The Yale expositor. (Yale, St. Clair County, Mich.) 1894-current, 1911-06-29


How is that, Johnnie, man?"
81 reckon hit amt more'n ten mile
th'oo the gulch."
Thorndyke looked at his watch. "Are
you good for the tramp, Mr.. Duncan?
III need witness"
Duncan signified his willingness TO
go, but it was with great difficulty that
they persuaded the old mountaineer TO
trust himself within sight of the rail-
way. When he finally yielded, they
took up the line Of march to the south
ward. with Kilgrow leading the way.
After threading the forest of the
plateau for three hours or more, they
began to descend into a deep ravine,
and Philip heard the murmur of run
ming water long before they came in
sight of the swift stream gurgling
through a leafy tunnel at the bottom of
thegorge. They stopped at the margin of
the brook while Thorndykc got drink.
"Your mountain miles are good
measure, Mr.. Kilgrow," he said, talk
ing out his watch again. "How much
farther is it?"
The old man lifted his hat and
scratched his head reflectivcly with one
finger. 81 reckon hit mought be bout
two sights an horn-blow f'om yere."
Philip laughed and turned to Dun
can: 'I'm afraid you'll have to trans
late that for me-
yell be none the wiser when / do.
Twa sights-that's as far as We can see,
an then as far as we can see beyon'
that; an a horn blow-that's as far as
we can hear the scrawin' o coos horn
frae the far end O. the second sight.
d we ken the noo?"
"Perfectly," said Philip. 81 hope
we'll get there before dark"
They did, but it was afternoon when
they came to the end of the third di-
vision of distance and saw the scattered
houses of the little village on the rail
way. Judge Garry's house was pointed
out by a passing teamster, and Philip,
going in for information, found that
the judge was in Allacoochee, but was
expected home at five o'clock. They
waited, Duncan with Scotch resigna-
ton, the mountaineer with an indiffer-
ence born of long practice in the art Of
doing nothing, and Philip with true
Anglo-SaXon impotence. When the
judge made his appearance, the bust
ness was quickly dispatched, and Dun
can and Kilgrow started on their re-
turn over the mountain, leaving Thorn
dyke to go to Allacoochee by the even
ing train.
The train was due at eight, and while
he was wearing out the second period
of inaction on the porch of the tavern
where he had eaten supper, Philip was
able, for the first time since the finding
of the deed, to go back to the events
which had Immediately preceded that
piece of good fortune. lie had Ilelen's
letter in his pocket, and he read it again
in the thickening twilight. 1t was 4
good letter, after all, he admitted; sen.
sible and practical, ard showing forth
in every line the nobility and true
heartedness of the writer. None the
less, she should have known-she would
have known, had she really loved him
that her proposal could be accepted
only on the condition he had imposed
that q single sentence of warm affection
from her at such time would have out
weighed all the acts of self-abnegatior
that could be crowded into lifetime.
And yet he could not help wishing that
he had not been SO prompt to return
cold formality for kindhcarted COM
mon sense. She would doubtless he
glad enough to be frce-oh, that, of
course; but he might have been as
frank and informal with her as she
had a right to expect him to be-as
their long friendship and engagement
demanded. And just here a brush from
the nettle of shame stung him. How
could he ever hope that she would at
tribute any but the basest motive to his
letter when she learned the truth about
Elsie? Would she not always accuse
him in her heart of having been glad of
the preteXt afforded by his loss for
breaking openly an engagement which
had been long ignored in secret? He
was sure she would, and he checked
himself impatiently when he found
that he was setting the contempt of
the woman he had asked to release him
above the love of the woman who had
saved his life.
That thought brought back to him
Elsie and the present. Had she really
saved his life? Was it quite beyond
doubt that she was the one woman in
the world who could lead him out of
himself into sphere of usefulness and
accomplishment? 1t was by no means
as clear and well-defined as it had APP
peared to be on that day when he had
sat up among the pillows and fancied
himself inspired. Nevertheless, as he
had accepted the help, he must abide by
the choice of that day-and he would,
come what might.
No matter which way it turned, the
train of reflection led quickly to dis
comforting conclusions, and Thorn
dyke was glad when the sound of dis
tant whistle assured him that he could
presently pass from the depressing at
mosphere of introspection into tempo