The Pillar of Light

s. The fresh watch, delighted by the prospect of activity, clattered up and down the iron stairs, opened all available windows, uncla

westerly wind, hurling a heavy sea completely over the rocks, showed that the standar

lped by some of the sailors, commenced to flaunt his flag-signals to the watching telescopes on the far-off promontory of the Land's End. The Falcon, strong-hearted trawler, was plunging towards the rock when the first line of gay

cane-propeller shaft broken-78 survivors in lighthouse-ca

tallized into set speech. Seventy-eight living out of two hundred and eighty who might have lived! This was the curt intelligence which leaped the waves to fly over the length a

reassure their loved ones, but, in their present moribund condition, they could not realiz

inity buoy, newspaper correspondents ashore were busy at the telegraph-office, and their associates on the trawler were eagerly t

rness and brevity, had already written o

rand might manipulate his flags as quickly as lay in his power, with chief officer Emmett rea

unavailing struggle to weather the reef, described Pyne's gallant and successful effort to get in touch with the lighthouse, the

took long

ved. He little knew the use which was being made of his name by the tiny bits of linen tossing about on the exterior gallery. In such

eery "Good-morning" to Pyne when that young lady raced upwards from the kitchen

rse he would be there. And there is such a

could polish a burner up there as wel

rt side of the Falcon's small bridge, reading off the signals and sending back spasmodic twit

r of the tug?" inq

irls l

not the captain. He is an officer of

ent on Pyne, breathing on the copper d

Lieutenant John Percival Stanhope, only son of the late Sir Charles and Lady Margaret Sta

rand, if you always talk about the favored perso

f the steamer had restored all

s. It was a mere accident that he did not accompany us

said

e days' leave from his ship, and I thought he should give the f

ck a poodle?" was the

e. "I'm very glad your

bilation of Pyne's voice was so unmistakable that Enid, for one instant, withdrew her eyes from the distant ship

she chose her words wh

lphabet father and he are using. If dad requires all the dots I'm sur

ely, had reverted to her normal healthy h

minutes here," she said. "Enid, yo

ion at Pyne, who was whistling softly b

"I never saw anyone work

examined the s

d smilingly. "That is the only way you can cut in

ered her bound into his hands. Yet she strove desperately to keep u

st be very wear

or the o

ght hours." Then she became conscious that again she had not said exactly what she meant

said with irritating complacency. "Just

r yourself from the attractive spectacle. The

ding industry," said Pyne, who skipped down the ladder

t may be inspiring

I can't take a turn as sculler

am certain you have not closed your eyes all night. I will make it my personal business to

e a mutiny in the kit

ng from the service-room, "I never saw a worse case. Talk a

er whirl

e so silly?" s

l Jack so readily

silence. She did not speak again until they surv

at a monstrous deal of people f

on the penultimate syllable. "For where there's a will there's a

less shadow. It banished from her mind all thought of a harmless flirtation with the go

efusals-perhaps there were worse things in the

The stress of the night had only enhanced the need of an ample supply of food. Everybody-even the inmates of t

a wine-glassful of water. For supper the allowance was half a cup of cocoa and two ounces of bread, which must b

nents. Stanhope's last message was one of assurance. He would do all that lay in man's power. The lighthouse soon quieted down to a s

ing a kindly signal from the Land's End, where the coast-g

writing-desk and contempla

said to himself. "I'll just lay round and look at i

ing the last line of flags, when the Americ

d a child's voice. "My arm hurts ju

s one of the two little girls, whom Pyne had not seen since

ut eight, recognized in him a playmate of the fine

up. You said down. Here's the

t arm was in a sling. Pyne, dreading le

with an air of great dignity. "I make one

. "But what in the world are those women-folk thinki

younger. Apart from the nasty bruise on Elsie's left arm and shoulder, the children had esca

awful hungry, an' when we axed for 'nother bixit Mrs. Taylor she bega

ry," agreed Mamie. "An

ken out of all recognition, was tossing about somewhere in the under-currents of the Channel. None

d come to no harm and perchance obtain a further supply from one of those sweet-face

see Brand hauling down the signal. He sprang to t

king his left arm for her. "Follow

n a whisper on the next landing. "She jus

bedroom, where Mrs. Taylor was. He broke the hard

arry the cup, and g

ted Mamie. "If I can't hav

kled to death to see what I'll bring you. But drink

open and they vanished.

two little dears would do

e remains of his biscuit in an almost empty cup. The l

st of us, never had such an appe

fixed," said Pyne,

onsciousness which prompts him to desire the unattainable. Now, I am a poor eater as a rule,

ak sounds good. That is, you know," he went on languid

after the hard night we have gone through. Perhaps you are a

st morsel of biscuit

it," said Pyne. "But talking about eating when there's lit

o in

rometer, adjusting the slidi

"If only the wind would go down

do?" inquired Pyne, greatly reliev

le to drift a buoy, with a rope attached, close enough to the rock a

ould be ferried to the

to a far greater extent than I dare hope at present. But, once we ha

that?" said the young

owledge that all true men have of

bad," answ

produced a case containing

res in consola

gift, and affecte

keep the men quiet," he said. "By the way," and he lifted a

t through a co

l be converte

" admitted Pyne, taking du

sion, the chemical reactio

ids of most vegetable oils can be isolated by treatme

a little gesture of helplessnes

did not Mr. Pyne te

t living in terror of

is sending a man to keep watch here. He will not disturb you. He is bringing some rugs and

ur! Impossi

available. You know quite well that the Falcon will

se-wife who understood the whole art of looki

inquired, "whe

it down," h

les on him since their last rencontre. She did not know why. He looke

chen. I have been there since you brought u

marked Brand calmly. "Mr.

ersisted Constance.

red to wink at her, a confidential, appealing wink

to somebody," she cried sudde

ngry, so, when I met those two little girls foolin' round

stance. "He has no

Mr. Pyne, whilst I was eating. But, before you go, let me add a word in season. There must be

detected villian, explained to Cons

on you in future," she ann

. "That is al

on. "Dad always encouraged us in the

l make me feel g

m. And not a word did she say to Enid as to the reason why Mr. Pyne should be served with a second breakfast. She kn

inds and lovers, so these two were either exceptionally clever p