*--perish in water not deep because of
the starving cold, even if--if the
engine...?

Her teeth snapped together upon the
thought, its diddering horror. Surely, it
was as bad a predicament as could be
for a girl!

But, suddenly, through all the horripilation
there seemed to shine a light.

Somehow, Pem was conscious of it in
the poor numb sheath of her own girlish
being--and beyond.

And she knew that her stark lips were
praying: "Oh! Lord--oh! Father--help
me-e to hold on. Don't let us--go--under!
I want--I want so-o to live to
see Daddy's rocket go off!... He ..."

The stiff sobs tumbled apart there, as
it were.

But the Light remained, the Presence,
so near as it seemed to Pem at the moment--even
as she had felt it before
upon a mountain-top, or at some matchless
moment of beauty--that she almost
[[35]]

p034 _ -chap- _ toc-1 _ p035w _ toc-2 _ +chap+ _ p036

v?