ing close at hand, now a tiny point of fire on the horizon.
The captain's voice broke her lethargy.
"Well, here you are, ma'am. Your light's a-going fine now, all right. You certainly deserve a power of credit for what you and the boy done. Don't you be uneasy; the daylight'll be coming before long to help us, and we'll get the folks all right, if they're anywheres round."
The big boat churned away from the landing as Joan, calling out her thanks, ran up to the house. The searchlight cut a silver arc in the night and swept across the dark water. Joan had left a lamp in Garth's room, lighted and turned low. From the foot of the stairs she could see its gentle glow faintly filling the doorway. Now that relief from her fears was within reach, they seemed to crowd upon her with redoubled fierceness. Her heart beat with suffocating violence as she went blindly up the stairs. The door of his room at last!
She had come up very quietly, and he had not heard her step. In the dusky light she could see his tired eyes fixed steadfastly upon the wavering yellow ring on the ceiling. She spoke very softly, in order not to startle him, and he half sat up and then held out his arms to her.
