Charlevoix county herald. (East Jordan, Mich.) 189?-1953, 1920-12-24

| u WOut oe III youI ucAeuse-Ouiy my
own duty"
But he IL 80 strong-and you are
% weak"
II won't be 30 weak forever. new.
or really cared much about living be-
fore. TIL try now. and your see
oh. Snowbird. watt and trust me: I
understand everything. It's my own
nght-when you kissed me. and he
cried down that word in anger and
jealousy. II put the whole thing on me.
No one else can make him answer; no
one else has the right. It's my honor,
no one else's. that stands or falls"
He lifted her hand to his lips and
kissed II again and again.
And for the first time he saw the
tears gathering In her dark eyes. 'But
you fought here. didn't you. Danf"
she asked with painful slcwness. "You
didn't put up your arms--or try to
run away2 I didn't come I'LL he had
| you done. so ! didn't see." She looked
at him as II her whole Joy Of life hung
on his answer.
Fought! I would have fought ill
I died! But that isn't enough. Snow.
bird. II isn't enough just TO fight. IN
case like this. A mans got to win I
would have died II you hadn't come.
And that's another debt that have
70 pay-only that debt owe to you"
She nodded slowly. The lives Of
the mountain men are not saved by
their women without mourning obliga.
| lion. She attempted no barren de-
malls. She made no effort to pretend
he had not incurred a tremendous debt
when she had come with her pistol. II
was an unavoidable fact. life for
life is the code Of the mountains.
"Two things I must do before I can
ever dare to die" he told her soberly.
"One OF them is to pay you the other
Is to pay Cranston for the thing he
said. Maybe the chance will never
come for the first OF the two; only I'll
pray that II will. Maybe II would be
kinder to you to pray that II wouldn't !;
yet pray that II viii! Maybe can
pay that debt only by being always
ready. always watching for chance
to save you from any danger, always
trying to protect you. You didn't
come In time to see the fight made
Besides--I lost. and little else mat
tiers. And that debt to you can't be
paid until sometime fight again--tor
you-and win" he gasped from his
weakness. but went on bravely. "I'l
never be able TO feel at peace, Snow
bird, until I'm tested In the fire before
your eyesi I want to show you the
things Cranston said Of me are not
tru4-that my courage will stand the
test.
ut wouldn't be the same, perhaps.
with an Eastern girl. Other things
matter In the valleys. But I see how
II Is here; that there Is only one
standard for men and by that stand
ard they rise or fall. Things In the
mountains are down to the essen
tials."
he paused and struggled for
strength to continue. "And ] know
what you said to him." he went on.
''Half-unconscious as I was, I remem.
Der every word. Each word Just seems
to burn into me, Snowbird, and TIL
make every one of them good. You
said I am better man than he, and
sometime II would be proved-and It's
the truth Maybe In a month. maybe
In year. I'm not going to die from
this malady of mine now. Snowbird.
I've got too much to live for-too
many debts to pay. In the end. I'll
prove your words to him."
His eyes grew earnest. and the hard
fire went out Of them. "It's almost as
II you were a queen, a real queen Of
some great kingdom" he told her,
tremulous with great awe that was
stealing over him, as a mist steals over
water. "And because ] had kissed
your fingers, for ever and ever was
your subject, living only to fight your
fights-maybe with dream In the
end to kiss your fingers again. When
you bent and kissed me on that hill
side-for him to sect was the same:
that ] was sworn to you, and nothing
mattered In my life except the service
and love I could give you. And It's
more than you ever dream, Snowbird.
It's all yours. for your battles and
your happiness"
The great pines were silent above
them, Swallowed and dark. Perhaps
they were listening to an age-old
story. those vows Of service and self
gained worth by which the race has
struggled upward from the darkness.
"But 1 kissed you-once before"
she reminded him. The voice was
Just whisper. hardly louder than the
stir of the leaves In the wind.
But that kiss didn't count" he told
her. "It wasn't at all the same.
loved you then, think. but II didn't
mean what II did today"
"And what" she leaned toward
him. her eyes full on his. "does II
mean now?"
"AIi that's worth while In life. all
that matters when everything Is said
that can be said. and all Is done that
can he done. And Il means, please
God. when the debts are paid, that ]
may have such kiss again."
"Not until then" she told him,
whispering.
"Until then, I make oath that I