Little Falls herald. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1889-1950, 1918-02-01
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break through the reserve Of his mate.
And at last he succeeded. Gradually
Edison became so that he longed for
and cherished the companionship. Ned
Walters told of a wife and little child,
whom he had been forced to leave to
seek work where he could find it. He
had landed up against the hard servi-
tude of the logging camp. Once a
month he sent to the nearest post Of
fee with the camp messenger his en-
tire salary, to be forwarded to the
loved ones at home. One day he sat
reading and rereading a letter he had
received from his wife. It seemed to
Cypress him greatly.
"Bad news" insinuated Edison in
sympathetic inquiry.
pretty bad" responded Walters.
"You see, our few sticks Of furniture
were mortgaged, and they are bringing
the pressure of collection to bear. I
can't send enough to run the house and
release the debt"
"Will that help?" asked Edison, hand
ing over his pay envelope.
eyes, but" =
money is no use to me. I have no
home, no friends to send it to-" MUIR
INJURED Edison in broken voice. "You
! are welcome to it, mate"
1T will be repaid, believe me that /"
cried Walters, overcome with RELIEF
and Joy.
! One month later Edison Worth was
taken down with q two-weeks' spell of
fever. Walters nursed him constantly.
When Edison recovered, Walters in
formed him that a relative of his wife
had come to the rescue of the family
and had secured an opening for work
for him back In his home city.
"You will receive back that money
you SO generously loaned me just as
soon as get my bearings" promised
Walters.
It was pretty lonesome for Edison
after this chance friend left him.
Then one day he made discovery that
unsettled him greatly. On a strip Of
paper lying under the bed he observed
penciled rotations, his own name, that
Of the station ne had deserted and the
name of Marie Duntley.
Edison tried to figure out the mean
ing of this. The handwriting was that
of Walters. Suddenly his mind was
1llumined. In his fevered delirium he
had barred all the story Of the past,
and Walters had it in mind to investi-
gate it when he returned to civilian
ton. No matter what kindly motive
might impel him, there was danger Of
his setting the emissaries Of the law
upon his track.
Cowardly fear oppressed the forlorn
refugee. He decided to leave the
camp. The first sledge over to War
renton, the nearest post, Edison AS a
passenger. There was no train for
twenty-four hours. The little station
was free to all. He slept upon one of
its benches that night, got his break
fast outside and then sat down in the
station again to wait for the train.
Edison had dozed. Only himself and
the depot agent were in evidence. He
aroused at the sound Of the ticking of
the telegraph instrument. Then he
sat bolt upright like one turned to
stone, for the message came over the
wires:
AT any expense learn at once If a
man calling himself Mark Lane is still
at the logging camp" And the sender
of the message-oh! he could not mis-
take that peculiar telegraph touch
was Marie Duntley! His senses reeled,
he doubted the evidence of reason.
What could it mean? She, his love,
the fond spirit of ali his dreams way
up here at lands end, and seeking
him! Only love, loyal love, could bring
about this situation. Edison staggered
to the window of the little office.
''That wire," he spoke in an unsteady
tone-tfrom Bassville?"
eyes. What's the matter, friend?"
II am the person inquired about.
Wire back that I will be at Bassville
on the next train"
What was he rushing into? Upon
what vague menacing fate? What was
he to meet? Marie, only Marie!
radiant face, she greeted him twelve
hours later.
"My poor dead! my suffering, deso-
hate lover she sobbed. "YOur friend,
Mr.. Walters, came to me, and I left
everything to bear to you the tidings of
wonderful happiness
'The wreck at the bridge"
"Not Merrivale bridge, on our line,
but one hundred miles away. You
slept at your post and misconstrued
it all. Close your eyes and put your
face close to mine, heart Of my heart,
for whom I have pinned and pined, and
loved, and then a little prayer, a fer
vent word of gratitude, that the dark
cloud of your life is lifted at last!"
Once Ruled Most Of World.
For more than six centuries Arab