Camas Prairie chronicle. [volume] (Cottonwood, Idaho) 1901-1917, 1906-09-14
CHAPTMR YYVIII

the third day North came. His manner
was constrained and abrupt. His eyes
wandered uneasily, and be seemed bur-
dened with thoughts which he dared not
utter.
7 want you to thank her for me, Mr..
North" said Dawes.
Thank whomT
Mrs. Frere."
The unhappy priest shuddered at hear
ing the name.
4 do not think you owe any thanks
to her. Your irons were removed by the
commandments order"
But by her persuasion. l feel sure
OF It. All, was wrong to think she had
forgotten me. Ask her for her forgive
ness"
'ForgivenessF said North, RECALLING
the scene In the prison. 'What have
you done to need her forgiveness 2"
doubted her." said Rufus Dawes.
thought her ungrateful and treach-
erous thought she delivered me again
Into the bondage from whence had
escaped. thought she had betrayed
me-betrayed me to the villain whose
base life ] saved for her sweet sake"
What do you mean?" asked North.
You never spoke to me of this"
no, ! had vowed to bury the knowl-
edge Of i In my own breast; it is too
bitter to speak"
Saved bis HfeP'
Az, and hers. / made the boat that
carried her to freedom. l held her in
my arms, and took the bread from my
own lips to feed herr
She cannot know this" said North,
In an undertone
She has forgotten It, perhaps, for
she was but a child. But you will re-
mind her, will you not? You will do
me justice In her eyes before l die? You
win get her forgiveness for meT
North could not explain why such an
interview as the convict desired was inn
possible, and SO he promised.
She Is going away in the schooner"
said be- Il will see her before she goes
and tell her."
God bless you, STRIP said poor Dawes
Now, pray with me;' and the wretched
priest mechanically repeated one of the
formulate his church prescribes.
The days passed swiftly, and hunts
preparations for sea were completed. On
the morning Of the 10th Of December,
he declared himself ready to set sail, and
In the afternoon.
Rufus Dawes, gazing from his win
dow upon the schooner that lay outside
the reef, thought nothing of the fact that
after the commandments boat had taken
away the commandments wife, another
boat should put of with the chaplain.
The hot afternoon passed away in
sultry sunset, and It was not until the
shades Of evening had begun to fall that
Rufus Dawes distinguished a boat de-
tach itself from the sides Of the schoon-
er and glide through the oily water to
the Jetty. The chaplain was returning,
and IN few hours, perhaps would be
with him, to bring him the message Of
comfort for which his soul thirsted, He
stretched out his unshackled limbs, and
throwing himself upon his stretcher, fell
% recalling the past-his boat building,
the news Of his fortune, his love and
his self-sacriice.
North, however, was not returning to
bring to the prisoner a message Of com
fort, but he was returning on purpose to
see him, nevertheless. The unhappy
man. torn by remOrse, had resolved upon
course Of action which seemed to him
penance for his crime of deceit. He
had determined to confess to Dawes that
the message he brought was wholly icti-
tious, that he himself loved the wife of
the commandant. Il am no hypocrite,"
he thought In his exaltatiou. "This
poor wretch, who looks up to me as an
angel, shall know me for my true self"
he had ingeniously extracted from
Blunt the fact that he didn't expect a
wind before dark, but wanted all ship.
shape and aboard" and then, just as
darkness fell, discovered that it was inn
peratiye for him to 90 ashore. Blunt
said Z the chaplain insisted upon going |
there was no help for 1t.
"There'n be q breeze in less than two
houra," said he. you've plenty Of time,
but il you're not back before the first
pun l'll sail without you, as sure as
you're born" North assured him of
his punctuality. Don't wait for me
captain Il I'm not here" said he, with |
the lightness of tone which men use to
mask anxiety. So the boat set of. Frere
observed with some establishment that
the chaplain wrapped himself in boat
cloak that lay in the stern sheets. "Does
the fellow want to smother himself in a
night like this7" was the remark. The
truth was that, though his hands and
head were burning, North's teeth chatter.
Gu WIN flNAOs NAAdHN THIS was the |
reason why, when landed and out of eve
shot Of the crew, he produced a pocket !
flask Of rum and eagerly drank. The
spirit gave him courage for the ordeal |
to which he had condemned himself. and
with steadied step, Ne reached the door
Of the old prison To his surprise, Gin. |
blett refused him admission.
"But have come direct from the
commandant," said North.
II can't let you in, your reverence"
said Gimblett.
"I want to see the prisoner Dawes. |
I have a special message for him. / |
have come ashore on purpose"
Upon my honor, sir, daren't." said |
Gimblett, who was not without his eood |
points. "You know what authority i |
air, as well as / do"
North was in despair but a bright
thought struck hlm-a thought that IN |
his sober moments would never have en-,
tered his head-he would bur admission.
He produced the rum flask from beneath
the sheltering cloak ''Come, don't talk
nonsense to me. Gimblett. You don't
suppose I would come here without au-