The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-06-06

steps continued Ben chncklins Il reckon 70
! got took In for onst. But it's too late now"
Eyes" thought Steve aagrily, as he looked at
the smiling party coming towards the landing,
three men and three women.
sits too late now. If i: had been half hour
sooner 'twould have been early enough. But its
| the last time I'm caught in any such way. What
Q blamed fool was not to ask who they were.
1 Never thought Of the Crayath set numbering
themselves up with womenw and very nm
promising sternum settled down on Stoves ex-
/ pressive features as he stopped down to readjust
some OF the smaller packages in the boat
Meantime the members of the approaching
party were not wholly at ease in their minds
| Mr. Cravath had confessed bis suppression of
| the truth, and Mr.. Randal1s evident misgiying
/ as to the success of the experiment had proved
| contagious. IF he's as queer as you say"
murmured Mrs. Cravath, she can make it
to 60"
1 'Nonsense!, cried Helen Wingate, merriv
I'll take that out of him before night Who
| ever heard Of a mans really disliking women!
1t is only some particular woman he's dishked
| He wont dislike us! He shan't dislike me! Pm
/ going to take him by storm! Let me run ahead
and jump in first And she danced on Ia ad-
vance of the rest
| wait, Mrs. Wingate," cried Mr.. Craxath,
hurrying after her. Let me come with you
But he was too late. She ran on, and as she
reached the shore sprang lightly on the plank,
| calling out: ooh, there are all our things in
| already. Guide! guide, please give me your
| hand quick. want to be the first one IN the
| boat"
| Steve rose slowly, turned. At the first glimpse
of his face Helen Wingate uttered shrek
which rang in the air, and fell backward on the
| sand inssnsible.
/ Good God! She lost her footingw exclaimed
| Mr.. Cravath.
| 'She is killed." cried the others, as they hur-
/ ried breathlessly to the spot. But when they
reached it, there knelt Dandy Steve on the
| ground by her side, his face whittier than hers,
/ his Stpaamin0 with his around
her, calling: "Helen Helen"
| At the sound of footsteps and voices he looked
up, and instantly seeking Mr. Crayath's face,
gasped, "She is my wife, Mr.. Cravath!"
The dumbness of unutterable establishment
| fell on the whole party at these words but in
another second, raliying from the shock, they
knelt around the seemingly lifeless woman, try
| ing to arouse her: Presently she opened her
eyes, and seeing Mrs. RandaTs face bending
above her, said family:
! 'lt's Stephen. l always knew should find
/ him somewhere"
| Then she sank away again into unconscious
| ness.
| The party for the lakes must be postponed.
/ That was evident Neither would it go out
| under the guidance of Dandy Steve, nor would
| Mrs Wingate go with it. Those two things
were equally evident.
| Which facts, revolving slowly in old Ben's
brain, led HIM to seat himself the shore and
abide the course of events. When, about noon,
Mr.. Cravath appeared, coming to look after
Cnelr laStly aDanO0n6Q euectS 0lQ ben tOucneQ
his has civiliy, and said:
''Good-day, SIR thought maybe I'd get this
| job O. guidin' now. Leastways, I'd stay by yer
truck here till somebody come to look it up"
Old Ben was the guide, of all others, Mr.. Cra-
| vath would have chosen, next to Dandy
Steve"
| "By Jove, Ben" he said, .'this is luck Can
| you 60 off with at oncea Steve has got other
business on hand. That lady is his wife, from
whom he has been separated many years."
40 heepd him sir when he a nckin'
| her up" answered Ben composedly, as if such
| things were daily occurrence in the Adiron-
| dacks.
'Can you go with us at once?" continued Mr..
| Cravath.
'In an hour, sir" said Ben.
| And in an hour they were off, bewildered,
| but on the whole relieved and happier party
| than they had been in the morning. Helen
| Wingate's long sorrow in the mysterious disap-
pearaEce of her husband had ennobled and
purified her character and greatly endeared her to
| her friends But that which had seemed to them
to be explainable only by the fact of his death,
or his unworthineSs, she knew was explainable
by her own folly and pride
| The end of the story is best told in old Ben's
words. He was never tired of telling it:
II never heerG exactly the hull partikelers,
| back, and her folks she was with want the kind
| that talks much; but could see they set store
| by her. They'd always liked Steve, too up
| here, s guide They niver knowed him while
he was a iivin with her, else they'd ha know'd
him here; but he hadn't lived with her but
| mighty little while 8 near s could make out
| Yer see she was powerful rich, an, he hadn't but
| little N for all she was so much in lsve with
him she couldn't help THROWN it up to him, sort
o, an he couldn't stan it. So he jest lit out;
an he'd never ha' gone back to her, never under
the shining sun. He'd got jest that grit in him.
Shed been huntin' everywhere they said, all
she'd given up huntin', an he was right
| close tn hum all the time. He was
| first rate Teller, n we was all glad when
| his luck come ter him t last wished could
/ ha' seen him to we asked him if he didn't
b1eeve in luck now Me n him was talkin'
about luck that very mornip while she was
| steppin down the landin towards him IS fast s
ever she could go! My eyes! How that woman
did come runnin' an calm Guide! guidep
shant never forgit it, asked some o. the fell
lers how she looked when they went off an they
said her eyes was shinin like stars, but there
| wasn't any more of her face to be seen, for she
| was rolled up in big red shawl. 1t gifts hoppn
| cold here in September. I've always thought
| twas that same red shawl he had in his cabin,
| but dunno twas"
''Wall, bet they had fustrate time on that
weddin journey O theirn," said one of Ben's
rative "taint every feller gets the chance O two
honeymoons with the same woman"
Old Ben looked at him attentively young
| ster," said he, "'tain't strange, / suppose,
young's you be, th't you should look it that
recolleck bout all them years they'd lost out of
their lives. tell ye it's kind o harrowin' tn
me. Old's am and hain't never felt no call ter
| be married nuther, it's kind o. harrowin' ter me
yit ter think O. that woman's yell she Civ when
| she seed Steves face. II thar warn't jest hull
| lifetime O misery int sides the Joy o. fndin
him, amt no jedge. haven't never felt no call
ter marry, g I sed; but if had I wouldn'
ha' been caught cuttin' up no sech didos s that!
| THROWN away years o time they might ha' he'd
together 2 wells not Their amt any too much
| o. this life, anyhow; It kinder looks ter you
| youngsters s eff t d last forever. / know how
| It's l han't forgot nothin'. old's am But
tell you. when ye're old IS am, N look back on
| It, yell be s'prised ter see how short 'tis-an'
| veil reelize more what fool man is, or
woman, too, an do 'spose they're the foolishest
o Their two, ter waste minnit out ont on quor
i - L. L. Il e. Z