The pioneer press. (Miller, Hand County, S.D.) 1893-190?, 1898-06-23


thought, sadly, III I had only been
born carpenter instead Of gentle
man, A good ak, Master Bateson-I
wonder where you got it? Something
like a grip. my man, on this handle,
Foor Crawford, His words stick in my
throat A fine fellowi noble fellow!
No use thinking; no use regretting;
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 10 demolish
your bedplace. I'll have 1t cut down
I would have the whole hut down II
they would only give me the chance
o: chopping at 1t.
A long 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 were family and
badly cut. He could only make out the
first three of them, and even OF those
ne was not quite certain. They looked
like C. l.. Aft they looked like any
thing. He threw down the strip Of
wood irritaby.
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 self-im-
posed labor. He was ashamed or his
own outburst. He looked eagerly for
the ak. Work, work! Nothing for
IL but work" He found the ak and
went on again.
He cut out another plank He
stopped and looked at it 5uspiciously.
There was carving again on this plank.
The letters F. and A. appeared on it.
He put down the ak. 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 Aldersley.
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 +. A.
were two more initials-C. B.
&C. b." he repeated to himself His
rsweetheart's initials, | suppose. or
-course-at his age-hls sweetheart's
initials"
, He paused orce more. A spasm Of
inner pain showed the shadow OF its
mysterious passage outwardly on his
in low broken tones. &c. B.-Clara
Burnham."
He waited with the plank in his
hand; repeating the name over and
over again, as IL it was a question he
was putting to himself CLARA Burn
ham? Clara Burnham?"
, He dropped the plank and turned
deadly pale in a moment. His eyes
wandered furtively backward and for
ward between the strip OF wood on the
floor and the half demolished berth.
80 God! what has come to me now"
he said to himself. in a whisper. He
'snatcheG up the ak with a strange
,cry-something between rage and ter
ror. He tried fiercely-despera
tried-to go on with his work. No!
strong as he was. he could not use
the ak. His hands were helpless
they trembled inccssaatly He went
to the fire: he held his hands over it.
They still trembled incsssantly; they
infested the rest OF him. He shud-
dered all over. He knew fear. His
own thoughts terrified him.
"Crayford!" ne cried out. Crawford,
come here. and let's go hunting
No friendly voice answered him. No
friendly face showed itself at the door.
An interval passed. and there came ov-
err him another change. He recovered
his self-possession almost as sudden
~ as ne had lost il. smile-a horrid
deforming, unnatural smile-spread
slowly, stealthily, devilishly over his
face. He left the fire; he put the AK
away softly in corner; he sat down