Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-12-15

has heard laugh from him for two years
now, and he seldom speaks unless he is
spoken to. He never mentions Bessie
and nobody likes to mention her to him.
but when he sits back there. smoking
with his eyes shut, somehow feel as
though he is thinking of her all the
time"
Hush" said Sam Jameson.
There was a crunch on the snow out
side, and in came Ben, with his pipe in
his mouth He didn't speak or seem to
mind us, but pulled his boots off. shook
the fire out of his pipe and threw him
self down in his bunk.
Generally he was as still at night as
by day, but that night he was restless.
Once in while he would mutter to him
SELF All night long he tossed and sighed
there, and the next morning he looked
like q ghost.
We found out the meaning of it after
ward.
That was poor little Bessie's birthday.
and instead of being in one of the other
camps, as we thought, Ben had been
wandering about the woods. knee deep in
the snow, trying to walk away from his
sorrow.
Il kept my eye on young sgd Fales,
after that, and / made up my mind
about him. He wasn't fellow of any
great force, and had no more principle
than my walking stick here has. He
was selfish, mean and vainer than anv
fellow | ever saw; and he thought all
the girls were in love with him. He
seemed gay enough; and though he GER
tainly kept out of Ben's way-or Ben
out of his, / couldn't tell which,
couldn't see that he fels guilty or awk-
ward, or had any sorrowful recollections
of the poor girl who had died for love of
him, and who was now scarce two years
in her grave.
Well, our life was rather a monoto-
nous one, and for my part | was glad
when spring came, and we were to 90
home. We had had a good winter, plenty
of snow, and had got an unusually
large number of logs out. Some of the
men went down home by the road, taking
the teams, and others were to 90 down
river on the logs. / took a notion to 90
driving logs, though / hadn't got my
sealegs
Among the men with me were Ben
Lane and Syd Fales. Ben was an old
driver, and always went down on the
logs. and sgd didn't want to NOPE down
with the oxen.
As we went on to the river. was with
Ben when sgd came ON. Ben hadn't
known that he was coming, and when he
jumped along. whistling. I saw Ben lift
his dropping face, and give him look
1t was the first time | had seen him look
at the fellow, and those eyes seemed to
look him through. He stood looking at
him that way, for full five minutes. then
turned away, with his mouth set very
close together, and his eyes with what /
can only call coal of fire in them
l must say | wished that sgd would
keep himself a little more grave. His
gaiety, his loud calls, his whistling of
dance tunes, and dancing of hornpipes
on the tossing logs, were too much in
contrast with the manner of that silent.
palelipped man, whose darling's heart he
had broken.
But we got along well enough till we
were in sight of the upper mills. Just
above there is a narrows IN the river;
and here we got jam, in spite of us.
Trying to start the logs, and save our
selves, we couldn't use much ceremony:
and for the first time / saw Ben and Syd
at work close together, sgd didn't seem
to mind, but Ben again fixed his ewes on
the fellow, and his face began to work
and color up. / saw that he was going
over the past in his mind, and remember
ing that while sgd was going down gayly
to his friends, he had only desolatiOn to
go to.
l dare say he called to mind all his
child's pretty ways, her running to kiss
him. her joyful smiles and words, her
loving care of him. Anyway, he stood
and stared, and did nothing, though the
logs were piling up before him. The
man ahead couldn't seem to start them,
and the river and logs pushing, they be-
gan to rise all about Ben and sgd.
sgd was running out of the way of
them as fast as he could, when they
broke up right before him, piling one
over the other, and shooting upright He
turned to run in another direction. and
there stood Ben in his path! l was not
far away, and / stood and watched Them
/ couldn't have stirred for my life
1t was then | saw Ben smile. and /
hope | may never see such a smile again.
1t lighted up his swarthy face and pale
lips with a cold and cruel light. and Just
touched his burning eyes. sgd grew
white when he saw it, and stopped short.
There was no escape, except past Ben
Lane.
"You don't mean to murder me?" he
gasped out.
Ben said not word, only stood there,
with that smile on his face, barring the
way. sgd gave a glance around, then
dashed forward, meaning to pass. He
wasn't quick enough. Ben's long pole
swung around, and Ben jumped forward
one long stride. sgd came against the
pole, and was pushed backward with
force that sent him headlong among the
logs
At that instant there came a crash, the
logs rose like earth over an earthquake.
and / saw the poor fellow struggling in
their jaws; then he disappeared. l stag