Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-05-09

But Ariel, not soothed by this balm,
sought beyond 1t to see that unquiet
Canaan whittier her old friend bent his
steps and found his labor and his
dwelling-that other Canaan where
peace did not fall comfortably with
the coming Of night; place as alien
in habit, In thought and almost in
speech as If 1t 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 at 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 haunts
of haggard merrlment In plenty; sur
reptitious chambers where roulette
wheels swan beneath dizzied eyes; Ill
favored bars, reached by deyious ways,
where quaverlng voices offered song
the burdened air Of this Canaan wan
dered heavy smells of musk like that
upon Happy Fears wife. who must
now be so pale beneath her rouge. And
above all this and for all this and be-
cause of all this was that one resort to
which Joe now made his way-that
haven whose lights burn all 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 sturdly by
himself Mt 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-
alize 1t as a fact, she felt only an over
whelming 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.
Something about him had appealed to
her, for he had not seemed wick ed. His
face was not cruel though 1t was des-
perate. Perhaps it was partly his 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 he said
I've got to clear him. I promised
him.
| over and over Joe had reiterated:
1--WE got to save him. I've got tov'
She had answered gently, Eyes, Joe"
hurryng to keep up with him. Hes
a good man." he said i've 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
and absurdest loyalty.-that made the
first trouble between him and the
man he shot. I've got to clear him."
Twill 1t be hard?"
"They may make it so. can only
see part Of It surely. When his wife
left the office she met Cory on the
street. You saw what a pitiful kind
of fool she was, irresponsible and help
less and feather Drained. There are
thousands of women like that every
where-some of them are court beau
ties I dare say--and they always mix
things up. but they are most danger
Gus when they're like Claudine, be-
cause then they live among mon OF
action like Cory and Fear. Cory was
artful. He spent the day about town
| telling people that he had always lil-
ed Happy; that his i'll feeling of yes
terday was all gone. He wanted to
| find him and shake his hand, bury past
troubles and be friends. l think lie
told Ciaudine the same thing when
they met and convinced the tiny brain
let of his sincerity Cory was man
who had way with him. and | can
see Claudine finttered at the idea OF
being peacemaker between two such
nice gentlemen as Mr.. Cory and Mr..
Fear. Her coInmonest asseveration-
like to have the gentlemen making
trouble about her. So the poor i'm
beetle led him to where her husband
was waiting. All that Happy knew of
this was in her cry afterward. He
was sitting alone. when Cory threw
open the door and said. I've got you
this time, Happy" His pistol was
raised, but never fired. He waited too
long. meaning to establish his case OF
self Defense and Fear is the quick
est man | know. Cory fell just inside
the door. Claudine stumbled upon
him as she came running after him,
crying out to her husband that she
never meant no trouble;' that Cory
had sworn to her that he only wanted
to shake hands and make up Other
people heard the shot and broke into
the room, but they did not try to stop
Fear. He warned them Off and walk.
ed out without hindrance and came
to me. I've got to clear him"
Ariel knew what he meant. She real.
lied the actual thing as it was and,
though possessed by a strange feeling
that it must all be meda and not
possibly of today, understood that he
would have to fight to keep his friend
from being killed; that the unhappy
creature who had run into the office
out Of the dark stood in high danger Of
having his neck broken unless Joe
could help him. He made it clear to
her that the state would kin Happy if
| IL could: that it would be Doint of