The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1881-05-05

down upon the grass and laid his head
upon his baby's grave. Never child
longed for the kisses and caresses of its
mother as Harry Vane longed for the
touch of the baby hands and lips at that
moment. Broken-hearted and alone, a
wanderer, as it were, and oh, so terribly
homeless! he pressed the very gates of
heaven to bring back his child. Above
him the stars looked down coldly; the
wind soughed through the naples and
rushed along the prairie grass, as If to
tell him how barren life lay before him.
When he had lain there a long time he
tried to think and plan for the future. If
he could only go away that Sarah might
be free! She could marry the man who
never thought much about divorces, nor
tried to solve the social problem which
the world has been SO busy working out
for years, but lying under the stars, with
his head on his baby's grave and the
free western wind touching his forehead
and hair, he got straight at the heart of
his own troubles.
eff she does not love me have no
right to her. My suffering is nothing;
her purity and truth is everything" he
thought. "She shall never look upon
my face again!"
He pressed his cheeks and lips pas
sionately to the dew-wet sod, smoothed
it tenderly with his hands, and then
went from it forever. The light was
shining brightly from the cottage win
dows, but he turned away from it reso-
lutely and walked with long rapid strides
forward into the darkness,
It was ten miles to the nearest lake
town, but he was accustomed to walking
and the distance was nothing to him.
He only prayed that he might find boat
ready for sailing at the landing; for,
now that he had resolved to go, he
could not brook an instant of delay. He
knew every inch of the way; he had
travelled it many a time when his hard.
worked horses seemed to need rest more
than he needed it himself. It was his
way to shield and care for every DUMP
animal tenderly. When he worked in
the fields, the birds flew about his head
and hoped at his very feet, instinctively
knowing there was nothing to fear from
his gentle hand.
The road ran straight along by his
own farm broad green acres we'll fenced
and carefully titled. How hard he had
worked-but oh, how hopefully-look-
ing forward to the time when the land
should bring him solid wealth for his
labor-when everything beautiful that
his wife craved or longed for he could
yield her with generous hands. But
that was past now his back was turned
to his home, and straight before him the
great world lay, its arms ever ready to
take in for good or for evil those who
were afoat and astray.
As he walked on he took his hat from
his head and let the cool wind play
over bis forehead. 1t was hot and fever
ish with pain. Once in a while night
bird screamed above him. flying on
through space. Occasionally dog
howled in the distance, and the Growing
of BARNARD fowls smote his ear with
lonesome sound.
As he neared the town he noticed
black, low-lying cloud in the south, and
thought how frightened his wife would
be if storm should come while she was
alone. While he was looking at it a
carriage passed him, coming in from one
of the prairie roads and rolling rapidly
forward. For a moment he stood quite
STILL his heart throbbing painfully. He
did not know what it meant; but, sensi
tive and keenly alive to every impress
sion that night, nothing escaped him.
He ran forward without knowing why he
did so, the rumbling OF the carriage
leading him. 1t went his own way, too,
straight for the landing, and turning
corner he saw a steamboat lying at the
waters edge. He was in luck, after all,
he thought; this was the boat Hero, and
almost ready to start. The bell was
ringing Justify, but the plank was still
out and few passengers were making
their way across it. He hurried on
board and got back into the shadows
where he could see without being seen.
The Precipitation was standing in cold
drops upon his forehead and face, and
he trembled so that he could hardly
stand.
He had always been plain, straight
forward fellow, little given to noting the
particular phases Of his own mind; and
now, with no evidences Of his senses to
assure him that it was SO, he could not
understand why he believed 80 firmly
that his wife and George Way were on
board the Hero with him. He had not
seen them, he had not heard them speak;
and yet that subtle, indescribable some
thing-call it new sense or what you
will-had felt and recognized their pres
ence.