New-York tribune., 1903-05-31


dyke I've been doctor: away beyond Dawson
City, UP the Yukon-Lordi it's the kind of coun-
try you see in nightmares I've been seeing il
III"
Don't think of it
Il wish I couldn't He laughed. hut there
was a feVerlSh brightness III his eyes. and his
voice quavered with suppressed excitement. I
maven had time TO think of il till now
He went on talking. and Walden listened alb
sentlE' with strall 70 doubts troubling his mind.
and so listening, he half unconsciously fash
Toned from the others words visions Of vast
! snow wastes stretching into the night or the
day, now silent and lonely death, now
blurred, and whirlIng. and bowling with the fury
of a storm and always deep in the desolation of
II, desperate little band Of adventurers strug-
Sled forIornly. chasing ii dream. starving. and
1aIIing, and dying. some OF them III the track
Of II; and here. at last with the M imaEin-
able terrors OF that bleak wilderness left behind
him. one of the few survivors had emerged Ui-
ulnphant, with his dream realized.
Triumphant. SO far.
The doctor eyed him gloomiy from under
( frown.
And I'm not dead yet. though I'm supposed
to be-" the other Chuckled grimly. "One ever
lasting terrible winter We were showed up miles
away from anywhere, and put down as
done for. The wonder is that we were not Only
two of US managed to worry through. and
wandered heaven only knows where. and We
| lVed-WeIl. we didn't live But worried
through-and I'm going home" His eyes closed
and he rambIed dreamiy: Nine years! hut
she'll be waiting. ] told her that il wouldn't be
more than two-and she sand, It's ill you come
| Ned; and if you never come ! shall wait till
meet you. at the end "
He lay quiet minute and then opening his
eyes and finding the doctor regarding him in
! tently. he continued:
We've never written to each other We prom
ised her people wouldn't She TO be free
! 10 change if she would. they said II was hest
had no money and nc prospects, but if l went
back rich man and she had not changed
l knew she never would. Whether l lived or
died she said she would never chanse-and shr
won't
Did you say your name was Edwin Ashton"
/ The doctor Was startled 10y the alien SOUND
/ OF his voice.
The sick nodded and pointing across
! the cabin:
/ Her portraits in my bag doctor he SAID
DO you mind getting il for me- Ny viii in
/ there, too. made II as soon as ] struck my
/ first luck, in case. Oh what ! wanted to
ask you doctor was-if I don't pull round. VIII
you have my bag and everything sent to her?
You'll find her address
yes. yes But NOT now" Walden interrupted
harshly. you've talked too much already.
Come along. Barrow" he hailed the advent OF
I the steward with ineffable relief. Call me If
! he is worse in the night"
I He was daZed and Stupefied hy the knowledge
that had upon him Unexpectedly. and
yearned to get away and be alone where he
! might think Of il.
! Yet he could not think of il when he was
alone. for every thought as it touched his brain
famed into madness and became an incoherent
flicker tfat dazzed and baffied him. one thought
only burned to clear and fiercely steady blaze
"A sinister, hellish thought that he dared not
face and could not eXtingulsh-
! My Cod he muttered- pacing his cramped
room like q Gagged animal. Its more than
! can bear,
! He lost all count Of time. man does when
/ he sleeps, but when the steward summoned him
/ hurriedly hour after midnight he had eNl-
/ dentIy not been bed. light was burning IN
his ca bin he was still dressed and his face was
wan and hIs eyes heavy as If he were in pain
! ''Nr AShton's worse, sir. Edwards IS with
him and called me to fetch you. He can't sleep
Keeps sitting up, Edwards says, staring as if he
could see people, an talking very sing lar. De
/ lirious, l expect, sir"
I'VE must try a sleeping draught, said
Walden DULY I'm be there directly"
Barrow being gone, he busted himself in the
medicine cupboard and hastened after him, car
/ rying something in a glass.
| Drawing near 10 No. 1G he could near the
sick man babbling monotonousfy, and the very
sound of his voice stung him and quickened that
fire of hell to a fiercer flame within him; TIL
suddenly he caught a word of what the man was
! saving-rnerely a name, but the utterance of II
checked him instantly, as if hand had plucked
his sleeve. .
He stood trembling, and in that same instant
saw shaping white in the darkness before hItn
/ a sweet sad face gro pale with weary years
! of longing-the pure, Wistful eyes looked INTO
4 his and their calmneSS Gained nm, ana lIeI
! sadness made him ashamed
He was sane again; he could not go on but
! welded to eentler impulses readily as if the
I,t+erance of her name had cOnjured her there
! in very reality to turn him back, and he had
! regained his better self in her presence.
With a something breaking like a sob IN ms
! throat he swiftly retraccd his steps pausIlg III
the IInlighted saloon to open one OF the portholes
and fling the glass he carried far out lEto the
dark. ,,
! thereafter he sat Till well into the day watch
inc and tending the man she loved and had loved
with his own thoughts again yet; ana, because
! nd haDplneSS bound up