Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-06-19

"He is at the station In his coffin,"
he answered slowly.
| "In his cotIln?" l echoed, my beauti-
full pictures all vanishing. How was
| it,"
Through my cursed folly" he groan-
ed bitterly.
"What happened?" I asked.
+ But. ignoring my question, he said:
"I must see his children. have not
slept for four nights. I hardly know
what ] am doing, but I can't rest till
1 see his children. promised him.
! Get them for me-"
"Tomorrow will do. Go to sleep now,
and we shall arrange everything to-
morrow" l urged.
mo" he said fiercely; "tonight, now!"
In half an hour they were listening,
pale and grief stricken, to the story of
their fathers death.
Poor Graeme was relentless in his
self condemnation az he told how,
through his "cursed folly" old Nelson
was killed. The three-Craig, Gracme
and Nelson-had come as far as yicto-
ria together. There they left Craig
ana came on to San Francisco. In an
evil hour Graeme met companion of
other and evil days, and it was not
long till the old fever came upon him.
In vain Nelson warned and blended.
The reaction from the monotony and
poverty of camp life to the excitement
and luxury Of the San Francisco gam
ing palaces swung Gracme quite of
his feet. and all that Nelson could do
was to follow from place to place and
keep watch.
"And there he would sit" said
Graeme in hard, bitter voice, "wait-
ing and watching often till the gray
morning light, while my madness held
me fast TO the table. One night
here he paused a moment, put his face
in his hands and shuddered, but quick
ly he was master Of himself again and
went on in the same hard voice-"one
night my partner and l We're playing
two men who had done us up before.
l knew they were cheating but could
not detect them. Game after game
they won till l was furious at my
stupidity in not being able to catch
them. Happening to glance at Nelson
in the corner. / caught q meaning
look, and, looking again. he threw me
signal. | knew at once what the
fraud was and next game charged the
fellow with it. lie gave me the lie.
l struck his mouth, but before 1 could
draw my gun his partner had me by
the arms. What followed I hardly
know. While | was struggling to get
free l saw him reach for his weapon,
but as he drew it Nelson sprang across
the table and bore him down. When
the row was over, three men lay on
the floor. one was Nelson. He took
the shot meant for me-"
Again the story paused.
And the man that shot him."
! started at the intense ferceness In
the voice and. looking upon the girl,
saw her eyes blazing with a terrible
light.
He is dead" answered Graeme in.
differently.
''You killed him." she asked eagerly.
Graeme looked at her curiously and
answered slowly:
Il did not mean to. lie came Mt me.
l struck him harder than l knew. He
never moved"
She drew a sigh of satisfaction and
waited.
IL got him to q private ward, had
the best doctor in the city and sent for
Craig to Victoria. For three days we
thought he would live-he was keen to
get home-but by the time Craig came
we had given up hope. Oh, but l was
thankful to see Craig come in, and the
joy in the old mans eyes was beautiful
to see! There was no pain at last and
no fear. He would not allow me to re-
proach myself, saying over and over,
You would have done the same for
me- as would, fast enough and it is
better me than you. am old and done.
You will do much good yet for the
boys And he kept looking at me till
could only promise to do my best.
But am glad told him how much
R2od he had done me during the last
year, for he seemed to think that too
good to be true, and when Craig told
him how he had helped the boys in
the camp and how Sandy and Baptiste
and the Campbells would always be
better men for his life among them
the old mans face actually shone as If
light were coming through, and with
surprise and Joy he kept on saying:
DO you think SO? DO you think so?
Perhaps so, perhaps So At the last he
talked OF Christmas night at the camp.
You were there, YOU remember. Craig
had been holding service, and some
thing happened, l don't know what
but they both knew"
81 know" said, and | saw again III
picture Of the old man under the pine
upon his knees in the snow, with hi
face turned up to the stars.
Whatever it was, it was in his min
at the very last, and can never forge
his face as he turned it to Craig. On
hears of such things. l had often, bu
had never put much faith in them. Blu
joy, rapture, triumph-these are wha
were in his face as he said, his breatl
coming short:
-'You said-he wouldn't-fail me-yo,
were right-not once-not Once-he stuc
to me-Im glad he told me-thanl
God-for you-you shOwed-me-Pl
see hlm-and-tell him And Craig
kneeling beside him SO steady-I wa
behaving like fool-smiled dow
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