Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-06-23
The B1azed
Trail - . 60 ; ;:$$:s
Copyright 1902, by Stewart Edward White

began to show to the consciousness Of
the two. They sought each others eyes,
gently smiling. The music was very
soft and dim and sad. They leaned to
each other. with q sob: their lips met;
the music ceased.
And over behind the trees, out of the
light and the love and the beauty, lit
tie Phil huddled. his great shaggy head
bowed in his arms Beside him lay his
violin and beside that his bow, broken.
He had snapped it across his knee.
Tint day he had heard at last the
heart song of the violin and, uttering
1t, had bestowed love. But he had that
day lost what he cared for most in all
the world-his friend.
Little Phil disappeared utterly, tax
ing with him his violin, but leaving his
broken bow. Thorpe has It even to
this day. The lumberman caused
search and inquiry on all sides. The
cripple was never heard of again.
Il saw you long ago." said Hilda to
Thorpe-"long, long ago. when l was
quite young girl. had been visit.
ing in Detroit ana was on my way an
alone to catch an early train. You
stood on the corner thinking, tall and
straight and brown, with weather
beaten old hat and weather beaten
old coat and weather beaten old moe
casins, and such proud. clear, I'M
daunted look on your face. have re-
membered you ever since"
And .',en he told her of the race to
the lana office. while her eyes grew
brighter and brighter with the epic
splendor OF the story. She told him
that she had loved him from that mo
ment, and believed her telling, while
he, the unsentimental leader Of men,
persuaded himself and her that he had
always in some mysterious manner
carried her image prophetically in his
heart. So much for the love Of it.
In the last days Of the month of de-
light Thorpe received second letter
from his partner, which to some extent
awakened him to the realities.
my dear Harry" it ran, Il have
made startling discovery. The other
fellow is Morrison. l have been blind.
stupid dolt and am caught nicely. You
can't call me any more names than
have already called myself. Morrison
has been In it from the start. BY an ac-
| cident learned he was behind the fell
low who induced me to invest, aud 1t Is
| he who had been hammering the stock
down ever since. They couldn't lick
you Mt your game, so they tackled me
at mine I'm not the man you are.
Harry, and I've made a mess of it. OF
course their scheme is plain enough on
! the face Of it. They're going to involve
me so deeply that will drag the firm
| down with me.
IF you can fix it to meet those notes.
| they can't do it. l have ample margin
to cover any more declines they may be
able to bring about. Don't fret about
that. Just as sure as you can pay that
10000. just SO sure We'll be ahead OF
the game at this time next year. For
heavens sake. get move on you, old
man. II you don't, the firm III bust
because she can't pay. I'll bust because
I'll have to let my stock go on margins.
Itll be an awful smash. But you'll get
there, 50 we needn't worry. I've been
an awful fool, and I've no right to do
the getting into trouble and leave you
to the hard work Of getting out again.