The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1913-07-11

u6 UhCu VI INV SSSN'Sp
after that important event. the river
steamer, Cassiar, captained by ner
brother, was scheduled to sail. 1ne
Cassiar had the mingled honor anu
misfortune to be both the treasure
ship and the hospital ship OF the year
In her strong boxes she carried n'e
millions of gold, in her staterooms
ten score of crippled and diseased
And there were also lower country
traders and kings, returning from
their winter labors or pleasures at
Dawson. Among these-a little anu
cipation of the event-were listed Mr.
and Mrs. Jack Crellin. But when the
sick and heart-weary lifted their
voices to heaven at the cruel delay
and the goldshippers waxed clamorous'
the Cassiar was forced to sail he1ore
her time, and Mr.. and Mrs. Jack Crel-
lin were yet man and maid.
Never mind, Frona," her brother
said; come aboard and I'll take
charge of you. Father Mahan takes
passage at Forty Mile, and you'll he
snugly one before we say goodbye al
Circle City"
Plimsol marks, boiler inspectors
and protesting boards Of underwrit'
ers. not yet having penetrated tn"
dismal dominions Of the north, the
Cassiar cast off her lines. with passen'
gers, freight and chattels packed ike
badly assorted sardines. Wolf-dogs,
whose work began and ceased win
the snow. and who grew high-stom-
ached with summer idleness, rloted
over the steamer from stern to stern
or killed each other on the sllShtest
provocation. Stalwart Stick indians
of the upper river regions, lightened
their heavy money pouches in brave
endeavors to best the white man at
his games of chance. or outraged
their vitals with the whisky he so!d
at thirty dollars the bottle. There
were squat Mongolia, donatured Male
mute and Innuit wanderers from the
great delta two thousand miles away;
not among the whites was the 1angle
of nationalities less pronounced. The
nations of the world had sent their
sons to the north, and the tongues
they smoke were many.
At Forty Mile more passengers and
freight were crowded aboard. Among
the pilgrims was Father Mahan, and
In the baggage was an implanted pine
box, corresponding in size to the con-
ventional last tenement Of man. The
rush of life has little heed for death.
so this box was piled precariously
upon a pyramid of freight on the Cas-
STARS deck. But Bat Morganston, hav.
ing lain till the moment Of shipment
in q comfortable ice-cave, did not
care. Nobody cared. There were no
mourners, save a huge wolf-dog, TO
whom the taste Of his masters lash
was still sweet He crept aboard un.
noticed. and ere the lines were cast
of had taken up his accustomed vigil
on the heap of freight by his masters
side. He was such vicious brute.
and had such a fearful way Of barring
his fangs that the other canine pas
sengers gave him wide berth, choos-
ing to leave him alone with his dead
The cabins were crowded with the
sick, so the marriage began on the
sitting deck. It was near midnight.
but the sun. red-disked and somber,
slanted It's oblique rays from Just
above the northern skyline. Frona
Payne and Jack Crellin stood side by
side. Father Mahan began the serv.
ice. From aft came the sound Of
scuffling among half a dozen drunken
gamblers; but in the main. the human
cargo had crowded about the center
Of interest. And also the dogs.
Still, all would have been we'll. had
not Labrador dog sought a coign OF
vantage among the freight. He had
travelled countless Journeys, was a
veteran OF dozen famines and q
thousand fights, and knew not fear.
The truculent front Of the dog which
guarded the pine box, interested him.
He drew in. his naked fangs shining
like jeweled ivory. They closed with
snap and snarl the carelessly piled
freight tottering beneath them.
At this moment Father Mahan bless.
ed the two which were now one and
Jack Crellin solemnly added, Even
unto DEATH"
Even unto death" Frona Pavne re-
peated, and her mind leaped back 10
the other man who had spoken those
words. For the instant she felt gen.
uine sorrow and remorse for what she
had done. And at that instant the
two dogs shut their Jaws in the death.
grip, and the lors nire box poised on
the edge of its nvramid. Her hus.
band ierked her from beneath as II
fell, end on. There was a crash and
srlintering: the cover fe'l away. and
Bat Morganston on his feet erect
Just as in life. with the sun g,intino
on his silky brown locks, swept for.
ward.
1t happened very quickly. Some
say that his lirs parted in a fearfr,
smile, that he flung his arms about
Frona PAYNE and held her till thew
fell together to the deck. This wou,d