Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-06-25
CHAPTER XXX-Continued.

The days passed. At the end Of a week
Wayne expected to leave; but the free.
dom and peace were sweet. He was en-
Joying a luxury of unhappiness. Christ
mas came. but it brought him no joy
of the oratory. where the recitation OF
offices was interminable. The priests
were happy souls to be able to believe in
such things! Brother Azarus. the sailor
asked him to walk to the village for the
mail after the midday meal which was
amplified into feast by gifts from the
farmers of the valley. A novel Christ
mas this for Wayne CraighilI dining with
priests in a mountain monastery, but they
were cheerful. wholesome fellows and he
liked their talk, which was utterly unaf-
fected and interesting. He set out with
Brother Azarius for the village in the
valley soon after dinner. When the mail
bag was handed out at the general store
Wayne felt a pang Of homesickness-his
first-at beholding this tie between the
quiet hills and the throbbing world below.
He had sent no message of any kind to
Fanny. who had always included him In
the Christmas celebrations at her house;
she was still south when he left and I'M
less Wingfeld had told her, she did not
know his whereabouts He wrote a te,e.
gram in the railway station. wishing her
and her household merry Christmas.
Don't trouble about me; 1 am perfectly
we'll"
He began a message to his father.
paused uncertainty when he had written
the address. and tore it up. the old re-
sentiment on fire again. He left the sta
ton. but paused in the highway and went
back. BEST wishes for a happy Christ
mas" he wrote to Jean at her boarding
house address. He could not for the life
of him add word to this. though he
wasted half dozen blanks in futile
trials. while Brother Azarius tramped up
and down the station platform. Poor
Wayne! Too bad life isn't all spelled out
In the nursery picture books that we
might know the worst at the beginning
and be done with It! 1t was well that
Brother AZarius had that capital story OF
his shipwreck off Martinique up his sleeve
for emergencies like this, or Wayne might
Rave found the memory OF Jeans hand
on his cheek too much for him-that dear
brave hand that had known labor!
The brothers cut their own fuel, and the
next morning he fourd an ak and plunged
into the snowy wood. The priests had
scattered widely and only two remained
at the house. Stoddard had gone west to
ginning to enjoy his security and isola-
ton.
By noon he had blistered his hands, but
he kept manfully at work. In few days
he had developed skill and viewed the in
crease in his daily product with satisfac-
! ton. His bodily health had never been
so good. AT times he was almost happy
ard went whistling about his work. This
was what Jean had told him to do-find
latOr with his hands. And all these days
Jean was never out of his thoughts. never
out OF his heart.
So the weeks passed and Wayne lin
gered at the House of Peace. taking long
walks over the hills, talking with the
brothers, whose circle changed frequent
ly: telling trees in the snowy wood. and
performing such other manual labor as
offered. He saw the earliest vanguard
of spring steal into the hills. resisted,
flung back. but camping at last on the
| submits, smiling coEquerors. He watch
ed the swelling buds and bore proudly
home the first furttve arbutus. HIS blood
was purified, his spirit lightened In the
lustral air. He read much, sending away
for books and periodicals.: he wrote let
| tiers to Jean and tore them up; he brood
| ed. pondered. wondered and walked the
ridges with the stars.
One evening near the end of April Stod-
dard. who had just returned after long
absence. came into his room.
I'm sorry, Craighill, but your time II
up. You must go home tomorrow"
But I'm not ready to leave yeti II
you'll let me go on chopping wood and
car wing water I'd like to stay I'm a