The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-02-26
EVENING sTORY
Dams ReparatiOn.
(By Susan Clagett-

a gentleman, that he is a delightful
companion. 1 feel his charm as well
as you but to have him something
nearer than a friend is not to be
| thought of. You must give up that
foolish idea"
idea" scoffed Dams sister. 81 love
Larry O,Connor. Dan. 1 am thirty
years old and he is the first man
! have ever cared for save yourself.
| knowing this, do you think will give
him up %
! You are old enough not to let your
heart get the better of your Judgment,
your common sense. If you were six
| teen you would believe blindly that all
things are possible to love, that estab
lished traits of character become as
| nothing compared to it. AT thirty no
such thought is possible. Existence
and observation have taught you diff
| ferently- You cannot change fixed
habits at sixteen or thirty. 1 have
| known OfConnor for six years. know
| him as one man comes to know an
other up here in the mines. He is a
true friend. He will divide his last
penny with an enemy if that enemy
IS hungry, but he can no more keep
out of game of chance than you can
keep from breathing. He left Christ
mas night and went directly to Nc
Dougans. He broke the bank. AT
daybreak he took his team and started
for Fort Gibbon. 1 heard today he
made cleanup there"
There is no possibility Of mis-
takes?"
None" emphatically. Il wish there
were. Can you believe 1 would DELHI
stories?''
81 must think it out, Dan,. Ellen
answered slowly. Il love him.
fancy there is little difference between
the glamour of love at sixteen and at
thirty, when it comes for the first
time at thirty She looked thought
fully across the ice-bound river where
they had paused on the way home
| from his office. II must think it out,
DAN" she repeated.
/ And that was all he could get from
her.
1t had turned bitterly cold, the cold
that freezes cheeks and eXtremities
| unawares- Fortunately there was no
wind, but in crossing the flats Larry
O'Connor had to pause several times
to thaw the ice from the feet of his
dog team Each time he stopped there
came a whimper from the bundle on
the sled, and at longer pause a
| voice said irritably:
My heart is freezing, Larry. Aren't
we almost there? Damn your stub
bornness in making me take the
trip,'f ,+
There was nothing else to do, Tim.
| I had to get you away. You have
I about finished me in Fairbanks. as
you have in every other place 1 have
been, for you have followed me from
| Dawson to Nome and back to Fair
banks. Now 1 am thru with you.
leave you at Fort Gibbon. What you
do thereafter is nothing to me, save
this: You are to keep away from
me. They will care for you at the
fort until you can travel. Then hit
the post trail for Holy Cross"
ION frozen feet?"
you have a bag of dust. Buy a
team or hire one. 1 am Indifferent
; which. 1 think the only thing 1 care
about is that 1 never see you again.
Larry's voice was hard.
Il am your brother
O'Connor suppressed an eXclama
ton You have used that argument
for the last time, Tim and as the
team settled down to work silence
fell except for the occasional crack
of the long whip hich, without
, touching the dogs, made them take
the trail at a speed that took them
into Tannana before night
Larry left his team at Gibbon, re-
turning the next morning on Orr's
stage. The first person he met upon
, reaching Fairbanks. as he was the
+ last with whom he had spoken before
leaving. was Dan Holiday. O'Connor
stiffened as he saw him. He could
not forget their talk, a talk that had
that he had seen for years into black
Irage and despair. Dams words had
' been with him turnout the hard drive
to the fort. They had filled his con-
( seriousness as he returned. He would
nave passed with a curt nod but that he
, saw Ellen standing near her brother.
His heart missed beat as he caught
, sight of her, her arms filled with
/ tamarack. her gay cap and blanket
= coat making a spot of brilliant color
against the grayness of the coming
night She nodded gayly nd called
| 10 him that she was keepin open
| house New Years day and he must
| come and help decorate the rooms.
| Dan wheeled about and looked ut
| her with a heavy frown. Larry thank
| ed her, but said he had an engage
] ment. ILL, =
BREAK it." she commanded with ), a a
i 1auph ..All the world, including the
It butcher. the baker and the candie-
:. stick maker. are coming, and there
Q will be no place else for you TO %,
: so come you must" But her near az
: sank little she mao hou n,, tho
y had always before met in the friend
Q hest vav. She now knew that Dan
had spoken to Larry before ne lei,
Fairbanks, but for some reason hau
left his talk with her until that eve
ming after the arrival of the stage
=. She moved away, but called back over
her shoulder, Il will expect you. Don
disappoint me-"
: s1Of course you must come, Oar
& said, studiously polite gu cahno
!: stay away without causing comment:
e Comment be damned" Larry sale
n savagely as he walked away
Y All thru New Years day ana even
4 ing Ellen watched and waited Ther
y he came so late that her heart nae
, crown chill with fear AS he made hi:
y way toward her he was stopped py
-s newcomer. Ellen could not help bu
u oyerhear their conversation
where is Tim? l heard he wa
with YOU" said the newcomer
n Larry hesitated. He was, for
time" His eyes rested upon Dan
~ who was standing near The two o
q Nc went to the fort on Christina.