The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1903-03-18
g g g g g e g !. e g = e e 9 s. g & g e 8. Z: e + = s i !.

mo-" he said fercely; "tonight, nowl"
In half IN hour they were listening,
pale and grief stricken, to the story Of
their fathers death.
Poor Graeme was relentless In his
self condemnation as he told how,
through his "cursed folly" old Nelson
was killed. The three-Craig, Graeme
and Nelson-had como as far as yicto-
ria together. There they left Craig
and am on to San Francisco. In an
evil hour Graeme met a companion of
other and evil days, and it was not
lo n till the old fever came upon him.
In vain Nelson warned and pleaded.
The reaction from the monotopy and
poverty of camp life to the excitement
and luxury of the San Francisco gam
Ing palaces swung Graeme quite off
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 n 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
~ liz "oo Va btIlCSlk KUN IN
went on in the same hard voice--"one
night my partner and 1 were playing
two men who had lone us up before.
I knew they were cheating, but could
not detect them. Game after game
they won till 1 was furious at my
stupidity in not being able to catch
them. Happening to glance at Nelson
in the corner, I caught a meaning
look, and, looking again, he threw me
n signal. 1 knew at once what the
fraud was and next game charged the
fellow with it. He gave me the lie.
1 struck his mouth, but before I could
draw my u his partner had me by
the arms. What followed I hardly
know. While I was struggling to get
free 1 saw him reach for his weapon,
but as he drew 1t 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?"
1 started at the Intense f%ierceness in
the voice and, looking upon the girl,
saw her eyes blazing with q terrible
light.
"He is dead" answered Graeme In
differently.
"You killed him2" she asked eagerly.
Graeme looked at her curiously and
answered slowly:
81 did not mean to. He came Mt me.
I struck him harder than I knew. He
never moved"
She drew a sigh of satisfaction and
waited.
II 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 vas 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 l would, fast enough, and it is
better me than you. 1 am old and done.
You Will do much good yet for the
boys And he kept looking ut me till
I could only promise to do my best.
"But l am glad L told him how much
good he had done me during the last
year, for he seemed to think hat 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:
no you think so? Do you think so2
Perhaps SO, perhaps so.' At the last he
talked Of Christmas night al the camp.
You were there, you remember. Craig
had been holding n service, and some
thing happened, 1 don't know what,
but they both knew"
~ know" 1 said, and 1 saw again the
picture Of the old man under the pine,
upon his knees in the snow, with his
face turned up to the stars.
whatever 1t was, 1t was In his mind
at the very last, and I can never forget
his face as he turned it to Craig. One
hears Of such things. I had often, but
had never put much faith in them. But
joy, rapture, tEiumph-these are what
We're In his face as he said, his breath
coming short:
"You said-he wouldn't-fail me-you
wereright-not once-not once-he stuck
to me-I'm glad he told me-thank
God-for you-you showed-me-Ill
see hlm-and-tell him And Craig,
kneeling beside him SO steady-I was
behaving like a fool--smiled down
through his streaming tears into the
dim eyes SO brightly till they could see
no more. Thank him for that! He help
ed the old man through, and he helped
me, too, that night, thank Godp
And Graeme's voice, hard till now,
broke in q sob.
lie had forgotten us and was back
beside his passing friend, and all his
self control could not keep back the
flowing tears.
ut was his life for mine," he said
huskily.
The brother and sister were quietly
weeping, but spoke no word, though I
knew Graeme was waiting for them.
1 o up the word and told OF what
] had known of Nelson and his infNu-
ence upon the men of Black Rock.
They listened eagerly enough, but still
without speaking. There seemed moth
ing to say till 1 suggested to Graeme
that he must get some rest. Then the
girl turned to him and, impulsiyely put
ting out her hand, said:
"Oh, 1t is all so sad, but how can we