Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1900-10-25
HIS THlRTlETH BIRTHDAY.

day his urSt youth was bChiuu MIN,
with al its heart.burnings, its failures.
its manifold humihations. What had
he done these years past but drift for
lorn, penuiless and unattached, over
those shadows where others had stuck
and prospcred?
In the colonies he had ,oiled unre,
mittingly in half hundred characters
groom cook boundary rider, steam
er roustabout-al always sinking, always
failing Had life nothing more for
him than an endless succession Of not
empty. days on the farthest beach OF
Upou, with scarcely more 10 eat than
the common street Kanaka, and no
other outlet for his energies than the
harterDg of salt beef for coprah and
an occasional nights fishing on the
reef?
| The noise of an incoming boat drew
him to the door and he looked out TO
see the pastors old whaler heading
through the pass A half-grown girl
leaped into the water and FASTENED
up TO the store with something fast
ened to a banana leaf. Ii was letter,
which she shyly handed to the trader.
Walter kinross looked at 1t with
surprise, for IL was the first he had re-
ceived in four years, and the sight OF
its English stamp and familiar hand
writing filled him with something like
awe,
My dear nephew | know
you're pretty old to come back and
| start life afresh here, but II you
/ haven't had the unmltlgated folly to
get married out there and tied by the
leg forever, I'll help You to make n
new start If you have the grit to do
il You shau't starye X $1,000 year
viii keep you, and IL you viii try and
turn over a new leaf and luake a man
of yourself In good earnest, ] am pre-.
pared TO mark YOU down substantially
in my win
uRpf mind-po nromi-os- naymont
stsc,ly Lv rosults you,r, ma loroor
how aud this is probablv the last
chance youy over get of entering civil.
lied life again and meeting respectable
1olk / inclose you a draft on Sidney,
r. S. W, for 81 $50, for you viii doubt
less need clothes, etc, as we'll as your
passage money. and If YOU decide not
to return, you can accept Il as a pres
enI from your old uncle AGcctlonate-
ly yours, alfred Bannock."
The house could not contain him
and his eager thoughts, he must needs
feel the sky overhead and the trades
against his cheek. and take all nature
into his puny confidence. Besides
yalala had now a new charm for him.
one he had never counted On to find.
Hard and lonely though his life
had been. this Samoan bay was en-
dcared to him by a thousand pleasant
memories. and even by tho recollec-
tions Of his past unbappiless Here
he found peace and love, freedom from
/ taskmasters, scenes more beautiful
/ than any picture, and not east. a sum
cheney to cat
4 Uttle money and HIS life might
have hoen tolerated oven happy
enough money for good sized boat,
cow or two. and those six acres OF
TO buy. How often had he talked OF
the Pascoe estate. he had often longed
IT. with Lcata. who had bceu no less
eager than himself 10 harness their
quarter Of an acre to tho six. and
make them an his little paradise.
Poor Leafa, whom he had taken so
lightly from her fathers house and
paid for IN gun-powder and kegs Of
beef. bis smiling. soit-cycd Leata.
who would have died FOR mint what
was 10 become Of her I'm u.is new ar
rargement or things
BY this time he had worked quite
around the bay. and almost without
/ knowing IL he found him self in front
Of PAM Eppleberts store. Englcbert
was the other trader in Vailla. 4