Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1917-03-22
Copyright, 1916, by the
CHAPTER XIV.
he Camp Heaven.

'oAJ beautiful tnlnS tnat | discovered,
through a window under a vine of
roses that opened upon that back
porch.
"A very pretty young girl, with hair
the color Of the maize in the fields, Law
upon a white bed beneath a quilt Of
many colors. The eyes of the mother
were closed, and her arm held a babe
loosely as if in deep dreaming. 1
softly poured the water into the basin,
maze clean my hands and quietly
Withdrew into the kitchen, with much
care That l did not awaken her. On
my cheeks could feel a deep glow Of
color, and something within nv heart
pounded with force against my own
breast under its gay red coat of a
hunting man. l could not raise nv
eyes to those of my Gouverneur Faulk-
ner, and l ate not as much of that
good breakfast as Robert Carruthers
could have consumed if the woman in
his heart had not been so stirred.
And all of that long day in the soft
early spring which was bursting into a
budding and a Towering under the feet
OF our horses and above our heads in
the trees, it was the woman Roberta
that rode at the side of my Gouver-
neur Faulkner, with her heart at ache
under her coat of a man. 1t was with
dlf1lculty that | forced my eyes to
: meet and make answer to the merri-
ment and joy of the woods in his deep
ones. and l was Of great gladness when
fhn 6nS0an1inU Of fbn SIM ro,rI :,
moon silvered twilight down upon us
from the young green branches of the
large trees of the forest through which
we rode.
Time to make camp. We've got to
old Jutting rock. You are halfway up
between heaven and earth. youngster."
said my GOuverneur Faulkner as he
drew to a halt his horse in front of me
and pointed down into the dim valley
that lay at our feet.
II am glad that we have MAZE this
Camp Heaven" l answered to him as
slid from my horse. ungirtheu him
and drew from his back the heavy sad
die he had worn for the iay. as l had
been taught by my father to 90 after a
days hunting if no groom came imme-
diately. us it that you have hunger.
my Gouverneur Faulkner"
only about ten pounds Of food crav-
ing he made answer tu me With a
large laugh that w%s the first | had
ever heard him to give forth. I'll rus
tie the fire and water if you'll open the
food wallet and feed the horses"
I,pr,o1;,+o1 7 x;1l Il. All - q t1,,A, y, I
Smade an answer to him, and because
Of the happiness of that laugh he had
given forth a gladness rose i'll my
heart that made me again that merry
boy Robert.
And 1t was with a great industry for
: a short hour that we prepared the
Camp Heaven for a sojourn Of a night.
Upon a very nice hot fire l put good
bacon to cook. and my e]ouverneur set
also the pot Of coffee upon the Goals.
Then, while l made crisp With the heat
the brown corn pones with which that
Granny Bell had provided us, he
brought a large armful Of a very fra
grant kind of tree and threw it not fal
into the shadow Of the great tree which
was the roof to our Camp Heaven.
Bed" he said as he came and stood
beside the fire in a large towering over
me. 1 dropped beyond rescue n frag-
ment Of that corn bread into the ex-
IRENE heat Of the Goals, but l said,
with a great composure and a brief.
Sess like unto his words:
Supper"
"Why is it that a man thinks be
wants more of life's goods than fA-
tigue, supper and bed, do you suppose
boyY' question my Gouverneur Faulk,
ner to me as at last in repletion he
leaned back against our giant rooftree
between two Of whose h%ospitable large
roots we had made our repast, and
lighted a pipe of great fragrance. which
he had taken from his pocket.
II would not possess happiness even
though l had this nice supper if l was
alone in this great forest. your excel
lency. l would have fear" l answered
him, with a small laugh as l took my
corduroy knees into my embrace and
looked off into that distant valley be
low US which was beginning to glow
with stars Of home lights,
Didn't l tell you once that YOU dom
count, that you are just myself, young
ster? You ought not to know l all
here. don't know you exist except as
a form of pleasure Of which I do not
ask the reason" was the answer thai
my Gouverneur Faulkner made to me.
II Excuse myself away with humble
ness for impertinence, your excellen
Cyl" l returned to him.
"If you tried do you think you could
call me Bill just for tonight, boy" was
the answer he made to my excuses as
he pulled IL beautiful ring Of smoke a,
me.