South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1919-09-21
GreaterLOUe Hath No Man
By Susan Clagett

Josiah Chapman thoughtfully
turned the envelope in his hand
over and over before opening II. It
was like others received at inter
walls during the past months from
the woman he expected 20 marry.
and ne could recall every word she
had written him-meager words.
FOR her handwriting was large, the
correspondence cards she effected
were small. and SIX only had he re-
ceived during the weeks OF her alb
sence- At first he attributed this 70
WEAKNESS. Then he felt angered.
There was also a hurt that she
could give him so little time as
merely to send an address as she
moved from place 20 place. But at
last he accepted the situation, al
though once he thought OF joining
her and coming TO some under
standing OF this unusual state Of
affairs, almost on the eve OF mar
riage. He rejected this. however.
feeling sure he would receive an ex-
PLANTATION later.
He was in this state OF mind
when he opened the envelope. yet
ne paused before reading the card
40 one would have suspected him
OF sentiment, yet this self-contained
man longed for line telling him
he was necessary 10 the woman
who would soon bear his name, and
there was a contraction Of the heart
as he read the words he believed
would give a new address.
In this ne was mistaken. What
he read caused him quickly TO leave
the room Two hours later he was
iourneying westward In the grip Of
a fear Ike nothing he had ever
known.
The letter had been three weeks
upon the way It would be three
weeks before he could reach her.
over and over he re-read the few
written lines H1d concentrated his
mind in. an effort TO discover what
was between them
Joe dear" she had written, "can
YOU come to me at once2 I know
you viii. but six weeks IS long to
wait. You cannot reach me in less
time. and need you so. Harriet"
What ne heard when he reached
Fairbanks increased his anxiety. A
FIRE had burned the hotel there
months before. and taken toll Of
one poor fellows life. The other
inmates. save Harriet Wheeler.
were not in the building at the
time. She had arrived that day.
and, weary with the trip up the
Yukon. had fallen into heavy sleep.
She rouGed later. but not sufficient
ly 10 note that anything was wrong.
and for a space quietly watched the
little srirals Of white drift through
the partition. sleepily wondering
what they could be. Suddenly nos
trils and throat stung. She cough
cd. The white whisps changed TO
acrid smoke and brought a real!za-
ton OF her danger.
She sprang to the door and tried
% make her way out. but the smoke
blinded her Cropping against the
wall she at last stumbled into an
opening that led outside. There.
where should have been safety. she
was struck by a falling timber
She knew little for weeks. When
consciousness returned she found
herself dependent upon the gener-
osity OF the kind-hearted people
who had taken her IN. her letters
Of credit gone and all else she had
with her. A word at a time. as
strength permitted. she had written
20 Josiah Chapman, and as he now
looked down upon her she Won
dered at the inscrutability OF fate
and prayed a breathless prayer for
strength 10 say what she knew
must be said.
Why didn't you telegraph" he