Stella Rosevelt — page 40: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

34 THE YOUNG STRANGER. while Mr. Rosevelt sat and watched them with a sense of pleasure in their enjoyment, and never dreaming of the mis- chief brewing under his very eyes. Star told the young man all about the terrible explosion, their expectation of death when they found the vessel on fire, their subsequent sufferings and terror while drifting about in the life-boat; while her voice grew low and thrilling as she spoke of her feelings when she began to realize that their pro- visions were falling short, and she feared they would starve to death on the trackless ocean. ‘‘Tf the captain had not been so generous to begin with,” she said, ‘‘it would have been better for all of us. Mr. Rose- velt cautioned him, but he appeared to think that some vessel would surely overtake us in a day or two. But after that I saved my sea biscuit; I put away half of what was given me_ every time; and if I had not done so, he’—-with a shy glance toward her friend, and dropping her voice—‘‘ would never have lived, for when the captain found he was too ill to eat he gave his share to the other men. He gave me a bottle of wine, though, for him, and I soaked the biscuit in it and crowded it into his mouth when he was too unconscious to feed himself.” ‘‘And did you go without necessary food to do this?” Archi- bald Sherbrooke asked, with pitying eyes, and a feeling almost of reverence for the beautiful, self-denying girl. ‘‘Tam young and strong; I knew it would not do me such serious harm to get weakened by hunger as it would him,” Star said, evasively; ‘‘and, besides 6: ‘“ Besides what?” Star's lips quivered, but she answered, in a hushed tone: ‘“T knew it was right to do a// that I could to save his life, and it gave me something to think of besides myself; and I knew, too, if we all mus¢ die, the—suffering would be shorter _ if I did not eat.” ‘“But you were dreadfully hungry, were you not?” persisted Gomichbooks