Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-12-23

IL was curious one.
On the one side was black record.
exemplfied in northumberland in.
fanny. shud1ering adherence of hi,
past self as he saw it through the piti.
less lens of public opinion; on the other
was grim consistency of purpose. pas.
eionate wish to reconstruct the warped
structure OF life of which he found
himself the tenant, days Of healthful
peace inspiring toll woman's facs
that threaded his every thought. AS he
welded MS pick In the trench or labo-
riously washed out the few glistcninu
grains that now were TO mean his dnl.
ly sustenance he turned often to gaze
mp the slope where, set in its foliage.
the glass roof Of the sanitarum spar.
kled softly through the Indian haze.
Strange that the sight should mystori.
ousy suggest the face that haunted
him.
Frendergast saw the distracted re-.
gard as he came up the trail from thu
town. He was in an ugly humor. The
bag OF gold dust which he had shown
to Harry he had not returned 10 the
hiding place in the wall and with this
In his pocket the faro table had that
day tempted him. The pouch was
empty now.
Ilarrys back was toward him, and
the gold pan in which he had been
washing the gravel lay at his feet
With a noiseless. mirthless laugh Prem.
dersast stole into the cabin and reach.
ed down from the shelf the bottle into
which each day Harry had poured his
scanty findings. He weighed it in his
hand-almost two ounces. little less
! than $50. He hastily took the empty
! bag from his pocket.
| But just then n shadow darkened the
doorway, and Harry entered lie saw
! the action and, striding forward. took
/ the bottle from the others hand.
Prendergast turned on him, SIMS.
ter snarl under his afec,utlon Of sur
prise. cant you attend to your own
rat Killing" he growled. Il guess I've
got right to what | need"
Not to that" said Harry quietly.
I'VE shall touch the bottom Of the
-four sack tomorrow. You expect to get
your meals here presume"
ure," answered Prendergast with an
evil sneer. Three meals a day and a
rotten roof over my head When
think of the little ! have done to de.
serve it. the hospitality overcomes me.
All | have done is to keep you from
starving to death and out of quod at
tie same time | only taught you q
safe way to beat the game, an easier
one than you seem to know. and to
live on Easy street"
Il am looking for no easy way" re-
sponded Harry, whatever you mean
by that. | expect to earn my living as
I'm earning it now lis an honest
method. at all events"
you've grown all fired particular
since you lost your memory" retorted
Prendergast. his eyes narrowing
You'll be turning dominic one of these
days Perhaps you expect to get the
town 10 take up with you and to make
love to the beauty in the green riding
abit that brought you here on her
horse the night you were out Of your
head"
Harry started what do you mean?"
| he asked thickly.
| Prendergast's oily manner was gone
now. His savage temper came upper
/ most.
II forgot you didn't know about
that" be scoffed IL made a neat story
! Of it in the town. They've been CAB
bling about 1t ever since"
Harry caught his breath As through
a mist he saw again that green habit
on the hotel balcony-that face that
had haunted his waking consciousness
II had not been Prendergast alone
then, who had brought him here AMI
her act Of charity had been made, nc
doubt, a thing for the tittering of the
town, cheapened by chatter coarsened
by joke!
Il wonder II she'd done It If she'd
known all know" continued the 9th.
er malevolently. You'd better go w
to the sanitarium. Hugh. and give hel
a nice sweet kiss for it,
\ lust of rage rose in Harry's throat
but he choked it down. His hand fell