The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1909-12-26
II do" answered GAZE.

nobody don pick 1t up dis Runnion
teller de same way. Mebbe dey fin
hees hans tie benin i'm wit piece Of
bees shirt"
"Good God!" cried the trader, start
ing to his feet. "You-you'-
"Of course I'm JUS s'posin'. He was
feel purity good wen I lef'. He was
feel so good l TAX hees coat for keep
In off dem bugs from me, because I
lef' it my own shirt on de canoe. He's
nice Teller dat way. He give up easy.
Ba gosh, I never see worse place for
skeeters!'
Gale fell silent, and "No Creek" Lee
began to swear in little, useless, inef-
fective oaths, which were but two
ways Of showing similar emotions.
Then the former stepped up and laid
a big hand upon Poleon's shoulder.
'"That saves us quite a trip" he said.
Father Barnum found the three still
talking in the store when he had fin
ished an hours counsel with Necia, so
came straight to the point. It vas
work that delighted his soul, for he
loved the girl and had formed a strong
admiration for Burrell.
The priest returned to Necia after
giving directions about the wedding,
leaving the trader and Poleon alone.
81 s'pose it's best" said the former.
"Yes."
"Beats the deuce, though, how
things work out, don't itY
stTtro clad FOR die dou said tho
Frenchman. Hes good man, an he
ain never goin' to hurt her none"
He paused. "Dere's JUS wan ting 1
want for ask 1t of you, John. You
member dat day we stop on de birch
, grove an you spik bout her an toll
me dose story bout her moder. WAL,
I was dreamin' dat tam, so I'm goin'
ask it you now don never tell her
wat said"
Doesn't she know, my boy|
mo. I ain never spoke bout love.
She thinks nm broder wit her, an
OATS wat l am, ba garr" He could
not hold his voice event. broke with
him-but he avoided the old mans
gaze. Gale took him by the shoulders.
"Hhere amt nothing so cruel in the
world as a gentlewoman," said he,
"but she wouldn't hurt you for all the
world, Poleon; only the blaze of this
other thing has blinded her. She can't
see nothing for the light Of this new
love Of hers"
II know! OATS w'y-nobody onder-
STAINS but you an me-"
Gale looked out through the open
door, past the sunlit river which came
from a land of mystery and vanished
into a valley of forgetfulness, past the
forest and the hills, in his deep set
eyes the light of a wondrous love that
had lived with him these many weSry
years, and said:
Nobody else can understand but
me. l know how it is. l had ven a
harder thing to bear, for you'll know
she's happy at least, while T. His
voice trembled, but after a pause he
continued: "They neither of them un-
derstand what you've done for them,
for it was you that brought her back.
But some time they'll learn how great
their debt is and thank you. It'll take
them years and years, however, and
when they do they'll tell their babes
of you, Poleon, so that your name will
never die. / loved her mother, but I
don't think I could have done what
you did"
"She's purity hard ting, for sure, but
l aim t'ink bout Poleon Doret none
wen I'm dom it. No; I'm fink bout
her all de tam. She's III gal, an I'm
beeg, strong Teller wat dom matter
much an wat ain know much, 'cep
singin' an lovin' her. I'm see for sure
now dat 1 ain fit for her. I'm beeg,
rough, fightin' Teller wat can't read,
an she's de beam Of sunlight wat blin'
my eyes,"
"If l was a fool I'd say you'd forget
in time, but I've lived my life in the
open, and l know you won't. I didn't"
II dom want to forgetw the brown
man cried hurriedly. lie bon Dieu
would not let me forget. It's all I've
got to keep wit me wen I'm lookin'
FOR my new countree.'"
you're not goin' to look for that
new country any more" Gale replied.
To-day" said the other quietly,
'dis afternoon. De blood In me 1s
calm for travel, John. I'm Twin here
on dis place five year dis fall, an OATS
long tam for voyageur. I'm hongry
for hear de ak in de woods an de
moose blow at shutdown. / want for
see the campfire trough de brush wen
I come from trap de fox an dem little
wild fellers. l want to smell smoke in
de dusk. My work she's finish here,
SO I'm paddle away today, IN I'll fin
dat place dis tam, for sure. She's
over dere." He raised his long arm
and pointed to the dim mountains that
hid the valley Of the Koyukuk, the val
ley that called good men and strong
year after year and took them to It.
self.
Have you heard the news from the
creeks? Your claims are blanks. Your
men have quit"
The Frenchman shook his head sad
", then smiled-a wistful little smile.
rWaal, It's better I lose dan you or
Necia. l ain de lucky kin, OATS all,
an, after all, wat good to me is richie
La