Mountain Home Republican. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1915-1946, 1922-08-18

| 49, 6hoot1 VA thO1C tiG ndu Wdlt.Q8
die with, the Miwaka---of thoss Nh,
would have prospered with Stafford q
cept for what had been done. Cor
vet had secretly susgft and folIowe.
the fate Of the kin at those peopl,
who had been murdered to bene1
him; he found some Of their familie,
destroyed; he found almost all pool
and struggling. And though C6rvel
paid Luke to keep the crime from dis
closure. yet Corvet sworc to himself
| to confess 1t all and make such restl.
| tuition as he could. But each time thai
the day he had appointed with him.
self arrived, he put It Off and Off and
paid Luke again and again. Spear.
man knew Of his intention and some.
times kept him from II. But Coryet
had made one close friend; and when
that friends daughter, for whom Cor
vet cared now most OF all In the world,
mad been about to marry Spearman,
Corvet defied the cost to himself, and
he gained strength to oppose Spear
man. SO he had written to Stafford's
son to come; he had prepared fos con.
fession and restitution but, after no
had done this and while he waited,
something had seemed to break In
his brain; too long preyed upon by
terrible memories, and the ghosts of
those who had gone, and by the echo
OF their voices crying to him from the
water, Corvet had wandered away;
he had Come back, under the name
OF one Of those whom he had wronged,
to the lake life from which he had
sprung. Only now and then. for a
few hours, he had intervals when ne
remembered all In one of these he
had dug up the watch and the ring
and other things which he had taken
from Captain Stafford's pockets and
written to himself directions of what
to do with them, when his mind again
failed
And for Spearman, strong against
all that assalled Corvet, there had been
always the terror of the Indian Drum
the Drum which had beat short for
the Miwaka, the Drum which had
known that one was saved That story
came from some hint which Luke had
spread, Corvet thought; but Spear
man, born near by the Drum, believed
that the Drum had known and that the
Drum had tried to tell; all through
the years Spearman had dreaded the
Drum which had tried to betray him.
SO 1t was by the Drum that, IN the
end, Spearman was broken.
The priests voice had stopped, as
Alan slowly realized: he heard Sher.
ills voice speaking to him.
1T was d trust that he left you,
Alan: | thought 1t must be that
trust for those who suffered by the
oss of your fathers ship. I don't
gnow yet how 1t can be fulfilled; and |
We must think OF that
That's how understand It," Alan
aid.
Through the tumult In his soul he
'ecame aware of physical feelings
gain, and of Sherrill's hand put upon
lis shoulder In cordial, friendly
rasp. Then another hand, sman and
rm, touched his, and he felt Its warm
ightening grasp upon his fingers; he
ooked up, and his eyes filed and hers,
e saw. were brimming too.
They walked together, later in the
ay, up the hill to the small, white
ouse which had been Caleb Stafrord's.
he woman who had come to the door
'as willing to show them through the
ouse; 1t had only Ave rooms. One
those upon the second floor was
} much larger and pieasanter than
le rest that they became quite sure
lat 1t was the one In which Alan
nd been born, and where his young
other soon afterward had died
The woman, who had showed them
bout, had gone to another room and
II them alone.
There seems to have been no pici
ire of her and nothing Of hers left
IRE that any one can tell me about;
it, Alan choked, TITS good to be
lie to think Of her as I can now.
II mean-no one can say anything
,alnst her nowl"
Alan drew nearer her, trembling.
II can never thank you'll can never
L you what You did for me. f,e'iev-
& in--her and In me, no matter how
ings looked. And then, coming up
re as you dld--for mel"
Yes, 1t was for you, Alan"
Constance He caught her. She
him hold her. ,
The woman was returning to them
W and, perhaps, II was as we'll: ;
+ not yet, he knew. could he ask
r all that he wished; what had hap ,
ned was too recent yet for that. But
him, Spearman--half mad and fee
, from the haunts of men--was be- !
ming to be like one who had never !,
en- and he knew she shared this :
fling. The light In her deep eyes !
IS telling him already what her an !,
err to him would be; and life :
etched forth before him full of love :,
d happiness and hope.
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