Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-06-05

may come to grief" he said to Mrs.
Mavor, without whose counsel nothing
was done.
"Why come to griefT she asked
brightly.
because II we don't get the right
man that's what will happen" he re-
piled in tone that spoke of anxious
worry.
But we shall get the right man, new
er fear" Her serene courage never
faltcrcd. "He will come to u.s."
Craig turned and gazed at her in
frank admiration and said:
'1f only had your couragew
| Courage" she answered quickly.
at is not for you to say that" And at
his answering look the red came into
her cheek and the depths in her eyes
glowed. and I marveled and wondered,
looking at Craig's cool face, whether
his blood were running evenly through
his veins. But his voice was quiet--a
shade too quiet, thought-as he grave
ly replied:
II would often be coward but for
the shame of it,"
And so the league waited for the man
to come who was to be resident mana
ger and make the new enterprise a
success. And come he did, but the
manner OF his coming was so extraor-
binary that have believed in the doc
trine Of a special providence ever since,
for, as Craig said, IF he had come
straight from heaven. l could not have
been more surprised"
While the league was thus waiting,
its interest conferred upon Slavin, chief
ly because he represented more than
any other the forces of the enemy, and,
though Billy Breen stood between him
and the vengeance of the angry men
who would have made short work Of
him ana his aloon, nothing could save
him from himself, and after the flu
whisky as he had never drunk before
But the more he drank the fiercer and
gloomier he became, and when the men
drinking with him chaffed him he
swore deeply and with such threats
that they left him alone.
1t did not help Slavin either to have
Nixon stride in through the crowd
drinking at his bar and give him words
Of warning.
1T is not your fault, Slavin," he said
In slow, cool voice, that you and
your precious crew didn't send me to
my death too. You've won your bet,
but l want to say that next time,
though you are seven to one or ten
times that, when any Of you boys Of
fer me drink I'll take you to mean
fight, and I'll not disappoint you, and
some one will be killed" And, so say
ing, he strobe out again. leaving mean
looking crowd of men behind him. All
who had not been concerned in the
business at Nixons shack expressed ap-
proval Of his position and hoped he
would see it through.
But the impression of Nlxon's words
upon Slavin was as nothing compared
with that made by Geordie Crawford.
1t was not what he said 80 much as
the manner of awful solemnity he car
red. Geordie was struggling consci-
entiously to keep his promise to mot
be ard on the boys" and found consd-
cradle relief in remembering that he
had agreed ito leave them tae the Al.
MIGHTY" But the manner of leaving
them was SO solemnly awful that l
could not wonder that Siavin's super
slitious Irish nature supplied him with
supernatural terrors. 1t was the sec
ond day after the funeral that Geordie
and I were walking toward Slavin's.
There was great shout of laughter as
we drew near.
Geordie stopped short and, saying,
well Juist gang in a meenute." pass
I'd through the crowd and up to the
bar.
Michael Slavin." began Geordie, and
The men stared in dead silence, with
their glasses in their hands-"Michael
Sayin, promised the lad I'd bear We
nae i'll wul, but just leave We tae the
ALMIGHTY, an l want tae tell We that
I'm kecpin' ma wur-rd. But" and here
he raised his hand, and his voice be-
ZINE preternaturally solemn, "his bluid
Is upon yer hans. Do We no see it?'
His voice rose sharply, and as he
pointed Slavin instinctively glanced at
his hands, and Geordie added:
AYE, an the Lord will require it O.
ye an yer hoose."
They told me that Slavin shlvered as
If taken with ague after Geordie went
out, and, though he laughed and swore,
he did not stop drinking till he sank in
drunken stupor and had to be car
ried to bed. His little French Canadian
wife could not understand the change
that had come over her husband.
Hes like one bear" she confided TO
Mrs. Mavor, to whom she was showing
her baby Of year old. Hes not KEGS
me one tam dis day. He's mos lawful
bad. He's not even look at de baby"
And this seemed sufficient proof that
something was seriously wrong, for
she went on to say:
Hes tink more for dat leel baby dan
for de whole worl'. He's tink more for
dat baby dan for me-" But she shrug-
ged her pretty little shoulders in depre-
cation of her speech.
you must pray for him." said Mrs
Mavor, land all will come right"
"Ah, madame" she replied earnestly.
"every day, every day, pray la sainte
Verge ct tous les saints for him"
"You must pray to your Father in
heaven for him."
"Ah oui weeI Drayv And Mrs