The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1897-10-15

man who we'll knew the use
of his instrument. ooh, me, nc
thought sadly, "if I had only been
born a carpenter instead OF a sen'ier
man! A good ak, Master Bateson-i
wonder where you got it? Somethlns
like a grip, my man, on TINS nanu,o.
Poor Crawford His words stick III my
throat A fine fellow! noble lello"'
No use thinking; no use reere''ins
what is said is said. WORK! "oiA'
work. Tho
Plank after plank fell out on tne
floor He laughed over the easy 'a'N
of destruction. aha! young Alue ,,
lev, II doesn't take much to demoilsh
vour bedplace. I'll have it cut oo"i:
7 would have the whole hut uown -
thev would onlv give me the chance
o: chopping at It," bic nv
A lorg strip of wood fell 10 MS ia "a
long enough to require cuttihs -
tvo He turned it, and stoopeu
over It. Something caught MS eye,
letters carved in the wood. lie iooheu
closer. The letters were 1aih'iy an .na
badlv cut. He could only make ou. 'N
fret three of them, and even OF lnose
he was not quite certain. They looAeu
like C. L. Aft they looked IKE any
thing. He threw down the s'rip u
wood irritably. T.,
"Damn the fellow (whoever he lS'
n,bo cut thisl Why should he carve
that name, of all the names III 'ne
world?" ~ do+or-
mined to go on again with his selt-lm-
noeod labor He was ashamed OF MS
own outburst. He looked eagerly lor
the AK work, work! Nothing LOT
It but work" He found the DIX anu
went on again. 1ro
He cut out another plank. ne
stopped and looked at it susplciousiy
There was carving again on this PLANK
The letters f. and A. appeared on i''
He nut down the AK. There were vague
n,isqivings in him which he was not
able TO realize. The state OF MS U" "a
mind was fast becoming puzzie "
him. ,,o,f
"That's the way these young ldierS
emnlov their long hours. F. A? Ihose
must be his initials-Frank Adversely
Who carved the letters on the o'nei
plank? Frank Aldersley, too?
He turned the piece of wood IN MS
hand nearer to the light and looked
lower down it. More carving again.
lower down! Under the initials f. A.
were two more initials-C. b.
&C. BIZ" he repeated to himself. his
sweethearts initials, 1 suppose. vi
course-at his age-his sweetnearts
initials"
He paused once more. A spasm OF
inner main showed the shadow OF us
mysterious passage outwardly on his
face. Her CIPHER is c. B." he said'
in low broken tones. &c. B'-Clara
Burnham."
He waited with the plank in his
hand; repeating the name over ana
over again, as if it was question ne
was putting to himself. clara Burn
ham? Clara Burnham"'
He dropped the plank and turned
deadly pale in moment. His eyes
wandered furtively backward and for
ward between the strip of wood on the
floor and the half demolished berth.
90 God! what has come to me noWT
he said to himself, in a whisper. He
snatched up the AK with a strange
cry-something between rage and ter
ror. He tried Acknowledgements
tried-to go on with his work. No!
strong as he was, he could not use
the AK. His hands were helpless
thew trembled necessarily. He went
IN the fire; he held his hands over 1t.
They still trembled incessantly; they
infested the rest of him. He shud-
dered all over. He knew fear. His
own thoughts terrified him.
Crawford" he cried out. Crawford
come here, and let's go hunting"
No friendly voice answered him. Nc
friendly face showed itself at the door
An interval passed, ana tnere came oV-
or him another change. He recovered
his self-possession almost as sudden
Nv as he had lost it. A smile--a horrid
reforming, unnatural smile-spreat
slowly. stealthily, devilishly over hi;
face. He left the fire; he put the az
away softly in corner; he sat dowr
in his old place, deliberately self-aban
doned to a frenzy Of vindictive JOY
He had found the man! There, at thu
end Of the world-there, at the las
fight of the Arctic voyagers agains
starvation and death-he had foun'
the mani
The minutes passed. He became con
scious, on a sudden, of freezing
stream Of air pouring into the room.
He turned and saw Crawford opening
the door of the hut. An officer wa
behind him. Wardour rose eagerl
and looked over Crayford's shoulder
Was it-could it be-the man who ha
carved the letters on the plank? Yes
.Frank Aldersleyl