The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1918-06-14

HceN u TAN man carrying u cane ana
dressed in exceptionally good clothes
for this CRY of non-pretending, rough
going, ~big-rearted folk. The stranger
walked up to the desk and asked the
clerk for a key. When he turned
around to mount the stairs his face
was in plain view. and Earl saw that
it was saliow, with a fixed expression
Of cynicism and lines Of dissipation.
SWELL start for the mainland day
after tomorrow" announced Stevens,
discarding his h~alf-smoked cigar. "An'
We've got a 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, hut before
settling himself for the night Earl in
CURED casualty.
Say, who was that prosperous,
sickly looking person that walked into
the hotel and got Il key from the clerk
while we were talking downstairs?''
Stevens pondered a moment before
replying:
"Oh, yes, l know who you NEAR 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 rs prosperous as he looks.
But he %squanders his cash like 1t was
water, mostly for booze. He's got
plenty of 1t, cause he struck 1t 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 a
pipe, a 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 II I had a reg'lar
girl who cared for me l 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. ~~.--4~
Back In Gemport a dark-eyed girl
tossed r~estlessly in bed, her brain
racked BY q ftful 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
boreal!s was differing phantomlike
across the sky, presenting to her
minds eye q 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 e~nveloped her in q draft,
but she did not notice 1t. Standing
there, with her eyes fixed on the arch
of Oscillating g~host-colurnns of light,
she stretched out her arms to the north
1 ulu ASsuNu u SllStIts SOul-ILSDlECu Cdll
to the nan she loved.
Up where those phantom armies
moved, the mar heard the call. While
he slept his lips formed the name,
"Elsie," and a smile wreathed his face.
Her picture formed In his mind, but it
fingered only q moment. Then his
thoughts ran rampant, and q dream
fantasy caught him and whisked him
about like a chip in a whirlpool. He
gripped something. he knew not what,
and succeeded in steadying himself.
He found that he was In q theater
watching a screen play. in which a
laborer with a %dinner-pail and a tall,
expensively-garbed man, carrying a
cane on his arm and q sardOnic ex-
preston on his face, were the leading
characters. The play ended when the
labOrer saddled and bridled Caldwell
Hurst and rode the latter toward q
deep canyon, applying a 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.
"Whatll you smoker" Stevens sug-
gested. as they stood before a cigar
stand after eating a substantial break
fast.
Il want to buy a 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. Ed" he finally remarked, as
that John Pierce where you can reach
him?'
Stephens teeth wrenched some to-
bacco from the end of a cigar, aud he
spat in a cuspidor.
"Why, yes," he replied, arching his
eyebrows. "Why?"
"Well, it's this way." said Earl de-