The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1908-04-26


and talk with me man fashion on my /
ground, under Gods stars and in Gods |
open, where he is not a frocked par
son nor | a TpOccasined guide. but Just
Two men with business to settle. Rams
Wallace. walk OUT
He reached behind him, lifted a rifle
that had been standing against the log
wall, swung it into the hollow of his
arm, stepped to one side and grimly
waited near the door. The New York
men stared at each other, blinking in
their uncertainty. and were silent.
DIR. Wallace broke the hush. He has
tened toward his hosts. his hands out
spread in the gesture of ingenuousness
familiar to him.
Il am clergyman" he painted. Il
cannot talk with this man. I fear he
means to murder me. l cannot fight
with him. / am clergyman" He it.
Grated the plea as though it were con-
yincing argument. L
Us he telling the truth?" asked Bal
lou.
1T was the mistake of my youth, :
the doctor stammered; IAN error of the
heart, al loved her very much. 1t is
Mrs. Wallace of whom we are speak
ing. he added with a pitiful attempt at
dignity. After she got her divorce !
married her. We loved each other very
MUCH, and being young but / have
eXpiated in daily prayer and constant
repentance and in penitential sack
cloth. Don't you see, gentlemen, that
il will do no good for me to go out
with him ?"
The New Workers were grave ana ST.
lent. They looked on the guides face.
hard as carved wood, and on this slut
tering coward, vibrating his arms as
o 9nne9 led Ia tbpf,1.
And there is much that you 10 not
understand" went on the doctor with
an eagerness almost maudlin. Her
longing for a higher and better life
her seeking for intellectual compaaton-
ship and her"
Il am waiting, Rams Wallace" broke
in Ballard.
The doctor came closer TO his hosts.
His teeth chartered. Il am clergy
man., he began again in tones which
he endeavored to make confidential.
ut appears to me that you were a
man before that" interrupted BalIou
with grim significance. DR.. Wallace
stared at the faces of his new friends
and seemed To read hostility there
There was a bluff sincerity as well.
You don't mean to let this man
force me out into the woods. do you?''
he gasped. His paltering was becoming
tedious and p1teOus. We've three are
men of the city-of the world together
I look to you"
Manning gave a grunt that seemed
to resent this grouping.
We 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. | never saw yellow
in him. Ny opinion is only that of a
layman, parson, but as long as the
| White tie and frock coat are off 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 sym
/ pathy of the woods had stripped away
/ their urban prejudices and artificial af-
/ finities. The man at the door seemed
| for the moment the superior of the
man who covered.
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, a flush replac-
| ing his pallor. the Reverend Doctor
| Wallace stumbled toward the door.
Here's your rifle" said Ballard. polk
| ing the weapon into the minister's un-
willing grasp. You'd better take il
along, for you won't be coming back
/ this way
When they were outside the guide
lifted a canoe that was overturned or
the shore, dropped it like a FEATHER upon
| the water and waved his hand.
| Take the bow paddle he said The
minister sagged his shaking bulk under
/ the forward thwart. Ballard carefully
| stood his own rifle beside him in the
stern and pushed away. The canoe slim
| ped into the shadows as it Glove its
| noiseless way UP the lake along the
tree-bordered shore.
| BallOu and Manning slept after g
| time, but it was only nervous rest that
the soft clatter of pans outside startled
into alarmed wakefulness. The tdawr
was there wide-eyed. the early catbirds
| were yawling.
The guide was moving about through
| the volleying smoke from the newly
kindled fire He greeted them quietly
| when they came out and placidly kept
on at his work. The food that he SCI
before them went down chokingly anc
their tea pannikins wavered in theiI
grasp, but with true woods reserve
they respected his calm reticence.
However, when they had lighted theil
pipes and ventured a few limping at
| tempts at general conversation he came
and stood leaning against tree neal
| them.
For while he Whitfield al chip anC
| gazed thoughtfully down the woods
| carpet of pine needles. Then he clicked
| his big knife shut and looked then
straight in the face.
IT'S bad business. all of it. gentle
| men," he began, "sorrowful business
and I'm ashamed that you have beer
| troubled with it-when all the rest o.
your stay had been so pleasant.
! wouldn't say anything more to bothel
! you with my affairs. but I'd sort o.
hate to have you go away not know
ing Just how It was settled. For we'v,
| been good friends, and-and I'll kline
| of look for you next year as usual"
Both men tried to say something, hu
he checked their embarrassed STAN
merings
'Oh, 1 know, You wouldn't want Il
come if you thought that-well, so yol
see I've got to square myself, but /
will never be mentioned by me again
Mr.. Ballou and Mr.. Manning, if you'll