The Blue Envelope

The story follows two young women who carry a mysterious blue envelope addressed to Phi Beta Ki that attracts competing claimants and forces difficult choices as they travel through Arctic coastal regions. While one pursues sketches, they become stranded among the Chukches and confront a bearded stranger whose presence and local superstitions heighten danger. They endure lost supplies, a vanished tent, perilous sea and ice, and episodes of being cast adrift, then undertake tracking and improvised navigation across lonely islands and frozen wastes. Gradual discoveries explain earlier puzzles and the pair rely on resourcefulness and local assistance to resolve the threats.