The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1907-06-08

es and the lniinlteslInal voices Of In.
sects III the grass thore was silence.
the pleasant and somnolent hush,
swathcd In which that part Of Canaan
crosses TO the far side OF the eleventh
hour,
But Ariel, not soothed by this balm,
sought beyond II to see that unquiet
Canaan whittier her old friend bent bis
steps and found his labor and hls
dwelllng--that other Canaan where
peace did not fall comfortably with
the coming OF night: place us alien
In habit, In thought and almost In
speech as II It had been upon another
continent, And yet--so strange Is the
duality Of towns-it lay but few
blocks distant.
Here about Ariel as she stood al the
gate OF the Pike mansion the houses
OF the good (secure OF salvation and
daily bread were closed and quiet, as
safely shut and sound asleep as the
churches. But deeper In the town
there was light and life and merry.
evil industry, screened, but strong to
last until morning. There were hannts
Of haggard merriment IN plenty; sur.
reptitious chambers where roulette
wheels swan beneath dlxxled eyes; m
favored bars reached by devious ways
where quaverlng voices offered song
and We're harshly checked. And through
the burdened air OF this Canaan wan
dered heavy smells OF musk like that
upon Happy Fears wife, who must
now be so pGie beneath her rouge. And
above all this and for all this and he.
cause OF all this was that one resort to
which Joe now made his way--th that
haven whose lights burn oil night long.
whose doors are never closed. but are
open from dawn until dawn-the jail
There In that desolate refuge lay
Happy Fear, surrendered sturdlly by
himself at Joe's word. The picture Of
the little man was clear and fresh In
Ariel's eyes, and. though she had seen
him when he was newly come from
thing so terrible that she could not re-
allze II as a fact, she felt only an over.
whelmlng pity for him. She was not
even horror stricken. though she had
shuddered. The pathos OF the shabby
little figure crossing the street toward
the lighted doors had touched her
about him had appealed to
her, for he had not seemed wicked. His
face was not cruel, though It was des-
perate. Perhaps II was partly bis very
desperation which had moved her. She
had understood Joe when he told her
that this man was his friend and com
pretended his great fear when be said:
"I've got to clear himl promised
hlmw
Over and over Joe had reiterated:
1--WE got to save him! I've got to!"
She had answered gently. Yes. Joe"
hurrying to keep up with him. Hes
a good man." he said. "rye known
few better, given his chances. And
none OF this would have happened ex.
cept for his old time friendship for
me. 1t was his loyalty-oh, the rarest
md absurdest loyalty!-that made the
first trouble between him and the
man he shot. I've got&o clear him"
"Will II be hard?"
''They may make 1t so. can only |
zee part Of 1t surely. When his wife
eft the Office she met Cory on the
street. You saw what pitiful kind
,f fool she was, irresponsible and help
ess and feather Drained. There are
thousands Of women like that every
of them are court beau
.ies,' dare say-and they always mix
things up, but they are most danger
Jus when they're like Claudine. be-
.ause then they live among men Of
action like Cory and Fear. Cory was
lrtful. He spent the day about town
.elling people that he had always llk-
ID Happy; that his III feeling Of yes
.erday was all gone. He wanted to
ind him and shake his hand, bury past
.roubles and be friends. think he
old Claudine the same thing when
hey met and convinced the tiny brain.
ct Of his sincerity. Cory was man
who 'had'a way with him. and can
zee Claudine fattered at the idea Of
,eing peacemaker between two such
lice gentlemen as Mr.. Cory and Mr..
Fear Her commonest asseveration-
luite genuine, tools that she doesn't
Ike to have the gentlemen making
rouble about her SO the poor i'm
,ecIIe led him TO where her husband
vas waiting All that Happy knew Of
his was In her cry afterward. He
vas sitting alone, when Cory threw
,pen the door and sald, I've got you
his time, Happyr His pistol was
aised, but never fired. He waited too
ong, meaning to establish his case Of
self Defense and Fear is the quick
st man / know. Cory fell just inside
he door Claudine stumbled upon
i'm as she came running after him,
rying out to her husband that she
never meant no trouble; that Cory
ad sworn to her that he only wanted
0 shake hands and make up Other
eople heard the shot and broke into
he room, but they did not try to stop