The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1914-01-17

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| There was something which bracet
me In his callous frankness. Il hoped.
said. Go on"
We'll, mother hated Jesse some
thin chronic. Afterward when-well
she had to run for the British posses
sions. and we met up with Jesse again
by accident. He give us shack and
some land. but mother an me had our
pride. How would you like to take
charity? Mother hated him still
worse, and don't you imagine I'd 60
back on her. She's my mother,
Then you married Jesse. or course
mother and me both knew that Polly
was alive. Father knew. too-and
father was around when no one but US
ever seen him. We knew that Polly
was alive, and mother would have
| given Jesse dead away, only we stop
ped her. Father said II was none Of
our business. Father liked Jesse. i
thought the world Of you. so when
mother wrote to Polly. we'd burn her
letters"
What an escape for us.
Then you saved mother from burn
ing in that shack, and afterward she
hated Jesse worse, because she
couldn't hit him for fear of hurting
you. Oh, she was mad because she'd
got fond of you.
And you took us into your ranch.
Charity again. and you sailin under
Protestant colors, both OF yez. The
way mother prayed for Jesse was
enough to scorch his bones" Billy
chuckled. II amt religious drink.
and mothers professin' Catholic cuts
no figure with me.
Then there's the fightin' between
fathers gang and Jesses. Dad got
hung, Jesse got the dollars. Rough,
common. no-account. white trash. like
mother an me. hears Jesse expound-
ing the Scriptures. We Amt got no
feelings same as you"
Poor lad! Poor savage gentleman!
you saved me from numbering
Jesse. and got me away from that
ranch. Since then I've followed the
sea. There's worse men there than
Jesse. l seen worse grub, worse treat
ment, worse times in general since
quit the ranch. Five years at sea-"
There was the glamour. the great
ness OF the sea in this lads eyes. just
as in Jesse's eyes. Sailors may be
rugged. brutal, ferce-not vulgar.
Men reach out into spaces where we
sheltered women cannot follow.
Suppose I've grown said Billy.
Well. mum. | got notion to go home.
Signed as A. B. in four. masted bark
Clan Innes out O. Glasgow, for Vancou-
yer with general cargo. ] quit her at
Vancouver, made Ashcroft by C. P. r..
blind baggage mostly. then hit the
road afoot l thought I'd take my de-
parture from the Fifty-Nine."
The old bush trailr'
Hard goin', but then expected, OF
course, mother'd be there at the
ranch, and you, mum. an Jesse. OF
course. and"
You must have found things
changed when you got to the ranch"
Didn't get there. I'd news at Hat
Creek, and KEEP the road main north.
Mother wasn't at the ranch any more.
She'd poisoned Jesse's bear. oh. mum.
! don't want to hurt
Go on. dear lad"
"Mother'd took up with Polly at
Spite House"
Spite House?"
ITS the Ninety-Nine Mile House
There's sign board right across the
road:
THE NINETY-NINE
MRS. JESSE SMITH
HOTEL, STORE, LIVERY.
-
"She did that e. spite Jesse, and
they call the place Spite House."
Spite House! Ilow right Father ia
red was. SWORD versus dragon" he
told US, lis heroic; sword versus
cockroach is heroiss. Don't draw your
sword on cockroach."
This much ueed to explain to
young O'Flynn. whose Irish blood has
fine sense of huEior But the smile
he gave me was ope of pity, turning