Chicago eagle., 1904-02-13
CHAPTER XXII1.-(Continucd.,

failen back into all the regular ways vi
his youth. and among other revived hnb-
its was that of taking his mother to the
ldfasliioned chapel In which she had
worshipcd. after her own fashion. all her
life. lie used to sit In sight of Mary
Hackett there. and without criticising
motives too closely. 1t is just possible
that he continued that revived habit of
his as much for the sake Of seeing her
as for any reason which the pastor of
the place might have found more solid.
II happened one gusty Sunday night In
midwinter. n month after Hncketts re.
turn. that he went to chapel alone. and
returning homewnrt. overheard n phrase
which. in its own due time. brought him
the supreme temptation Of his life.
The Bard was dntifully elbowing Hep.
zibah homeward. and the two were but
ting against the wind. head downward
and shoulders squared. when Blame came
up behind them. Hepzibah, with the
wind In her ears. was unconscious of the
footsteps In her rear, and shouting to
Shadrach. said:
Trust woman for readin' woman's
heart. It's Ned her cares for"
The unwilling listener stood suddenly
still. and al the blood In his body seem.
ed to riot for a moment In his heart and
head. He was conscious OF nothing for
a while, and when he recovered himself
he was surprised To see the dark figures
still but a little way III front of him. He
seemed TO have been absent from him
self and them for long time. Hepzi.
bah's voice reached him, blown back.
ward by the wind.
"No." She was evidently answering
some saying Of Shadrach's which Blame
had missed. mo hnrm'll come ont.
Hers Ms good ns gold. and 40 Is he; but
it's him rs hers grown to care for,
though it's million to one her never
guesscs It,"
Now Ned Blame had never played the
envesdropper In his life before. but II
all self-respect had hung forever upon
the issue Of that temptation. he would
have let II 20. lie had followed to hear.
simply and purely because he could not
do otherwise. but now that he had heard
he stood still In the roaring wind.
II that were true!
The thought haunted him thereafter
day and night. and brought with It such
temptations as the simplest minded may
fancy. But In n little while the true
temptation came. That bowling wind
turned due north and blew for days. II
bore bitter frost upon It's wings, nn,l
locked every stream and canal and lake
and standing pond deep In black Ice.
There hnd been no such frost for years.
and NIL the skaters In the township must
needs turn ont day by dny or night by
night to revel on Parker's mill pond, u
space Of water some dozen ncres In ex.
tent. which, being sheltered by thick
wooded slopes from the wild wind. had
frozen marble smooth. Ned was not
much Of an expert. hut the fleet pas.
sage through the stinging air ut once In
spired ana soothcd him, and he was
there night after night amongst the
crowd who sped to and fro In the com.
Ing and going Of numberless torchliglts
and the stcadier glare Of cresset fires
which burned upon the bank.
Saturday afternoon left him free for
an hour or two Of daylight, and he set
out for the pool. As he reached the
edge there was u great noise OF applause,
and n huge horseshoe line of spectators
was formed upon the Ice to watch the
cvOlutiOns Of some skilled performer.
Ned, dangling his skates In his hand,
walked over drearily enough to see what
might be seen. and shOuldering through,
the crowd Mt Il place where it was less
dense thnn ut most points, beheld his
enemy, who, with half his world for
onlOOkers, was rollicking hitlier and thith.
er with an enchanting grace aud surety.
His habitual swagger became him here,
and was converted into u beauty. lie
circled, poised on the outer edge. Mt up.
pareitly impossible angles. soaring like
bird on even wing, waving and darting
with bold and sweet dexterity, and
moving, az II seemed, more by vOlitiOil
than by mere force OF skill and muscle.
And as he skinned the ringing ice
followed by the hurrahs and hand.clap.
ping OF the crowd, restored to all his old
kingship, Ned looked on. and was aware
of such an inward volcano OF rage and
hatred as scorched his heart within him
There IL no speaking of these things
The mere truth IL that these extreme
RACES OF great passion, whether they be
OF love or hate. are so rare that no words
have been coined for them. We find
words for the commonplace, because all
men and women have felt 1t. But the
little hate Is as common as glass. nn,l
the great IL, happily, rs rare as the
Kohnoor.
With that phenomenal and unnn mable
hate, Ned Blame watched his blackguard
rival as he swan IN perfect grace and
mercurinl swiftness on the frozen sur
face of the pool. The mere presence OF
the man was enough; but the popular an
plnuse chokcd him as IL with sulphurolls
ashes.
There was at the south end of tho
sheet of water II mill wheel. now frozen
and set, but 1t had been working until
yesterday, and near II the Ice was known
TO be qunggy and unsafe.
The bases OF the horseshoe line were
drawn away from this unsound spot OF
ice. and In the middle of 1t was u low
post with cross piece upon il, and on
the cross'piece was pasted strip OF
paper. whereOn was printed the word
dangerous" Now that day, as every
day of late, IIackett had beeh drinking
and this sign of danger lured him nearer
and nearer. lie did things In sprtuous
recklessness which he would not have
dared 60 do had he been altogether sober
for In that state his nerves were apt to
turn sEhast ut very simple matters,
But now he was so sure of everything
that. In spite Of warning cries, he must
needs so swimming and sailing nearer
and nearer to the warning post. trusting
to his own swiftness to carry him harm
less over the treacherOus Ice. And Blame