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"It's surely all wiped out, all gone, gone into ruins," said Stern slowly and carefully, weighing each word "No hallucination about that" He swept the sky-line with his eyes, that now peered keenly out froht his hand up to his breast He started with surprise

"What's this?" he cried "Why, I--I've got a full yard of whiskers My good Lord! Whiskers onAt his beard he plucked with irl's tense nerves Suddenly he grew serious For the first tiht

"Why, what a time it must have been!" cried he "Here's soo that way, Miss Kendrick It--it won't do, you know Got to have so to put on Great Heavens what a situation!"

He tried to peel off his remnant of a coat, but at the irl restrained hinity "My hair protects me very well for the present If you and I are all that's left of the people in the world, this is no time for trifles"

A rave

"Forgivea hand on her shoulder Once more he turned to theand looked out

"So then, it's all gone?" he queried, speaking as to hi here or there? And the bridges and the islands--all changed

"Not a sign of life anywhere; not a sound; the forests growing thick a the ruins? A dead world if--if all the world is like this part of it! All dead, save you andto realize the full import of the catastrophe And Stern, deep down in his heart, caught solad