Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1918-06-26


dressed In exceptionally good clothes
for this city of non-pretending, rough.
going, big-hearted folk. The stranger
walked up to the desk and asked the
clerk for key. When he turned
around to mount the stairs his face
was in plain view, and Earl saw that
1t was sallow, with fixed expression
Of cynicism and lines of dissipation.
"We'll start for the mainland day
after tomorrow" announced Stevens,
discarding his half-smoked cigar. AN
we've got whole lot to attend to to-
morrow. so we'd better get to bed"
They climbed the stairs to their
room, which contained two BEDS
Earl was tired and he lost no time
about getting under the covers. There
was little conversation, but before
settling himself for the night Earl in
quired casually:
"Say, who was that prosperous,
slckly looking person that walked into
the hotel and got key from the clerk
while we were talking downstairs7'
Stevens pondered moment before
replying:
"Oh. yes, know who you mean. I
didn't recollect at first who it was you
referred to, but l remember seeing
Caldwell Hurst come in during our
palaver. Yep, that was Caldwell Hurst
an he's just as prosperous as he looks.
But he squanders his cash like it was
water, mostly for booze. He's got
plenty of it, cause he struck it rich
three years ago; but they say he lost
his girl back in the States while he
was hunting gold in the Klondike, an
he's been tryin' to drown his sorrow
ever since. He hasn't any home 'cept
this hotel and the saloons"
Earl turned over and closed his eyes.
Into his mind flashed a picture of a
contented laborer, putting placidly at
pipe, dinner-pail on his arm, hurry
ing home to a loving wife and cheerful
fireplace. Earl was drifting to sleep
when he heard Stevens remark philo-
sophically:
"He'd better have kept the girl and
enjoyed peace of mind than to have all
the wealth of all the kingdoms of the
earth. You can bet if had a regular
girl who cared for me I wouldn't be
chasin' nuggets. Not me-"
"Good night" said Earl.
"Good night" Stevens responded,
with less emphasis, failing to catch the
hidden significance in his companions
expression.
Back in Gemport dark-eyed girl
tossed restlessly in bed, her brain
racked by fitful fever that would not
permit sleep to come. At last she got
out Of bed and went to the window,
which faced the north. The aurora
borealis was ALTERING phantomlike
across the sky, presenting to her
minds eye picture of icebergs heav-
ing and tossing, surging back and
forth, as restless as her own soul.
A cool breeze swept in through the
window and enveloped her in a draft,
but she did not notice it. Standing
there, with her eyes fixed on the arch
OF Oscillating ghost-columns of light,
she stretched out her arms to the north
and issued silent, soul-inspired call
to the man she loved.
Up where those phantom armies
moved, the man heard the call. While
he slept his lips formed the name,
''Elsfe," and a smile wreathed his face.
Her picture formed in his mind, but it
fingered only moment. Then his
thoughts ran rampant, and a dream
fantasy caught him and whisked him
about like a chip in whirlpool. He
grfpped something, he knew not what,
and succeeded in steadying himself.
He found that he was in a theater
watching a screen play, in which q
laborer with dinner-pail and tall,
expensively-garbed man, carrying q
cane on his arm and a sardonic ex-
preston on his face, were the heading
characters. The play ended when the
laborer saddled and bridled Caldwell
Hurst and rode the latter toward q
deep canyon, applying whip merci-
lessly. At the edge of the precipice
the laborer suddenly leaped from his
mount and steadied himself on the
brink, while the spender galloped into
space and dropped into the abyss.
Early In the morning Earl and his
friend dressed and went down to the
lobby.
"What'n you smoker Stevens sug-
gested, as they stood before a cigar
stand after eating substantial break
fast.
II want to buy briar pipe and some
tobacco" said Earl.
Stevens took an expensive cigar and
both lighted from the same match.
Earl drew slowly on the pipe, think
| ing hard.
"Say, 3D." he finally remarked, "1s
that John Pierce where you can reach
him?"
Stephens teeth wrenched some to-
bacco from the end Of a cigar, and he
spat In cuspidor.
"Why, yes," he replied, arching his
eyebrows. "Why?"
"Well, it's this way" said Earl de-
liberately, you'd better see him and
take him with you. thought the spirit
Of adventure was still alive in me, but
l was mistaken. I've got enough
money to take me back to Washing
ton, and I'm going to be a piker for
the first time in my life and get pas
sage on the first boat" >.