The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-12-14


where he singled cut the unfortunate
lumber-jack in question.
Come on. Archie" he said. 1.-THE la
dies want TO hear you sing
The man objected, refused, pleaded,
and finally obeyed what amounted to a
command. Thorpe re-entered the ONCE
with triumph, his victim IN tow
This is Archie Harris" he an
nouneed heartily. Hes our best sing
er just now. Take a chair Archie
The man perched on the edge Of the
chair and looked straight out before
him.
DO sing for Us. won't you. Mr.. Har-
ris?" requested Mrs. Cary in her sweet
est tones.
The man said nothing. nor moved a
muscle. but turned a brick-red. An
embarrassed silence Of expectation en-
sued.
"Hit her up. Archie" encouraged
4 amt much in practice, nohow.~
objected the man in a little voice. with
out moving.
I'm sure you'll find us very appre-
ciative," said Elizabeth Carpenter.
Give US a song. Archie, let her 60"
urged Thorpe, impatiently.
All right replied the man, very
meekly-
Another silence fell. 1t got to be a
little awful The poor woodsman. pill
loried before the regards of this polite
circle, out of his element. suffering
cruelty, nevertheless made no sign nor
movement one way or the other. At
last when the situation had almost
reached the breaking point Of hysteria,
he began.
His voice ordinarily was rather a
good tenor. Now he pitched it too
high; and went on straining at the high
notes to the very end Instead of Of
fering one of the typical woods
ehanteys, he conceived that before so
grand an audience he should give
something fancy. He therefore struck
into a sentimental song of the cheap
music hall type. There were nine
verses. and he drawled through them
all. hanging whiningly on the nasal
notes in the fashion Of the unframed
singer Instead of being a perform
ance typical of the strange woods
genius, it was merely an atrocious bit
of cheap sentimentalism, badly rem
dered.
The audience listened politely. When
the song was finished it murmured
faint thanks.
"Oh, give us Jack Haggerty.'
Archie" urged Thorpe.
But the woodsman rose. nodded his
head awkwardly. and made his es-
cape. He entered the mems camp
swearing, and for the remainder of
the day made none but blasphemous
remarks.
The beagIes, however, were a COM
plete success. They tumbIed about.
and IolIed their tongues. and laughed
up out of a tangle of themselves in a
fascinating manner. Altogether tho
visit to Camp One was a success, the
more so in that on the way back, for
the first time, Thorpe found that
chance and Mrs. Cary-had allotted
Hilda TO his care.
A hundred yards down the trail
they encountered Phil. The dwarf
girl, and then softly approached. When
quite near to her he again stopped,
gazing at her with his soul III his
liquid eyes
You are more beautiful than the sea
at night he said, directly
The others laughed. There's sin
certify for you, Miss Hilda," said Mr..
Morton.
who is hep" asked the girl, after
they had moved on.
Our chOre boy" answered Thorpe
with great brevity, for ne was think
ing of something much more import
ant.
After the rest of the party had gone
ahead, leaving them sauntering more
slowly down the trail, he gave it
voice
why don't you come to the pine
grove any more?'' he asked, bluntly-
''Why?" countered Hilda, after the
manner of women
I want to see you there. want to
talk with you I can't talk with all
that crowd around
''T'II come tomorrow she said-then
with a little mischievous laugh, IF
that'n make you talk
You must think I'm awfully stupid
agreed Thorpe, bitterly.
-'Ah, no, All. no." she protested
softly. You must not say that"
She was looking at him very tender
ly. if he had only known it, but he did
not. for his face was set in discon-
tented lines straight before him.
1T is true,'' he replied.
They walked on in silence. while
gradually the dangerous fascination of
the woods crept down on them Just
before sunset a hush falls on nature.
The wind has died. the birds have not
yet begun their evening songs, the
light itself seems to have left off
sparkling and 10 lie still across the
landscape. Such a hush now lay on
their spirits. Over the way a creeper
was droning sleepily a little chant
the only voice in the wilderness. In
the heart of the man, too, a little
voice raised itself alone.
Sweetheart, sweetheart, sweet
hearti" it breathed over and over
again. After a while he said it gently
in a half voice.
mo, no, hushi" said the girl, and she
laid the soft, warm fingers Of
one hand across his lips, and
looked at him from a height
of superior soft-eyed tenderness
You must not. 1t is not right"
Then he kissed the fingers very gen
tly before they were Withdrawn, and
she said nothing at all in rebuke, but
looked straight before her with trou-
bled eyes.
The voices of evening began to raise
their jubilant notes. From a tree near
by the olive thrush sang like clock
work; over beyond caroled eagerly A
blackthroat. a myrtle warbler, a dozen
song sparrows and a hundred vireos
and creepers. Down deep in the black
ness of the ancient woods a hermit
thrush uttered his solemn bell note,
like the tOlling of the spirit of peace.
And in ThOrpe's heart a thousand tu-
muituous voices that had suddenly
reused to clamor died into nothingness
at the music of her softly protesting
voice.
CHAPTER XIII.
Thorpe returned to Camp One short
" after dark He found there Scotty