The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1909-01-02


| found him.
lis that you, Elan?" called The
| farmer.
| The man turned toward them.
planted one large hand on the ground
/ and drew his feet under him quickly
as if to rise Then he sat still, star
| ing There was no question as 10 his
/ identity.
This little womans the teache"
you scared half TO death at the school
this afternoon. Ed Elan, said the
| farmer She came clear out here
! to find you and fix UP your face, that
| she scalded for YOU when you Were
| drunk. l wouldn't have let her come.
! but she would have it so. | hope
| you're sober enough now to under
stand what that means.
The river-man did not move. Thu
| freight played upon his face. 1t
was red and white in patches with
the burns it had received. Margaret
| looked at him moment, her whole
figure tense with anxiety. Then she
ran forward without a thought OF
| fear. She laid her hand on the big
fellows shoulder
Did it burn Your eyes? She
asked.
Elan shook his head and looked
IN at her wonderfully. He seemed
too amazed at her presence there in
the lonely. moonlit woods to speak.
"Oh, I'm so slad,' said the girl
Then she drew out her little bundle
of remedies I'm so sorry did it,
she went or. Il didn't realize how
it would hurt You till afterward. |
was so frightened. I've brought you
something to put on your face. 1t
will cure the burns
Without more ado she began Der
preparations for relieving his suffer
ing, and the big man submitted to
her gentle ministrations in silence.
He seemed lost in the strangeness CT
the thing. far outside any experience
he had ever known before, and he
behaved like a quiet child.
When Margaret finished ana
viewed her work. the man in tie
bandages was more like scarecrow
than a human being, but he looked
up at her in gratitude. Then the
memory Of the afternoon seemed 10
strike him.
Il was drunk" he said, shortly. in
his big, deep voice. Margaret recog-
nized the intended apology
4 know" she said. quietly. Now
N
morning and see a doctor"
She waited moment. but Red Ed
remained silent, his big, glowing
eyes quietly fixed on ner. She
turned away, a quick feeling of aw1-
ward EN- Darrassmelt seiZlnS her.
The man seemed 10 note il.
"Wait,' he said. and then lowered
his eyes to the fire as sac turned.
Il amt drunk now he continued.
4 never done such trick before
scare woman. You served me right
first-not now. L" He stopped
helplessly ashamed.
Don't think about that said the
girl, quickly. Then with a catch of
the breath she hazarded, Don
drink any more.
He looked at her furtivelv. and
then away again. Good night he
said, briefly.
They left him When Margaret
last saw the big man he sat by his
dying fire, his eyes fixed upon the
Goals, his huge red hands locked over
his knee
During the summer following she
heard nothing of his doings; but the
next winter, one after another. little
bits of gossip about him found their
way to her He had ''braced up
one report said Another related a
heroic rescue of a companion from
death in big log Jam up-river \
third told of promotion from the
ranks OF his craft - a place as fore
man OF camp.
Then at last, one day, more than
year after her adventure. came
plain stamped envelope, addressed 10
her in a clumsy round hand. IN ii
WAS a bit of birch bark, on which
were written. IN similar characters,
Just four small words:
I ain forgo1 Elan
It was crude little DIT of sant;-
ment-the birch bark and tho meg
sage-but Margaret did not saow it
to any of her friends She was afraid
they would make a Joke OF it
Youths Companion.