Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-06-21

A0UI - turned n it had been cold enough
SG6fHyH for Northern Michigan late in November;
@S&ENs but during the early morning. as the
freighter Macuma steamed north it
had become still colder. Mogridge, getting up, saw
that his wife had felt the drop in temperature: she
had been up and put extra blanket over him.
He could see her dimly by the moonlight as she lay
curled up in her bunk the other side of the cabin.
He stood and gazed down at her. Any man in the
world well might have been proud of such woman as
his wife Indeed many men much more OF the world
than the Captain of the Macuma had ardeny desired
and endeavored to win Louise Melvl. She was one OF
those exceedingly people who from plain matterot-
fact parents somehow born with wonder OF beauty
delcacy and charm of face with 1.-THE happy symmetry
of limb and with sweet, deep of feeling When
she little girl in the village on the straits she had
been marked and admired by the rich summer visitors
at the big country homes and hotels At first the women
delighted in her; then the years when the young
men from the cities paid her court and offered them
selves and their chances of inhetances and careers
Mogridge met these men sometimes, when the old
Algonquin, upon which he sailed under old man Mel
will, made the home port in summer. With Bob Nolan
likewise the Algonquin, Mogridge made common
cause of hate of the sleek, rich visitors But
always when the winter that roze the straits had
driven away the last of the of the cities and had
brought home the Captains and crews from the boats
Louise there, and her heart loyal The winter
village her world the village of the old homes
of the farmers and lakemen, homes that opened and
entertained and blazed with merry brightness and
warmth when the hotels and the great, fashionable
country homes were cold and dark. And the men who
home from the ships to await the going out OF
the ice in the spring remained her people.
60 Fred Mogridge and Bob Nolan ceased to make
common cause. Each knew that he, or the other
would be Louises CHOICE and while she choosing
the worked ate, slept side by side the ship
each learning to hate to desire disaster for the other
only those who have been friends Favor, APP
parenty, fell to Nolan; then swiftly and suddenly,
came the disgrace that put him away. Still, in Mog
ridges mind, Nolan disputed with him possession Of
Louise The husband read thought of his rival when
she uttered words not clearly explained.
She stirring at this moment and, awakening
sat up. AGoing out, Fred?'
Eyes"
4Its getting terribly cold If this keeps up the ice
will be the straits
you're thinking Nolan will be losing trip?'
She made reply; but shivered and lay down again.
Mogridge, certain of his cause for jealousy,
stamped out to the pilothouse. He found that
winter surely with the clear, fresh cold of
the northern gale which slapped up spray high the
forecastle of the sixthousandton freghter and had
already frozen the anchors and rails sheathng
of ice inches thick which gstened hard and glasslke
under the failing moon.
The yellow light from the west, aided by the cold
CLINT of dawn, showed him the shores both sides
they drew together toward the straits Ice glistened
along both beaches,-ice mounting each moment and
reaching out and forming foes to pack and jam and
hopelessy stopper the strait and lay up ships till
spring Loss of late season voyage would make no
difference to Captain Mogridge. He served but as
skipper pay by the year, hired navigator of the
ship So his wife could feel concern for him over
early closing of the straits.
The case was different with Nolan. This year he
commanded his ship, the Knross and took
his pay and profit from its earnings And so far the
year had not been good. But at Duluth tens Of
thousands of of red iron rusted for bottoms
bear it to Chicago and Gary and into Lake Erie
for the steel mills in the East; copper clamored for