adam
president" risen to address the meeting. Like "madam president" she
waited for their full attention before she spoke.

"I wish to thank you gentlemen for the heroic efforts you have put
forth during the past week," she said, and her low-pitched voice had
the full resonance that was one of her charms as a leader among women.
"It would be impossible for me to express my grateful appreciation--"
She stopped, pressed her lips together for a minute, and when she felt
sure of her composure she made a fresh start. "I cannot speak of the
risks you have taken in these forests, but I--I appreciate your
bravery. I know that you have been in danger from falling trees,
nearly every day that you spent searching for--those who are lost. I
have learned from your conversations among yourselves how useless you
consider the search. I--I am forced to agree with you. Miss Humphrey
and Professor Harrison have long ago given up all hope--they say
that--that no one could possibly be alive.... I--I know that a mother
can be terribly selfish when her son...." Hard as she fought for
steadiness, she could not speak of it. She stood with the back of one
hand pressed hard against her shaking lips, swallowing the sobs that
threatened to balk her determination to speak a little of the humble
gratitude that filled her. The men looked down in embarrassed silence,
and in a minute she went on.

"Gentlemen, I know that you have gone on searching because you felt
that I wanted you to do it, and you were too kind-hearted to tell me
the truth. So I beg of you now to go back to your families. I--I must
not let my trouble keep you away from them any longer. I--I--have
given up."

Some one drew a long breath, audible in that room, where tragedy held
them in silence. It was as though those two lost ones lay stark and
cold in their midst; as though this woman was looking down upon her
son. But when the silence had tightened their nerves, she spoke again
with the quiet of utter hopelessness.

"I must ask you to help me get down the mountain somehow. If the
railroad is in operation I shall return home. I wish to say that while
I shall carry with me the bitterest sorrow of my life, I shall carry
also a deep sense of the goodness and the bravery--"

Proud, yes. But proud as she was she could not go on. She turned
abruptly and went back into the room where Kate slept heavily. A
little later the sound of stifled sobbing, infinitely sad, went out to
the men w