Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-05-01
! The V6r6Gundltu OF /
LdnOtl6Id t
By HELEN ELLSWORTH WRIGHT.
IITHEN the men OF the service left
wv Valdez to build the military

He was undeniably PLAIN, uhuefslzee
and oyer-sensitive, and that was why
. he felt certain that Dolly could never
love him. To be sure, he had had nc
: intention OF loving her, but when SIX
e feet two Of well-developed manhood
4 in the person of Tom Perry, came
down from Circle City prospecting
Langfield found that intentions and
love had very little to do with each
, other. Vainly he stood erect, but not
one cubit could he add to his stature,
and every morning the square of look
ing-gIass impressed afresh the red
ness of his hair upon him.
Tom and Dolly had known each
4 other in the states, and Langfield
watched with hopeless pain the re-
newal of their friendship. She had
| grown shy with him since Perry came,
and there could be but one reason, he
argued. He did not blame her; there
was nothing in him TO inspire a wom-
ans love, and Tom So he packed
his flute and his lnapsack and left
with scarcely a farewell.
The men were not fond of Langfield.
He had a way of shrinking into him
self, that only Shivers, the camp mas
cot, a lank mongrel Siwash with the
stump of a tail, understood.
Mornings, when the TOP Sergeant"
gave his first call through the camp, it
was the warm tongue of Shivers that
brought Langfeld into touch with the
day. and later, when the company
lined up around the mess tent for
their rations of coffee and beans, the
man would seek a secluded stump for
table, with the dog huddled by his
side
Langfeld seldom joined the camp
fires. But when the fever broke out,
Langfeld was the first to offer his
services. He was not afraid of con-
tagion, he told the sergeant, and any
way, there was no one al home who
needed him. After that he and Shiyers
took up their quarters in the hospital
tent.
The fever had its run, but only one,
thanks TO the nursing, was borne up
the trail and laid away under the snow.
Langfeld planed a piece of spruce
scantling and drove it in by the mound, |
but his hand was unsteady, and his |
eyes were heavy and duh.
The Top Sergeant" on his rounds
the next morning, found him sitting
up in his blankets. His face was swol- |
len and discolored, and he was talk
ing excitedly to Shivers.
you mustn't let Dolly get the
fever he said; "she's so little. Nor
Tom-promise me you won't let Tom"
He leaned over and looked into the
dogs pleading eyes. Shiyers whined
and thrust his muzzle into his mas
ter's palm. "She couldn't help loving
him." Langfeld continued defensive
ly. "You know she couldn't, YOUR
self" He fell back on the pillow and
tossed restlessly for a moment. "ItH
be cool up there under the snow" he
began again, "and ! won't be heavy
to pack. And say" He sat up, pulling
the dog close to him, maybe she'll
my hair was-red."
The men were very tender to Lang
field after that, and Shiyers seldom
left his bedside.
When, some weeks later. he became
convalescent, he seemed smaller and
than ever, and his hair shone
more wildly red against the pinched.
white face. They carried him out into
the sunshine, but his eyes wandered
regretfully up to the snow.
In a month he was at his post again.
doing the work of two men, with
scarcely the strength of one.
He came down the mountain one
night an hour behind time. The trail
was slushy, and the early gray twilight
lent a soft indistinctness EVERYWHERE
Suddenly he paused and stood looking
intently at a line Of fresh tracks in the
path. His first thought wa Of Shivers
He always met him, but seldom SO far
from the camp. Lighting a match. the
only one he had, he bent closer. The
prints were too clean-cut for dog: the
opposites almost overlapped each
other. and Shivers was broad-cbesfed !
Cautiously the man crept on. peeriug
about for another mark he knew. Ii
was there-a slight impression in the
mud, Ike the fringe Of a feather. Only
the edge Of a shaggy tail made thai.
He stood up and looked around him.
He was not afraid Of death. but he had
decided preference regarding its
medium, and she-wolf hunting for a
family dinner was hardly to his liking.
The camp was three miles away. and
the underbrush made cross-cut inn
possible; besides, the snow still Law in ]
the rayines. There was one thing ia /
Be done, and drawing his hat securely I
down, he started forward. then paused
again, with his head raised TO listen. 8
From somewhere there came a faint /
CITY, weak and indistinct, but updeni- I
ably human.
Langiieid made a trumpet Of his
HANDS. "Hel-lo!" he shouted, and !
strained his ears for the reply.
Some ten feet down the trail s
glacier stream had quilted out The d
bank. Its icy, slate-colored waters fe1l / \