The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1898-06-10

the ak like a
man who we'll knew the use
OF his instrument. ooh, me" he
thought. sadly, "if l had only been
born a carpenter instead of gentle
man! A good ak, Master Bateson-l
wonder where you got it? Something
like grip, my man, on this handle
Foor Crawford! His words stick in my
throat. A fine fellow! noble fellow.
No use thinking: no use regrettlns;
what is said is said. Work. work.
work.
Plank after plank fell out on the
floor. He laughed over the easy task
of destruction. "Aha. young Alders-
ley! 1t doesn't take much to demolish
your bedplace I'll have it cut down.
I would have the whole hut down II
they would onlv give me the chance
o: chopping at It,"
A lorg strip of wood fell to his Ak
long enough to require cutting IN
two. He turned it, and stopped
over it. Something caught his eye
letters carved in the wood. He looked
closer. The letters We're family and
badly cut. He could only make out the
first three of them, and even OF those
he was not quite certain. They looked
like C. l.. Aft they looked like any
thing. He threw down the strip Of
wood irritably.
Damn the fellow (whoever he Isl
who cut this! Why should he carve
that name, of all the names in the
world?"
He paused. considering-then deter
mined to go on again with his selt-lm-
posed labor. He was ashamed of his
own outburst. He looked eagerly for
the ak. Work work! Nothing for
1t but work" He found the az and
went on again.
| He Gu. cut another plank He
stopped and looked at it susp:ciously.
There was carving again on this plank
The letters F. and A. appeared on it.
He put down the az There were vague
misgivings in him which he was not
able to realize. The state Of his own
mind was fast becoming a puzzle to
him.
"More carving" he said to himself.
@"That's the way these young idlers
employ their long hours. F. A.? Those
must be his initials-Frank Alders!ey.
Who carved the letters on the other
plank? Frank Aldersley, too?'
He turned the piece of wood in his
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.
I &c. b." he repeated to himself. Ellis
course-a. his age-his sweetheart's
initials"
He paused orce more A spasm of
inner pain showed the shadow of its
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 and
over again, as if it was question he
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 Oh the
floor and the half demolished berth
20 God! what has come to me now?"
he said to himself, in whisper. He
snatched UP the ak with a strange
cry-something between rage and ter
TOR. He tried acknowledgement
tried-to go on with his work. No!
strong as he was, he could not use
the az His hands We're helpless
they trembled incessantly. He went
to the fire; he held his hands over it
They still trenlbled ilc,ssaatly; they
infested the rest Of him. He shud.
dered all over. He knew fear. Hi:
own thoughts terrified him.
"Crayford!'' he cried out. Crawford
come here, and let's go hunting"
No friendly voice answered him. NJ
friendly face showed itself at the door
An interval passed, ard there came ov
er him anothsr change. He recovered
his self-possession almost as sudden
/ ~ as he had lost it. A smile-a horri,
deforming1 unnatural smile-spreat
! slowly, stealthily, devilishly over hi
face. He left the fire; he put the a,
away softly in corner; he sat dow,
in his old place, deliberately self-aban
doned to frenzy Of vindictive Joy
He had found the man! There, at tn
end Of the world-there, at the las
! fight Of the Arctic voyagers agains
starvation and death-he had foun'
the nan!
The minutes passed. He became con
scious, on "a sudden, of freezin
stream Of air pouring into the room.
He turned and saw Crayford openin
the door Of the hut. An officer wa
behind him. Wardour rose eagerl
And, looked over Crayford's shoulder
1890 Il could 1t be-the man who ha
e1fned the letters on the plank? Yes
frank Aldersley!