 
 said, when we were out there in the snow, that 
 you were to love me when he was dead. And I 
 determined that he should live. Frank, Frank, 
 wake up and see who’s here!” 
 
 The bundle stirred and immediately Clara was 
 on her knees. She loosened the blankets from 
 the curly head and was bathing the pale face in 
 tears. 
 
 “It was Wardon who saved me,” gasped Frank, 
 too ill to ask how they had discovered the camp 
 and how the women came to be among them. “I 
 told him to go to Clara, but he wouldn’t. He was 
 too good.” 
 
 Craton had his arms about Wardon. 
 
 “Can’t you remember me, old pal, and forgive 
 me?” he whispered. 
 
 But the glazed eyes, now near death, could not 
 show the faintest sign of life. 
 
 “It’s over, it’s over,” was all he could whisper ; 
 “the struggle is over.” 
 
 Tears stood in the Captain’s eyes, and Mrs. 
 Craton ran away to her room to ‘indulge in a 
 good, womanly cry. 
 
186 
 
 UNDBR THE NORTH STAR. 
 
 “I have made her happy,” muttered Wardon. 
 “They will forget me when I am gone. But I will 
 not forget her,” he went on, now so weak that he 
 could scarcely whisper. “Clara, if I hacl forgot- 
 ten you I could not have had the strength to 
 bring him here.” 
 
 Clara heard this, and Frank, also, who was 
 gathering together the broken threads of his 
 thoughts. 
 
 The girl came to Wardon’s side and took his 
 hand in hers. She knelt, and, while the glimmer 
 of life was still upon his face, she kissed his lips, 
 and he started up with renewed vigor. 
 
 “It was you, Clara, who saved him — you, 
 through me. I have given him to you, and may 
 you both be happy.” 
 
 The next day they buried him, and the great, 
 loving, passionate heart that had loved Clara 
 Benton so wildly was still forever. 
 
 Then they went back to England, to their 
 home; but before going Clara insisted upon mar- 
 rying Frank. 
 
 “Then I may take care of him,” she said, lov- 
 ingly; “and no one has a better right.” 
 
 And there were no refusals. They were mar- 
 ried by the priest, who lived near the camp, be- 
 
UNDER THE NORTH STAR. pg7 
 
 fore leaving for the relief boat, and Clara thanked 
 heaven that she had at last been given her dar- 
 ling. 
 
 Frank’s recovery was rapid. They had delayed 
 the home-going for a day or two upon his ac- 
 count, and the evening before starting Clara said 
 to her husband : 
 
 “I want to go out to his grave. Will you let 
 me?” 
 
 “You shall go,” returned Frank; “and so shall 
 I, if you will help me.” 
 
 Together they went over the snow and at last 
 reached the grave. Clara’s tears fell upon it, and 
 she humbly asked heaven to forgive her the 
 doubts and distrust she had suffered through the 
 past years. 
 
 “He was my friend,” said Frank, who had 
 never been told differently. “I could not have 
 had my wdfe nor known her love if it had not 
 been for this man” — and here Frank hesitated as 
 he placed his arm around Clara — “this very good 
 man who sleeps here, Under the North Star.” 
 
 THE END. 
 
A $2.22 Book for 25 Cents! 
 
 Old Secrets and New Discoveries. 
 
 Corjiaining Information of Rare Value for all Classes, in all Conditions of Society. 
 
 It Tells all about Electrical Psy- 
 chology, stowing howyou 
 can biologize any person, 
 and, while under the influ- 
 ence, he will do anything 
 you may wish him no mat- 
 ter how ridiculous it may 
 be, and he cannot help 
 doing it. 
 
 It Tells how to Mesmerize. Know- 
 ing this, you can place any 
 person in a mesmerio 
 sleep, and then be able to 
 do with him as you will. 
 This secret has been sold 
 over and over again for 
 $ 10 . 
 
 It Tells how to mate persons at 
 a distance think of you— 
 Something all lovers 
 should know. 
 
 It Tells how you can charm those you meet and make them love you, whether they 
 will or not. 
 
 It Tells how Spiritualists and others can make writing appear on the arm in blood 
 characters, as performed by Foster and all noted magicians. 
 
 It Tells how to make a cheap Galvanic Battery ; how to plate and gild without a 
 battery ; how to make a candle burn all night ; how to make a clock for 25 
 cents ; how to detect counterfeit money ; how to banish and prevent mos- 
 quitoes from biting ; how to make yellow butter in winter ; Circassian 
 curling fluid ; Sympathetic or Secret Writing Ink ; Cologne Water ; Artifi- 
 cial Honey ; Stammering ; how to make large noses small ; to cure drunk- 
 enness ; to copy letters without a press ; to obtain fresh-blown flowers in 
 winter ; to make good burning candles from lard. 
 
 It Tells how to make a horse appear as though he was badly foundered ; to make 
 a horse temporarily lame ; how to make him stand by his food and not eat 
 it ; how to cure a horse from the crib or sucking wind ; how to put a young 
 countenance on the horse ; how to cover up the heaves ; how to make him 
 appear as if he had the glanders ; how to make a true-pulling horse balk ; 
 how to nerve a horse that is lame, etc., etc. These horse secrets are being 
 continually sold at one dollar each. 
 
 It Tells how to make the Eggs of Pharo’s Serpents, from which, when lighted, 
 though but the size of a pea, there issues from it a coiling, hissing serpent, 
 wonderful in length and similarity to a genuine serpent. 
 
 It Tells how to make gold and silver from block tin. Also how to make impres- 
 sions from coins. Also how to imitate gold and silver. 
 
 It Tells of a simple and ingenious method for copying any kind of drawing or pic- 
 ture. Also more wonderful still, how to print pictures from the print itself. 
 
 It Tells how to perform the Davenport Brothers’ “ Spirit Mysteries,” so that any 
 person can astonish an audience, as they nave done. Also scores of other 
 wonderful things of which we have no room to mention. 
 
 OLD SECRETS AND NEW DISCOVERIES is worth $2.00 to any person ; 
 
 but it will be mailed to any address on receipt of only 26 cents. Postage stamps 
 
 taken in payment for it the same as cash. Address 
 
 J. S. 0 GIL VIE PUBLISHING COMPANY, 
 
 Sock Box 767. 57 BOSE STREET, NEW YORK. 
 
3 011 
 
 2 098497339 
 
 A Beautiful Complexion. 
 
 What is more to be desired than a clear and beautiful 
 complexion ? If your face is disfigured with pimples, black- 
 heads, or is tough, red and oily, 
 
 PEARL’S CRYSTAL LOTION 
 will cure it. It is perfectly harmless 9 cleanses and purifies 
 and removes all blemishes, giving the skin and flesh a beau- 
 tiful clearness: most pleasing to the eye. It is not a 
 paint, powder or grease , but the best article ever offered 
 people seeking utmost refinement in results. Used by the 
 Elite everywhere . The price is 75 Cts. 9 at all stores, 
 or we will send it direct on order. Avoid substitutes and 
 imitations. 
 
 HARNO destroyes superfluous hair permanently with- 
 out injury to the skin. Sent by mail, postpaid, $1.00. 
 
 TREMONT TOILET CO., 89 Franklin Sq., BOSTON, MASS. 
 
 Darkens Cray Hair. 
 
 HALE’S TURKISH HAIR ELIXIR 
 
 will quickly restore the youthful color, beauty and lustre tc 
 Gray, Streamed or Faded Hair • It renews the life, and 
 promotes the growth, bringing back the original youthful 
 color and luxuriance. Purely vegetable . Contains no 
 nitrate or poisonous minerals. It Cures Dandruff and 
 keeps the scalp Cool 9 Clean and Wholesome . Gives an 
 elegant tone and and growth. Makes wonderful improve- 
 ment in looks. Nothing offensive, sticky or greasy. Price, 
 25c . , 50c. 9 and $1.00 at all stores or sent sealed by 
 
 TREMONT TOILET CO., 89 Franklin Sq., BOSTON, MASS. 
 
 millions use Hfll E’S Medicinal Toilet Soap 
 
 THE WORLD’S FAVORITE for Preserving , Puri- 
 fying and Beautifying the Shin 9 Scalp 9 Hair and 
 Hands. HALE’S soap combines delicate medicinal and 
 emollient properties with the purest of cleansing ingredients, 
 and the most refreshing of flower odors. Two soaps in one 
 at one price, viz., a medicinal and toilet soap. For constant 
 home use , guaranteed the Purest and Best Soap 
 made . Frees the complexion from blemishes of all kinds 
 and prevents redness and roughness, imparting a dainty, 
 velvety softness. It keeps the scalp clean, cool and free from 
 dandruff. Price 25c., 3 for 60c. Stores, or sent direct. Our 
 Toilet Book is free to all. Address 
 
 TREMONT MFG. CO., 89 Franklin Sq., BOSTON, MASS. 
 
 Kstabi^ished Over 50 Years.