not be. You are young and beautiful; there is a long life of happiness, I trust, before you. My days are nearly spent, and I could not accept such a sacrifice. Come, they are clamoring impatiently at the delay. Give me one kiss, such as you would give to your own father were he living, and then I will help you down; or, if you are afraid, the sailors shall tie a rope about you and let you down.”

He bent his head, his face filled with a yearning tenderness, to hers.

“The captain and the sailors—must they remain and perish, too?” she asked, breathlessly, while she shuddered as a hot wave of smoke came pouring over them.

“Yes; there is room for no one but you. Come; they will not wait longer. One kiss, little Star, and—God bless you!”

She looked up at him in surprise; he was asking God to bless her, when only last night he had sneered at her trust in Him. But she kissed him, for his lips were almost touching 22hers as he spoke. Then she leaned over the vessel’s side, and said, in loud, clear tones:

22

“I shall not go with you; there are enough in the boat already.”

She turned her back resolutely upon what seemed her only hope of safety, and, clinging to Mr. Rosevelt, she said:

“I will not leave you, the only one who has spoken kindly to me during all the voyage. They did not want me, for my extra weight would lessen their chances, and I will try to be brave when—when the end comes.”

She was ghastly even to her lips, but there was a clear and steady light in her eye.

Mr. Rosevelt was horror-struck at what she had done.

“Heavens, child! you shall not do this rash thing! Hold, there!” he yelled to those in the boat; “she will go!” and he lifted her in his arms and bore her to the spot she had just left, while the captain roared to the men below to wait.

But even as they were speaking the vessel gave a tremendous lurch and settled far down into the water. Smoke and flame were vomited up from below, and, horror of horrors! the boat into which they had just been urging—almost forcing Star—was swamped in the commotion of waters caused by that lurch, and its luckless freight were at the mercy of the hungry waves.

It was a fearful moment.

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