Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-05-22

lures in Mrs. Mayors presence. al
though Craig did not appear to mind.
His manner with Graeme was perfect.
Openly anxious to win him to his side.
he did not improve the occasion and
vex him with exhortation He would
not take him at DISADVANTAGE.
though, as I afterward found, this was
not his sole reason for his method.
Mrs. Mavor, too, showed herself in a
wise and tender light. She might have
been his sister. SO frank was she and
so openly aHectionate, laughing ut his
fretfulness and soothing his WEAKNESS.
Never were better comrades than we
four. and the bright days speeding so
swiftly on drew us nearer to one an
other. But the bright days came to
an end, for Graeme, when once he was
able to go about, became anxious to
get back to the camp. And so the la st
day came. day I remember we'll 1t
was bright, crisp winter day.
The air was shimmering in the frosty
light. The mountains, with their shin
ing heads piercing through the light
clouds into that wonderful blue of the
western sky and their feet pushed into
the pine masses, gaZed down upon
Black Rock with calm, kindly looks on
their old gray faces. How one grows
to love them, stcadfast old friends,
Far up among the pines we could see
the smoke OF the engine at the works,
and so still and so clear was the noun
tain air that we could hear the puff Of
the steam and from far down the river
the murmur of the rapids. The ma jos
tic silence, the tender beauty, the
peace. the loneliness, too. came steal
ing in upon us AS we three, leaving
Mrs. Mavor behind US. marched arm
in arm down the street. We had not
gone far on our way when Graeme,
turning round, stood a moment looking
back, then waved his hand in farewell
Mrs. Mavor was at her window. smil-
ing and waving In return. They had
grown to be great friends, these two
and seemed to have arrived at some
understanding. Certainly Graeme's
manner to her was not that he bore to
other women. His half Quizzical. some
what superior. air of hooking devotion
gave place to simple, earnest, almost
tender, respect, very new to him, but
very winning
AS he stood there waving his fare
well | glanced at his face and saw for
moment what | had not seen for
years, faint flush on Graeme's check
and light of simple earnest faith in
his eyes. 1t reminded me of my first
| look of him when he had come I'D for
his matriculation to the varsity. He
stood on the campus looking up at the
noble old pile. and there was the same
bright, trustful, earnest look on his
boyish face.
| know not what spirit possessed me
1T may have been the pain of the
memory working in me-but l said
coarsely enough:
ITS no use, Gracme. my boy.
would fall in love with her myself but
there would be no chance even for
me-"
The flush slowly darkened as he
turned and said deliberately:
! ITS not like you, Conner, to be an
ass Of that peculiar kind. Love! Not
exactly! She won't fall in love I'M
less And he stopped abruptly, with
bis eyes upon Craig.
| But Craig met him with unshrinking
gaze. quietly remarking, Her heart is
under the pines" And we moved on
each thinking his own thoughts and
guessing at the thoughts of the others.
We were on our way to Craigs
shack. and as we passed the saloon
Slavin stepped from the door with
salutation. Graeme paused.
Hello, Slavin. l got rather the
worst Of it. didn't IT
Siavin came near and said earnestly:
ut was a dirty trick altogether.
You'll not think it was mine. Mr..
Gracme."
NO, no, Savin. You stood up like
man." said Graeme cheerfuly.
And you beat me fair. and, bedad. il
was neat one that laid me out, and
there's no grudge in my heart till you"
"All right, Slavin. Wen perhaps I'M
derstand each other better after this"
And that's true for you, sir, and III
see that your boys don't get any more
N""' my "SA w, iep1Icu SldNIl,
backing away.
"And I hope that won't be much"
put in Mr.. Craig, but Slavin only grin.
ned.
When we came back to Craic's
| shack, Graeme was glad to rest in the
big chair.
Craig made him a cup Of tea. while
smoked, admiring much the deft neat
ness of the minister's housekeeping
and the gentle, almost motherly, way
he had with Graeme.
In our talk we drifted into the future,
and Craig let us see what were his am
billions, The railway was soon to come.
The resources were as yet UNEMPLOYED.
but enough was known to assure a
great future for British Columbia. As
he talked his enthusiasm grew and car
ried us away. With the eye OF gen.
eral he surveyed the country, fixed the
strategic points which the church must
seize upon. Eight good men would hold
the country from Fort Steele to the
coast and from Kootenai to Caribou.
The church must be in with the rail-
way. She must have hand in the
shaping OF the country. II society crys-
tallizes without her influence, the coun-
try is lost, and British Columbia will
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