Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-06

morse, Sfcn as JUDAS m1gnt nave 1eI. hnQ
the girl who before his coming was quleScently
STEPPED in the atmosphere of her father S
views, now at times gave expression to an
adherence of the traffic that was dangerously
near to diSloyalty
To Kinnaird's credit he always checked
Chris in her sudden outbursts of denunciation
In keeping with his office, he should have met
with approval this working of the leaven of
moral betterment, Chris thought; but this in
applicable contrariment in the preacher, the
ever recurrent glitter of true metal through the
matrix of sodden church mold. only increased
her admiration.
THERE was the drama of a lifetime enacted in
two moons of high tensioned life following
kinnaird's advent in Stand Off. Chris, youth
full, impetuous, embodiment of unrestricted
prairie life, wandered leagues in unexplored
realms of emotion, lived years of new,
rapidly maturing life.
Kinnaird, bride wise, fought against the
DETECTING vagaries of sentiment. There
were cogent reasons why he should not con-
template the binding of woman to his side.
Tersely put by himself once, he was immune
to the love fever because he was not immune
to alcohol. When a student he had slipped
into the clutches of the drink demon, and it
had been a fearful fight for moral rehabita-
ton. His grand physique had helped him
win: but he looked on his victory as tenta-
tive,-he might again falkland to drag
woman down into the hell he had once known
would be horrible.
More than once these days he had received
tribute from Chris to his Christian abstemious
ness with keen of shame. He was
coward in it all; he dared not trust himself.
One effect the girls evident regard had,
was to enhance Kinnaird's growing repug-
nance to the role of spy he had assumed so
cheerfully at Fort Nelson. Curiously he had
slashed Dupre for attributing to Somers this
very influence of woman over his duty.
There was difference: the constable held
sworn duty to Government, while he had only
himself and his mission to hold fealty to.
Kinnaird sought relief from this disqueting
situation in fastened effort to discover the
illicit still he now felt convinced existed There
was a trail leading off toward Kootenay Pass,
its evidence of traffic unexplained by the APP
parent use1essness of its existence. Nothing
was produced up in the pass,-neither minerals
nor food products; there through
traffic, except, perhaps, an occasional Stony
Indian seeking mountain sheep
One day, Kinnaird riding fast and in a
great detour, took up this trail, following it in
between the foothills till he came to a cessation
of wheel ruts. From that point pack trail
crawled upward over wooded slope. He
cached his bronco in a thicket of giant ferns
among the pines, and like an Indian followed
cautiously the winding path, dark penciled on
the moss and hchened boulder clay. On it
men had written with moccasined feet the mes
sage of their going and coming in letters that
spoke of pack laden shoulders.
Where the path wound its terrific way along
ledge of precipice that walled a caldron of
mad waters, Kinnaird crept. At sharp turn
the ring of an ak came echoing from the gorge
beyond. Surely it told of wood fuel for still;
for there was no habitation of man in that
wild, barren spot. He retraced his steps to
wait for time when there might be nobody
in the pass and then, taking his life in his
hands, he would follow the trail that dipped
down into the gorge of secrets.
To be continued next Sunday