The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1919-06-13
CHAPTER XXI.
The White NIGHT.

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stumbling into camp, wet to the skin.
Don't you say letters to me, Mac.
I'm going to bed. Tell Ling l don't
want any dinner. He'll want to fuss
up souething. don't want to see
food"
The day. confused and jumbled,
burned across his eyeballs; a turmoil
OF hustle and hurry of insurrection. He
had made a swift stand against that.
He was to be minded to the last man.
Jack Of them. or anyone would 90, his
threat Including the engineers. Silent,
Irish, Wooster, Hardin himself. This
was no time for factions, for leader
feeling.
In bed the day with its irritations
fell away. He could see now the step
uE1ad that had been taken; the last
trestle was done; the rock-pouring
well on; he called that going some!
He felt pleasantly languid, but not yeti
sleepy. His thought wandered over the
resting camp. And tpen lines Hardin
came to him.
Not herself, but as Va soft little
thought which came creeping around
the; corner of his dreams. She had
been there, of course, all day, tucked
away in his mind, as though lin bis
home waiting for him TO come tpcksto
her, weary from the pricks Of the day.
The way he would come home to her,
please God, some day. Not bearing
his burdens to her, he did not believe
in that, hnt asking her diversions. Con-
tcntment spread her soft wings over
him. He felrasleep.
Richard wakened as to call. What
had startled him? He listened, rails
ing himself by his elbow. From a dis
lance, a sweet high voice, unreal in its
Ditch and thrilling quality, came to
him. 1t was Godfrey, somewhere on
the levee, singing by the river. 1t
brought him again to lines Hardin.
He pulled aside his curtain which
hung over the screening Of his tent
and looked out into moon-flooded
world. Richards eyes fell on little
tent over yonder, white shrine.
"WEite as that fine sweet soul Of
hers!"
Wandering into the night. Godfrey
passed down the river, singing. His
voice, the footJights, the listening
great audiences were calling to him.
70 him, the moon-fiooded levee, the
glistening water. made a star-set
scene. He was treading the boards,
the rushing waters by the bank gave
the orchestration for his melody-"Ea
Donna e Mobile" He began it to Gerty
Hardin; she would hear 1t In her tent
she would take 1t as the tender re.
proach he had leased her with that
afternoon In the ramada.
He gave for encore ballad long
forgotten; he had pulled 1t back from
the cobwebs Of two decades; he had
made It his own.
But, my darling. you Will be,
Ever young and fair to me-"
1t came, the soaring voice, to Tor
Hardin, outside Gerty's tent on his
lonely cot. He knew that song. Dis
dained by his wife, pretty figure Q
man cuts! If his wife can't stant
him. who can? He wasn't good enough
for her. He was rough. His life hat
kept him from fitting himself to hel
taste. She needed people who could
talk like Richard, sing like Godfrey
People, other people, might miscon
strue her preferences. He knew the!
were not fiirtations; she needed hel
kind. She would always keep straight
she was straight rs a whip. Life wa:
as hard for her as It was for him; HI
could feel sorry for her; his pity was
divided between the two Of them, thu
husband, the wife, both lonely In theil
own way.
On the other side Of the canvas
walls. Gerry Hardin lay listening t.
the message meant for her. The tickle
sex, he had called hers; no constanc,
in woman, he had declared, fondlint
her hair. He had tried to coax Nhel
into pledges, pledges which were alst
disavowals to the man outside.
Silver threads! Age shuddered n
her threshold. She hated that song
Cruel, life had been to her; none Of III
promises had been kept. To be happy
wny,y tnat Whs puh"h phtiibhs
grab II. that was her creed There
was a chance yet youth had not gone
He was singingit to her, her escape
Darling, you will be.
Ever young and fair to me-"
Godfrey, Ringing. to Gerty Hardin
had awakened the camp. Innes, II
her tent, too, was listening.
i"Darling, you will be.
Ever young Ind fair to mel"
50 that Is the miracle, that wild
rush Of certain feeling! Yesterday
doubling. tomorrow, more doubts--bu
tonight, the song, the night Isolated
them, herself and Richard, into a
world Of their own. Life with him or
any terms she wanted.
CHAPTER xxxIII.