Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-01-19

had he gone when the beast came to
the cabin. He found himself alone
with the woman.
"a mile from his cabin the husband
stopped to light his pipe. See, gentle
men. how the supreme arbiter played
his hand. The man attempted to I'M
screw the stem, and the stem broke.
In the wilderness you must smoke.
Smoke is your company. 1t is voice
and companionship to you. There were
other pipes at the settlement, ten miles
away, but there was also another pipe
at the cabln- mile aMaZs 50 the
husband turned back. He came up
quietly to his door. thinking that he
would surprise his wife. He heard
voices-a mans voice, n woman's cries.
He opened the door. and in the excite
ment of what was happening within
neither the man nor the woman saw or
heard him. They We're struggling. The
woman was in the mans arms. her
hair torn down, her small hands beat
ing him In the face. her breath coming
In low, terrified cries. Even as the
husband stood there for the fraction of
a second taking in the terrible scene
the other man caught the woman's
face to him and kissed 1t. And then
it happened. 1t u n terrible fight.
and when 1t was over the benst lay on
the floor bleeding and dead. Gentle
men, the supreme arblter broke Il pipe
stem and sent the husband back in
timer
NJ $40 1HNI~oT-. Iv,AIar CI,n t.Io+ Il yaxxr
his coat still closer about him. Above
the tumult of the storm another sound
came to them, the distant piercing
shrek of a whistle.
1.-THE husband dug a grave through
the snow and In the. frozen EARTH con-
cluded Father Charles, and late that
afternoon they packed up a bundle and
set out together for the settlement.
The storm overlook them. They had
dropped for the last time into the
snow, about to die in each others
arms, when l put my light in the win
dow. That is all, except that l knew
them for several years afterward and
that the old happiness returned to
them-and more, for the child vas
born, a miniature of its mother. Then
they moved to another part of the will
derneSs and / to still another. So you
see, gentlemen. what a s~nowbound
train may mean, for if an old sea tale.
a broken pipestem'-
The door at the end of the smoking
o opened suddenly. Through it
there came a cold blast of the storm, a
cloud of snow and a man. He was
bundled in a great bearskin coat, and
as he shook out its folds his strong,
rudy face smiled cheerfully at those
whom he had interrupted.
Then suddenly there came a change
in his face. The merriment went from
it. He stared at Father Charles. The
priest was rising, his face more tense
and whittier still. his hands reaching out
to the stranger.
In another moment the stranger had
leaped to him-not to shake his hands,
but to clasp the priest in his great
arms, shaking him and crying out a
strange joy, while for the first time
that night the pale face of Father
Charles was lighted up with a red and
joyous glow.
After several minutes the newcomer
released Father Charles and turned to
the others. with a great, hearty laugh.
Gentlemen he said. you must par
don me for interrupting you like this.
You will understand when / tell you
that Father Charles is an old friend of
mine, the dearest friend / have on
earth, and that l haven't seer him for
years. l was his first penitent!"