Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-04-26
In the onest Woods. .u s,s,,'; p Day. ;,

| tened toward his hosts, his hands out
spread In the gesture Of insenuousness ia
miliar to him.
II am a clergyman" he painted. II can
not talk with that man. 1 fear he means
to murder me. cannot fight with him. I
am clergyman. He iterated the plea
T. "'e" - "efe convincing argument
us he telling the TRUTH" asked Ballou.
1T was a mistake of my youth" the
doctor stammered: ian error Of the heart.
al loved her very much. 1t is Mrs WAL
lace Of whom we are speaking" he added
with a pitiful attempt at dignity. after
she got her divorce married her. We
young but have expiated in daily
prayer and constant repentance and in
penitential saekcloth Don't you see. gen
tiemen. that it will do no good for me to
The New Workers. were grave and ST.
lent: They looked on the guides face.
hard as carved wood, and on this slut
tering coward, vibrating his arms as he
| And there Is much that you do not
understand. went on the doctor with an
eagerness almost maudlin. Her longing
for higher and better life-her seeking
Ballard
The doctor came closer to his hosts.
His teeth chartered II am clergyman"
| he began again in tones which he endeav-
ored to make confidential
IL appears to me that you were man
before that" interrupted Ballou with
grim significance. DR.. Wallace stared at
to read hostility there. There was a bluff
sincerity as we'll
You don't mean to let this man force
me me out Int into the woods. do your lie
sias and His pstsrns was becoming te
men Of the city-of the world together-1
| look to YOU
Manning gave grunt that seemed to
resent this grouping.
I've are in the woods now" he said
| We're on the level Of nature where a
man sizes things differently In spite of
himself I've known Tom Ballard a good
many years. I never saw yellow in him.
My opinion is only that Of a layman. par
son. but as long as the white tie and
frock coat are of you just now you d
better be merely plain man and settle
your mans business in private. Ballou
and don't care to listen or to NEEDLE.
Really. We don't"
| The frankness Of the elemental was in
the hearts OF the twain. The sympathy
OF the woods had stripped away their ur-
ban preJudices and artificial affinities
The man at the door seemed for the mo-
| ment the superior Of the man who cow
cred. =
|
But /" began the clergyman pas
| sionately.
Don't make Us say it, interrupted
| Ballou coldly. Hes waiting for you
He and Manning turned their backs
stung to desperation. Hush replacing
his pa!lor. the Rev. DR.. Wallace Stun
bled toward the door.
Here's your rifle said Ballard. poking
| the weapon into the minister's unwilling
grasp. You'd better take 1t along. for
YOU won't be coming back this way
! When they were outside. the guide
| lifted canoe that was overturned on the
shore. dropped 1t like a feather upon the
| water and waved his hand.
Take the bow paddle" he said. The
minister sagged his shaking bulk under
| stood his own rifle beside him in the stern
and pushed away. The canoe slipped into
the shadows as 1t Glove its roiseless way
| up the lake along the ee-bordered shore
Ballou and Manning slept after time.
but IT was only nervous rest that the
| soft clatter Of pans outside startled into
| alarmed wakefulness. The dawn was
there wtde-eyed, the early catbirds were
yawling.
The guide vas moving about through
| the volleying smoke from the newly kin
died 1ire He greeted them quietly when
they came out and placidly kept on at his
work. The food that he set before them
| went down chokingly and their tea pan
nikins wavered in their grasp but with
| true woods reserve they respected his
calm retlcence.
However. when they had lighted their
pipes and ventured a few limping at
tempts at general conversation, he came
and stood leaning against a tree near
| them.
For while he whitfield at a chip and
gazed thoughtfuliy down at the woods
! carpet Of pine needles. Then he cIicked
his big knife shut and looked them
straight In the face.
It's bad business. all Of it. gentlemen"
he began, ''sorrowful business. and m
ashamed that you have been troubled
with it-when all the rest Of your stay
had been so pleasant. i wouldn't say
anything more to bother you with my af-
fairs. but I'd sort Of hate to have you 60
away not knowing just how 1t was set
tied. For we've been good friends, and
and IN kind Of look for you next year
as usual
Both men tried to say something. but he
checked their embarrassed stammertnEs.
-
"Oh, 1 know! You wouldn't want to
come il you thought 'that-well 80 YOU
see I've got to square myself, but it will
| never be mentioned by me again, Mr..
| Balfou and Mr.. Manning. If you'll only let
yourselves be bothered a minute now.
You were men to me last night. I'll
| never forget it," His voice shook, You
| put me where q man belongs. Iou out a
| man into my hands without aye. yes or
no. It's: all bad business. though. You
see. when | married her she was only six
| teen and I was a h0stler and her folks
weren't willing. shouldn't "a done 1t. ]
| was wrong. I had to nail burlap in a
horse stall to make place for us to live
| Awful, wasn't 1t? And she used to wake
| In the night and say that a bright spirit
| seemed to be calling to her to come to
| better things. She wasn't for me- And I
| don't have to tell you the rest. And It
| hurts me. ! was most to blame. reck
on But I'm human, gentlemen and when
| ] saw him last night. and saw what he
| was and remembered what have had to
be. my-my," he choked, walked away
| and then came back. His voice was calm
| again.
You put him in my hands. I amt 60
| ing to bother you with what thought I'd
| do sometimes man isn't responsible for
what he thinks or does. is he? took him
down the lake. and there wasn't anything
said. His back was toward me. He
I shivered all the time. There are crust
| hunters that can snpwshOe up to A
1 slumpins deer and cut its throat while the
| creature looks up and bleats and rolls
those great ewes Did yo,, ovar hon, ~ .