Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1921-05-21
cOpyrIght. lseO. By 1attle. Brown s c

copyright. 1S5O, by Little. Brown & Co.
the mountain men are not saved by
their women without mourning Obliga-
ton. She attempted no barren de-
malls. She made no effort TO pretend
he had not incurred tremendous debt
when she had come with her pistol. 1t
was an unavoidable fact. A life for
a life is the code of the mountains.
Two things | must do before | 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 it will. Maybe it would be
kinder to you to pray that 1t wouldn't;
yet l pray that it WILL Maybe 1 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 I made.
Besides lost. and little else mat
tiers. And that debt to you can't be
paid until sometime l fight again-for
you-and win" He gasped from his
weakness. but went OH bravely. ''rn
never be able to feel at peace, Snow
bird. until I'm tested in the fire before
your eyes! I want to show you the
things CranstOn said of me are not
true-that my courage will stand the
test.
1T wouldn't be the same, perhaps
with an Eastern girl. Other things
matter in the valleys. But l see how
1t 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 l know
what you said to him." he went on.
"Half-unconscious as l was, I remem-
Der every word. Each word just seems
to burn into me, Snowbird, and I'll
make every one of them good. You
said ] am a better man than he, and
sometime 1t 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
If you were a queen, a real queen Of
some great kingdom" he told her,
tremulous with a great awe that was
stealing over him, as a mist steals over
water. "And because l had kissed
your fingers, for ever and ever / was
your subject, living only to fight your
fghtS-maybe with q 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 l could give you. And It's
more than you ever dream. Snowblrd.
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 I kissed you-once before"
she reminded him. The voice was
Just a whisper. hardly louder than the
stir Of the leaves in the wind.
But that kiss didn't count" he told
her. at wasn't at all the same. I
loved you then, I think. but 1t didn't
mean what 1t did today"
"And what" she leaned toward
him. her eyes full on his, "does It
mean nOw?"
"All that's worth while in life, all
that matters when everything is said
that can be said, and all is done that
can be done And II means, please
God, when the debts are paid. that I
may have such n kiss again"
mot until then" she told him,
whispering.
Until then, I make oath that !
won't even ask II, or receive It II Won
should give It. II goes too deep. dear
est-and 1t means too much"
This was their pact. Not until the
debts were paid and her word made
good would those lips be his again.
There was no need for further words
Both Of them knew.
In the skies the gray clouds were
gathering swiftly as always in the
mountains The raIndrops we're fall
ing one and one, over the forest. The
summer was done. and fall had come
in earnest.
ITO BE CONTJNUED)
Ancient Hisfo-V