The River Falls times. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1894-1933, 1898-05-24


between my misery and me. Win sn"1
conviction strong within me. S1lll,
tell you it is no matter whether 1 stay
here with the sick or go hence Win
the strong. I shall live till | have met
that man! There is day OF reckoniii6
appointed between us. Here III ene
freezing cold. or away in the deaoly
health battle or in shipwreck-ln the
face of starvation, under the shaooW
of pestilence-I, though hundreas az
falling round me, / shall live! live lor
the coming of one day! live Tor lhe
meeting with one man!
He stopped, trembling, body ana soul'
under the hold that his own terrible
superstition had fastened on MIN.
Crawford drew back in silent horror.
Wardour noticed the aetion-he resent
ed it-he appealed in defense OF MS
one Cherished conviction to Cray1ord
own experience of him.
Look at met he cried. Look how
I have lived and thriven, with
the heartache gnawing at me
az home, and the winds OF
the icy north whistling round me
here! / am the strongest man among
you. Why? I have fought through
hardships that have laid the best-sea-
scned men of all our party on their
backs. Why? What have | done that
my life should throb as brayely
through every vein in my body at this
minute and in this deadly place, as
ever it did in the wholesome breezes
of home? What am / preserved for?
| tell you again, for the coming of one
day-for the meeting with one man.
He paused once more. This time
Crawford spoke.
"Richard!" he said, .since we first
met I have believed in your better ma
ture, against all outward appearance.
| have believed in you firmly, truly, as
your brother might. You are putting
that belief to hard test. II your
enemy had told me that you had ever
talked as you talk now, that you had
ever looked as you look now, | would
have turned my back on him as the ut
terer of a vile ca1umny against a just,
a brave, an upright man. Oh! my
friend, my friend, it ever / have de-
served we'll of you, put away those
thoughts from your heart! Face me
again with the stainless look of man
who has trampled under his feet the
bloody superstitions of revenge, and
knows them no more! Never, never,
let the time come when [ cannot offer
you my hand as / offer it now-to
the man I can still admire, to the
brother I can still lover
The heart that no other voice could
torch felt that appeal The fierce eyes,
the hard voice, softened under Cray
ford's influence Richard Wardour's
head sunk on his breast.
.'You are kinder to me than de-
serve" he said. "Be kinder still, and
forget what | have been talking about.
No! no more about me; I am not worth
It. Well change the subject, and
never go back to it again. Let's do
something. Work, Crayford-that
he true elixir Of our life! Work, that
stretches the muscles and sets the
blood aglowing. Work, that tires the
body and rests the mind. Is there
nothing in hand that ] can do? Moth
Ing to carry?"
The door opened as he put the ques-
ton. appointed to chop
Franks bed-place into firing appear
I'd punctually with his ak. Wardour.
without word of warning, snatched
the ar out of the mans hand.
What's this wanted for?" he asked
ITO cut up Mr.. Aldersleys berth
there into firing, sir
I'll do it for you! III have it down
IN no timer He turned to Crawford
You needn't be afraid about me. old
friend. am going to do the right
thing. am going to tire my BODY
and rest my mind. =
The evil spirit in him was nlainlv
subdued-for the time at least. Crav-
e rd took his hand in silence. and fol
lowed by Bateson) left him to this
work.
ITO BE CONTINTrED