Page:Amazing Stories Volume 02 Number 06.pdf/33

552 made; then they will send another doctor, or appoint a commission to go into your case thoroughly. If they give you a much higher rating all our lovely plans will be destroyed.

"I have an idea," she exclaimed a few minutes later. "As you know, we will be in Bermuda in a couple of days, and there will he a great reception. I have yet to give my official account of the accident; then there will be many people to see you, and," she laughed, "you will be lucky if they don't put you in the museum!"

"I don't care so long as they mount you on the next pedestal." he smilingly replied.

"You must be serious," she exclaimed, "while I explain, for we cannot risk our happiness now; I could not live without you."

"Nor I without you," he vowed, holding her closely.

"My plan is to leave at once for the mainland, and get married quietly at some little place. Once married they cannot separate us without our consent."

"How can we leave the yacht?" he questioned; "we could not row to land."

"Take one of the flying life boats" she explained. "We won't be missed until morning.”

"I hardly like to do it," he explained, "our host has been so kind and considerate, I am even wearing some of his clothes at the present moment."

"I will leave a note explaining it all to him, and he'll understand. We might even return to the yacht after we are married, and proceed to Bermuda."

"That would be splendid," he exclaimed.

ITH the greatest caution they undid the fastenings of the little lifeboat. A glance into the pilot house where gyrocompass, depth indicators, fog warnings, and many other instruments made it quite unnecessary to have an officer on constant duty, assured them that they could slip away unseen and unheard.

With just a faint humming they shot off into the darkness, and headed due west. She taught him how to manage the little craft, and then lay down to sleep while he remained at the controls. Presently the sun came up out of the sea behind them bathing the distant land ahead of them with rosy light. It seemed a glorious prospect for the crowning event in the lives of these two who had been kept apart by centuries and by land and water, and still had to use all their ingenuity to accomplish their purpose.

Gently he woke her, and she navigated the little craft to a perfect landing near a small town. Here he saw many of the wonderful things he had been told about. The registrar was not yet in his office, so they repaired to a restaurant for breakfast.

"How do we pay?" he asked feeling awkward because he had no money.

"We just give our numbers," she said, "and the State settles our food account, for everyone is entitled to three meals a day. Other things that we buy are charged to our accounts which can be verified almost instantly. The luxuries that we enjoy are in proportion to the service we perform for the good of the public. We will just inquire how you stand."

Using her pocket communicator she was soon in touch with the right department, and was informed that Roger Wells, late lieutenant commander of the submarine U5 had been duly registered as a world citizen, and credited with one thousand units pending his entry into a suitable vocation. As a further token of appreciation for his suggestion for recovering Number Two projectile the Government would present him with any airplane or flying machine he chose up to five thousand horse power.

"How splendid," she exclaimed, "just the thing for our honeymoon."

"Will it cost much to run?" he asked anxiously.

"Oh, no! You are allowed a reasonable amount of power free. I think it will be half a million miles a year for a five thousand horse machine."

"It sounds too good to be true," he rejoiced.

A few minutes later they stood before the registrar.

"So you wish to be married at once?" he inquired.

"Yes, at once," They both answered him.

"I'll just call up the chief registry department, and verify these particulars."

They waited a little nervously for the result.

"I think it would be better to postpone your marriage," he said at last. "Your rating, Miss Morgan, is very high, and the authorities tell me that Roger Wells will probably be rerated very shortly. His new rating added to yours might bring your combined rating above the allowable maximum."

"You have the particulars before you, and you have verified them; we insist on being married at once."

"It is your right, if you insist," he agreed.

"We do insist," exclaimed both together.

In a few minutes the simple ceremony was over, and they were pronounced man and wife, "for as long as you both desire it," following the custom that marriage is an earthly arrangement and useless when it becomes repugnant to the parties concerned.

Their very first act was to call up the yacht, and tell the astonished owner what they had done. He had only just missed them, and had been wondering what he should do. Their return would make everything right, and they could continue to Bermuda just as everything had been planned. Soon they were on their return journey, and Roger Wells expressed the utmost astonishment when his bride of an hour switched on the automatic recording chart which not alone marked their course, but that of the yacht, so that to have missed them would have been impossible.

Great was the rejoicing on board that evening when they returned. News of their marriage was broadcast.

Later a message came from the Government saying that Roger Wells had been appointed to assist the Historical experts of the National Library in going over the records of his period.

Now, as he faced this new world, he did not feel lonely any more, for all the dreams of his life were coming true, and his beautiful and gifted wife was radiant with joy.