The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1892-12-01
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are horrible. They are sure to double
on q man one time or another, always"
Here, as in curiosity, Pierre pierced
his finger with the needle and watched
the blood form in a little globule. look
ing at it meditatively and sardonically,
he said: ''There is only one end to these.
Blood for blood is great matter, and l
used to wonder if it would not be terri
BILE for man to see his death advancing
on him drop by drop, like that" and he
let the spot of blood fall to the floor.
"But now know that there is punish
ment worse than that. Mon Dieul worse
than that" he added.
Into Shon's face strange look had
suddenly come. eyes, there's something
worse than that, Pierre"
$50? bienP"
Shon made the sacred gesture of his
creed. "To be punished by the dead
And not see them-only hear them. '
And his eyes steadied firmly to the
others.
Pierre was about to reply, but there
came the sound of footsteps through the
open door and presently Vending en-
tered slowly. He was pale and worn,
and his eyes looked out with searching
anxiousness. But that did not render
him less comely. He was always dressed
in black and white, and this now added
to the easy and yet severe refinement OF
his person. His birth and breeding had
occurred in places unfrequented by such
as Shon and Pierre, but plains and wild
life level all, and men are friends &C
cording to their taste and will, and by
no other law. Hence these with Wend-
ling.
He stretched out his hand to each
without q word. The hand shake was
unusual; he had little demonstration
ever. Shon looked up surprised. but re-
sponded. Pierre followed, with swift,
inquiring look; then in the succeeding
pause he offered cigarettes. Vending
took one, and all, silent, sat down. The
sun streamed Unexpectedly through the
doorway, making broad ribbon of light
straight across the floor to Weddings
feet. After lighting his cigarette he
looked into the sunlight for a moment,
still not speaking.
Shon meanwhile started his pipe, and
now, as if he found the silence awk-
ward, cts day for Gods country,
this" he said; "to make man a Chris
tian for little or much, though he play
with the divil betunewhiles. Without
looking at them, Vending said in a low
voice: sit was just such day, down
there in Quebec, when it happened.
You could hear the swill of the river,
and the water licking the piers, and the
saws in the big mill and the little mill
as they marched through the timber,
flashing their teeth like bayonets.
1T is wonderful sound ON hot,
clear day-that wild, keen singing of
the saws, like the cry of live thing
fighting and conquering. UP from the
fresh cut lumber in the yards there came
smell like the juice of apples, and the
sawdust, as you thrust your hand into
it, was as cool and soft as the leaves Of
Glove flower in the dew. On these
days the town was always still. II
looked sleeping, and you saw the heat
quivering up from the wooden walls
and the roofs of cedar shingles as though
the houses were breathing"
Here he paused, still intent on thu
shaking sun. Then he turned to thu
others as if suddenly aware that he ha(
been talking to them. Shon was abou
to speak, but Pierre threw restraining
glance, and instead, they all looked
through the doorway and beyond. Ii
the settlement below they saw the effec
that Vending had described. TIL
houses breathed. A grasshopper wen
clacking past, dog at the door snappe
up fly, but there seemed no other lif
of day.
Vending nodded his head toward tn
distance. SIT was quiet, like that.
stood and watched the mills and th
yards, and listened to the saws, an
looked at the great slide, and the log
on the river; and said to myself ths
it was all mine; all. Then turned
house on the hillock beyond th
cedars, whose windows were open, wit
cool dusk lying behind them. MOI
than all else, loved to think owne
that house and what was in it. 81
was beautiful woman. And she use
to sit in room facing the mill-thoue
the house fronted another way-thin
ing of me, did not doubt, and workir
at some delicate needle stuff.
"There never had been sharp wol
between us, save when / quarreled b
terly with her brother, and he left Il
| mill and went away. But she got ov
that mostly, though the lads name W
! never mentioned between us. That d
| was 80 hungry for the sight Of b
> that got my fieldglass, used to wat
my vessels and RATS making across t
!. bay, and trained it on the window whe
t I knew she sat. I thought it wor
i amuse her, too, when I went back
night, if told her what she had be
o doing. l laughed to myself at
). thought of it as I adjusted the gla
d looked. There was no more laughii
n saw her, and in front OF her mi
d with his back half on me.
II could not recognize him, though
h the instant thought he was somethi
It familiar. failed to get his face at
|. Hers I found indistinctly. But s
is him catch her playfully by the Oh
d After o little they rose. He put his
d about her and kissed her, and he ran
fingers through her hair. She had 81
lo.- co 1;rbt and lifted