The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1902-02-21
EVEN UNTO DEATH.
ny JACK LONDON.

Copyrisht. 1850. By Daily Story Pub. Coz
1t might have been due TO mere CO.
incidence, it might have been because
there are undrcamed-of bonds be-
tween the quick and the dead, and it
might have been that Bat Morganston
felt a blind Consciousness Of the fu-
ture, when he turned suddenly to
Frona Payne ard asked: Even unto
death!"
Frona Payne was startled for the
moment. Her shallow nature would
not permit her to understand the
strength Of a strong mans love: such
things had no place in her tickle
standard. Yet she knew men well
enough to rypress her inclination to
emile; so she looked up to him with
her serious child. eyes. placingah hand
on each brawny shoulder. and an
swered: Even unto death. Bat.
dear"
And a, he crushed hcri to him. half
doubling, he p~a.,ionatcly cried: III
il should happen 80. even in death
shall claim YOU. and no mortal man
shall come bclween!"
"lIow absurd" she thought as she
freed herself and watched him UNI
tangling his dogs. And a handsome
fellow he was a. he wadcd among the
fierce bruics. pulling here and show
ing there. cutting right and left, and
dragging them over and under the
frozen traces till the team stood clear.
Nipped by the intense cold to a ten
der pink. hi. .mooih-shavcn face told
plain tale Of strength and iudomi-
liability. His hair, falling about his
shoulders in thick masses of silky
brown, wa. probably more responsible
for winning the woman, fleeing af-
fections than all the rect Of him put
together. Yet when men ran their
eve, mp and down his .iN foot two OF
Drawn. they declared him a man. from
his beaded moccasius 10 the crown Of
hi. wo,f-,kin cap. But then. they
were men.
She kissed him once. twice. and vet
athird time. in hcrshy, trusting way;
then he broke ont the led with the
Gec-polc. "mu.hcd-up'' the dog, q.
only adog driycrcan and swung down
The hill 10 the main river trail. The
meridian ,un. ,houldcring over the
snowy SUBMITS to the south. turned
the tiny frost particle, to s|cintillating
gems. and through hi. dazzling gos.
,amcr Bat Morganston disappeared
m his journey down The Yukon 10
Forty Mile. Down there he wa. ac-
counted n king. in virtue Of the rich
dirt which wa. hi. after the dreary
year, chad spent in the darkness Of
the arctic circle. Dawson had no
claims upon him. He did not own a
foot OF gravel in the district. nor was
he smitten with it's inhabitants-the
che-cha-quas that had rushed in like
jackals and spoiled the good old times
men were men and every man a broth
er. In fact. the only reason for his
presence, and most unstable one al
that. was Fr0na. lie had harnessed
his dogs and run up on the ice to re-
new the pledges Of the previous sum
mer, and 10 plead for an early date.
Well. they were to be married in June.
and he was returning to the manage
ment of his mine, with a light heart.
June!-the cleanup promised TO be
rich; he would sell ont; and then. the
States. Paris, the world! OF course
lie doubted-most men do when they
leave a pretty woman behind; but
ere he had reached Forty Mile he no
longer mistrusted. and BY the time he
froze his lungs on a moose-hunt and
.--died a month later. he had attained a
state of blissful optimism,
Frona waved him good-by, and also
with a light heart, turned back TO her
fathers cabin; but then, she had no
doubts al all. They were to be mar
ried in June. That was all settled.
And it was no unpleasant prospect,
To tell the truth, she thought she
would rather like it. Men thought 0
great deal Of him, and it was a match