The evening world. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1887-1931, 1916-05-06

was like walking by graveyard
whore some ono was sleeping that he
loved.
II was from such trip that Bruce
camo back to his cabin after two
days. absence more than ordinarily
heavy hearted. II that were possible
though his luck had been unusually
good. lie had n cougar. one lynx ana
six dark marten. Counting the state
bounty on the cougar. the green skins
he brought back represented close 70
n hundred dollars. At that rate DO
soon could go Outside"
But tonight the thought did not
elate him. What was there Tor MN
anywhere? As no had trudged along
the trail through the broken snow.
tho gloom of the canyon had weighed
upon him heavily. but It was tho chill
silence in the bare cabin when he
opened the door that put tho finish
Ing touches upon his misery. Tho
emptiness OF II echoed In his heart.
The blankets were In a mound In
the bunk: no had been too disheart-
cned before no left even to sweep tho
moor: the ashes overlooked the stove
hearth and there was no wood split.
Tho soiled dishes. caked with hard
encd grease. made him sick. Tho
chimney OF the lamp he lighted wns
word IN cheerlessness and there was
no reason to think. Bruce told him
self. that II would not DO In such sur
roundngs that no would end his days.
He was tired. hungry: his vitality
and spirits were at q low ebb.
He warmed over a pan Of biscuits
and cold bacon and threw a handful
of coffee In tho dismal looking coffee
pot. when It was ready he placed
II on the clammy oilcloth and sat
down. He eyed tho food for q mo-
sticky can OF condensed milk, tho
black coffee In tho tin cup. tho bis
cults covered with protuberances that
made them look like painful OF
horned toads. Ito realized suddenly
that. hungry az no had thought him
self he could not eat.
With sweeping. vehement gesture
ne pushed II all from him. Tho tin
cup upset and a small waterfall Of
coffee spiashed upon the moor, tho
can OF condensed milk rolled across
the table and fell off. but he did not
pick II up. Instead. no folded hts
arms upon the oilcloth in tho space
he had made, and dropping HIS fore
head upon his ragged shirt sleeve, he
cried. Bruce had hit bottom.
Older. wiser. Drawer men than
Bruce have cried IN some crisis Of
their lives. Tears arc no sign Of
weakness And they did not come
now because he was quittlng-be-
cause he did not mean 70 struggle on
somehow or because there was any
thing or anybody OF whom he was
afraid. IL was only that he was
lonely. heartsick, Inundated, weary
OF thinking bruised with defeat.
These tears were q fferent from the
ready tears Of childhood. different
from the last he had shed upon his
dead mothers unrcsponsivc shoulder;
these came slowly--smarting, sting
Ing as they rose. His shoulders
moved but he made no sound.
A little way from tho cabin where
the steep trail from Ore CITY dropped
OFF the mountain to tho sudden nat
ness OF the river bar. some dead
branches cracked and a horse fell
over a fallen log. upsetting tho to-
boggan that Il dragged and taking
Uncle Rill with n. Helen hurried TO
the pllc" whore ne was trying to eX-
tricat" himself from the tangle.
"Arc YOU dead, Uncle Rill?"
cant say never died before.
Say" in n quorulous whisper as no
helped tho noundcring horse up,
why don't you notice where you're
goin'2 Here you come down the
mountain IKE you had fur on. your