The Watertown news. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1917-1919, 1917-12-21

quaint recital of his life for year in
the camps and settlements along the
Yukon.
"T'll be glad to get back to my old
work, clay modelling" he told her. "No
more lure OF gold for me. Nature re-
.sents the raiding Of her precious treas
ure house and winter comes to her res
cue, a powerful ally. Where is your
stepfather, miss? Maybe I could in
,duce him to give up the unequal fight
in this wilderness and take you back
among your friends"
81 have no friends" mournfuIly
spoke Marta KinyOn. ''They are scat
tered and lost. I will have to become
humanized all over again when I go
back to civilization. My stepfather
picked up a few nuggets treking for
a week, and is over at the settlement
gambling and drinking it up"
"He is no blood kin Of yours" alb
ruptly and almost severely declared
Rigby Dale. "Why should you sacrl
flee your young life for q man who
neglects and forgets your"
81 promised my dead mother to hold
to him amid his weakness and sin. At
heart he Is not bad. He truly loved
my mother. 1t is poor luck and cruel
drink that have made him what he Is"
There was a jingle of sleighbells.
| Marta went to the window. The post
carrier was outside. He beckoned to
| her and she went to the door.
you're wanted at Danby's," he
| shouted. eve got your father that far
! bot he was so bad we had to leave him
| there. He's dead gone with drink and
| the fever, and is calling for you all the
time"
81 must go to him at once" qua
vered Marta
"Get your traps" spoke Dale. "I've
got my sled and the four dogs and
we can whisk you there in jiffy, if
| 1t isn't too far"
"It is half way between the settle
ment and here" said Marta. cit is
out Of your way. I have tramped it
before"
"You won't this time" declared Dale
stanchly. "Poor little snowbird I" he
added sorrowfully. "My heart feels
| for you"
He placed Marta as carefully among
the sleigh robes as though she were
some grand lady. It took five hours
to reach Danby's. In double hut be-
| longing to an old, decrepit Indian they
found the old man, dying, indeed The
Indian had partitioned off one corner
of the dreary, shedlike structure with
skins, kept q smoky oil lamp going for
heat and was dispensing to his doomed
patient decoction of herbs.
"Um-good medicine he told the
newcomers "but him not live. Fire
water poison him think" and he sol
emily tapped his head.
| Lew Kinyon was nearing the col
lapse Of the faculties he had weakened
with liquor. He recognized his step
daughter, but raved and raved, his
mental agony superseding his physical
pain and commissions. All his thoughts
seemed to be on the life he had vast
ed. Some wild idea had filled his mind
that If he could get to a church and
at its holy altar pray that his sins
might be forgiven and he could pass
away peacefully amid the holy calm
Of the sacred place.
"He will not live" Dale told Marta.
who tried to do all she could for the
sufferer in busy ministrations. 81 shall
not leave you"
Her wistful, longing eyes silently
thanked him. Her stepfather never
ceased amid his shrieking delirium to
cry out for forgiveness for his wasted
life. The altar Of mercy alone should
save his soul! He pictured out men
tally a church scene in the far past,
where he had made new resolutions at
the altar, alas! only to break them.
The anguish of remorse was consum-
ing him.
81 have something to do" spoke
Dale, after pityingly watching the suf-
ferer for some time. He beckOned to
the Indian, and leaving Marta alone
at the side of her stepfather, went past
the hanging skins into the cheerless
untenanted portion Of the big hut. Dale
searched among his traps. It was to
bring to light a case of his old clay
modelling tools. He had always kept
them with him. He paid the Indian
some money, who assisted him in
bringing into the hut from the outside
half a hundred baskets full of snow.
Then, on this mere fringe Of civiliza-
ton the artist piled his calling for a
strange purpose.
At length he had the snow altar COM
pieted. perfect replica of one he had
seen in marble, even to the two angel
sentinels at it's side, and skilled work
showed the perfection of genius. He
placed half score of thick candles
provided by the Indian about the altar
and lighted them.
| They lifted Lew Kinyon on his rude
couch past the skin curtains and in
| front of the altar. In a moment the
wild rawlings ceased. Across the worn
| face there stole smile Of fneffable
relief.
His fevered hand rested repOsefully
in that Of Marta, and babbling Of
green fields and the happy past, he
passed away in peace.
"Will you come with me-friend,
sister?' asked Rigby Dale gently the
next day, after they had buried her
| stepfather. SIT is many miles, there
are dangers, perils, but we must reach
another world than this"
| Marta broke down utterly. She sank
| RI cnOyu hummooL and no hoSi6a her