He had received only one letter from Grace and none from Ruth, as he had left Nome directly after receiving Grace's letter.

The others had evidently reached Nome after his departure and had not been forwarded to him.

The boat on which he had taken passage had been wrecked and he had barely escaped drowning.

He had been rescued by an Indian fisherman from the icy waters of Bering Sea, and taken to his hut, where for days he had lain ill from exposure to the elements.
At the earliest possible moment he had embarked for San Francisco, then journeyed east.

He had purposely refrained from telegraphing until within a day's journey from Overton, fearing that something might occur to delay his meeting with his daughter.
Ruth, who had already planned to remain in Overton during the summer and work at dressmaking, smiled in rapture as she heard her father plan a long sight-seeing trip through the west which would last until time for her return to college in the fall.