The Blue Envelope

t of new problems had arisen. Here was a man. Who was he? Could he be the grizzled miner who had demand

ng on her parka. The next moment she had opened th

ave the

Marian

sed in a jaunty parka of Siberian squirrel-skin, was

s it seem so strange? Well, yes, I dare say it does

on a section of

y-well, my mission to the north of Cape Prince of Wales, it was too late to return by dog-team.

you

. First we were picked up by an ice-floe and carried far into the Arctic Ocean. When at last we poled our way out of that, we were caught by a storm and carried southwest with such violence that we were thrown upon

an n

peless. Natives came i

t C

How far-how

ten mil

he girl's st

't a white man come

hite

here was one

didn't

tled back

some food. I bought that from him. You see, they were determined to get away as soon as possible. I was just as de

ng to conceal his intense inter

is in my paint-box

ly to his feet. "May

leave m

o?" He was ea

chance to say a thing. Perhaps your friend's in trouble. Of course

ng from a trifling shock. The ti

r a moment. "Do-do you intend t

came, but the storm and the white

from the north? No mo

oor, and I dare say you haven't much food. There's a bunk below the deck w

the use? They were trapped in Siberia. Here was

things. You stay

hr

back quicker

from ice-cake to ice-c

ed to enter

ul at his occupation of the wireless cabin. They could have been quite cozy there alone. Then again, in quite another mood, she was glad the stranger was here; he might suggest a

Leaving the cabin, she climbed to the highest point on the

red, at last. "Quarter of a mile south of t

uish a figure, a mere speck, moving in and

yes by studying the ship's de

"he has reached the cabin! Must

er began packing the girl's possessions

of the room, and, having straightened out Marian's paint-box, closed its cover down with a click.

bles, bacon, hardtack, coffee and sugar from

about the cabin, put

mpression," was the you

pale, was sitti

caught sight of h

d, "you are waitin

me," he

it right now-the

g back the cover lifted the paint-tra

on

g eagerl

," Lucile

look," the

cted the box

h an air of finali

ox was a bit disarra

arra

ave dropped out in the cabin. I dare say it's o

tand about the box. The wind must

ed good-naturedly as he re

and look for it." He

it was genuine or feigned. Had he been in such haste to secure the letter that

g forth a forlorn smil

not t

or herself. She felt half-inclined to talk matters over frankly with him. There were mysteries which might be cleared up. She remembered with what astonishing speed he had reached the cabin once he had sprung upon the shore. She remembered, too, how he had spoken of the disordered paint-box. She prided herself on neatness. And that paint-box, was it not her work-shop,

her lips tight s

rnful, "I couldn't find it. It's not there." With that she relented, and ere she slept resolve

different mood. He laughed and chatte

our company awfully well, and I'd like to keep this up indefini

ou run along. And when you get there tell the missionary

t I'm s

man has ever crossed thirty

be a first. Natives

eard th

ve can, providing he does

d Lucile about the waist and went hopping out on deck. "A gui

ean-" The boy star

ere you can, providing you

that will

siasm. It was evident that he d

to East Cape to st

ian exclaimed in

s wrong with

that's where that st

terrible

tell him of her experience with the miner who demanded the blue envel

nk blue eyes for a mome

, I

she had finished, there was a new, a

"That was bully good

t m

he was going to be told the wh

no fear of him. As for yours truly, meaning me, I can tak

rig

cile, who had by this time fully recovered from the shock of t

earance of the blue envelope with the college boy. Even as she thought of this, there flashed thr

him news of great importance. He was eager to cross the Straits and put its instructions into execution. What these ins

n tight-set teeth, "no, I won't

obe when on the beach ready to start for East Cape, she hastened to the cabin on the

print; such as is made by a careless white man who buys the first badly-made skin-boots offered to him by a native seamstress. The college boy could not have made that track. His

ed to join her companions, "probably

ment. She had never in her life seen a native