The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1896-12-21
CHAPTER XVIII.

Waiting alone in his warm corner and
thinking of Mamie, Will heard a snap
ping OF twigs, a cracking of boughs
hard by, and the next moment Blake
Trelawny was standing before him.
He carried gun and locked calm
and in his sane mind, though his ebon
hair had become streaked with gray,
and his face was livid and scanned as it
had not been few short weeks ago.
"Cassilis," Eo said abruptly, Il was
mad and "a blackguard the other day.
Forget it; make her forget il if you can.
A man does not deliberately hound
down the woman he loves, and she IS
safe from me. Ihave been away, where
God knows, don't, aud can go again
II you have any doubts Of me- But /
have myself well in hand now," he
smiled grimly, land the grip I've got
of myself-it wasn't lightly obtained
I'll keep
He paused, and Cassilis was about to
speak when Blake put up his hand.
We may as we'll have it out low
he said, land then it's done with" The
clinched hand, the starting veins on his
forehead, bespoke rebellious blood and
denied his words, but lie went steadily
on:
"You see, from the time when i was
great, ugly, hulking devil Of school
boy and she little toddling, mother
less thing with head like soft yell
low duckling, she would hang on TO my
finger and go anywhere with me. I've
loved her and taken care of her-and
you were a boy in white nankeen
breeches when was man-and as I
watched her growing up it never oc-
Cured to me how much nearer in age
you were. By every earthly law she
seemed to DO mine, but there's no rea-
son, there never is any reason, why a
girl loves one man and dislikes anoth-
err, as she came to dislike me. And
STILL" his voice changed, II thought
had chance-she bad latterly expert.
enced only my roughness, she did not
know what my tenderness could be
and the man isn't born who would have
neglected the chance l had in your alb
sence, but now it's over, all over" his
| NOlNb ldHS Out OAh Ah0bNNihN%
"Will you shake hands, mani"
T1elawny held out his hand, and al
Will gripped it all that was best in hin
rose up in answer to that almost sterr
look of trust as between man and MAJ
in Wills eyes, which. to the honor o.
man be it said, is very rarely betrayed
or only on greatest provocation.
80 ,1xy thinn y, coli
Blake, still holding Wills hand in tina
close grip-"if ever You treat her i'll
if ever of her own free will she turn
to me without my lifting a finger
mind, to becl1on her, will take her
Nor man nor devil shall hinder me. s.
be kind to her, man cherish her. Re
member you have made pitch black on
man s dwelling to illuminate your own
and never, never let that sweet, tina
tender and holy light grow dim for lac
of tending"
"Please God, 1 never WILL" sal
Cassilis, strangely moved by the fire an
passion, held we'll in leash, that spok
in this strange mans voice, yet how i'm
possible to think that Mamie and him
self could ever fall out. Then they talk
| ed of other thing, Of the shyness an
scarcity of the birds, of Lady Lirripel
after which they shot together, an
when luncheon time arrived they ha
become keen over their sport, and Nar
ME, coming suddenly upon them tall
ing as friends, stood petrifed, gain
from one to the ether.
Blake Trelawny came forward, an
she knew in a moment that this W;
not the Trelawny Of the past year, br
that other and kinder one whom In h'
childhood she had loved and trusted.
"Your husband has forgiven me,
said. "Will you not give me your 10
giveness also? Twill try to deserve It,
He had gone white under his dar
skin. 1t tore his heartstrings to look
her, so sweet, 80 lovable, the propert
of another man, but his hand did N
falter as she laid hers within it an
looked up in his face, as she had doi
long, long ago. "What Will forgives
forgive, she said simply. And then Il
servants came up, and the thing WI
over, but once she moved her should
restlessly. Trelawny saw 1t, and 81
knew that the saints good intention
will not wipe out the sinners inemor
and that he remembered.