Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-12-02

young and n dlVOrcee. Some
even thought he returned to America
sooner than he intended in order to
travel on the same steamer thai she
was to take. However, those whis-
pers a not as yet crossed the wa
ter; and even If they had, such things
were too common tt cause much COM
ment. ~.
Then one Monday morning, the
papers were filled with horror over an
unusually terrible automobile acct
dent; in which a party Of seven. of
whom the young Divorce was one
and S~tuyvesant Carter was another,
went over an embankment sixty. feet
in height, the car landing upside
down on the rocks below, and killing
every member of the party. The pa
Brooks, intimate friend Of Carriers,
WHO was to have beenebest man at
the wedding some months previous,
which was postponed on account OF
the sudden illness and deathgssof the
brides mother, was of the party.
. Thus ended the career of Stuyve-
t.saht Carter, and thus the world never
knew exactly why Starr Endicott did
not become Mrs. Carter.
Michael, from the moment. that he
went forth from delivering his mes
sage in the church, saw no more of
the Endicotts. He longed inexpressi-
bly, to call and enquire for Starr; to
get some word Of reconciliation from
her father; to ask if there was not
some little thing that he might be
trusted to do for them; but he knew
that his place was not there, and his
company was not desired. Neither
would he write, for even a note from
him could but seem to Starr a renAin-
der Of the terrible things of which
he had been witness, that is if any
body had ever told her it was he that
brought her home.
One solace alone he allowed him
self. Night after night as he went
home late he would walk far out OF
his way to pass the house and look
up at her window; and always it com
forted him a little to see the dim
radiance of her soft night light; be-
hind the draperies of those windows
somewhere, safe, she lay asleep, the
dear little white-faced girl that he
had been permitted to carry 10 her
home and safety, when she had al
most reached the brink of destruction.
About a week after the fateful
wedding day Michael received a brief
note from Starr.
"My dear Mr.. Endicott:
4rr.e H"rEat+ SE t.."r .tf-. rNr. -E-a' .ef5.. g|
II wish to thank YOU tor your
trouble in bringing me home last
week. cannot understand how you
came tos9be there at that time. Alsa
! am deeply grateful for your kind.
Mhe church. Very sincerely, S. y. H.
Michael felt the covert question in
that phrase. II cannot understand
how o came to be there at. thai
time" She thought, perhaps, that to
carry his point and stop the marriage
h efhads had a, handEin that miserable
business! Well.alet her think 1T. SIT
was not his place to explain, and real
~ of course it would, make little DIFF.
ference to her what she believed
about him. AS well to let 1t rest. He
i belonged out Of her world, and never
And so with the whiteness Of his
face still lingering from the<hard days
OF tension, Michaelswent on, :strainine
every nerve in his work; Keeping the
alley room open nightly even durine
lot weather, and in constant touch
with the farm, which was now fairly
on its feet and almost beginning. tt
earn its own living; though the con.
tributfons still kept coming to- him
quietly, mere and there, and helped sr
the many news plansathat grew ont o,
he many new necessities.
The carpenter had built and built
until there were pretty little bunga.
lows of one and two and three rooms
dotted all about the farm to- be rent.
ed at a low price to the workers. I,
had come to be a little Community BY
itself, spoken Of as ".Old Orchard
Farms" and well. respected in. the
netghborhood, for in truth the mot.
ley company that Michael and San
T gathered there had done far better III
the way Of Observation-Disclosures than
either. had. hoped. They seemed tc
have a pride that nothing that could
hurt the sboss's'' reputation as a
landowner should be laid to theii
charge Msby change there came IN
ito their midst anyfsofdid being who
tcolld not see matters in that light
1.-THE rest promptly taught him better,
or elsegput him out.
And now the whole front yard was
afiame with brilliant flowers In their
season. The orchard had been pruned