The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-09-21
THESE OTHER WAYS
BY RUBY ". MARTYR

~ that instant the watchman's back
was turned--a boy and girl Of the city
hotsam, his cigarette-stained fingers
clinging to the sleeve Of her fimsy
sweater, imagining they would not be
disturbed In the shadow Of that lumber
pile stacked at the further end. From
behind them came the mingled murmur
Of city sounds that swelled to roar
when an elevated train rumbled along
the tracks at the head Of the wharf.
Fearsomely dark water Tapped and
ebbed around the piles under the
planking. and yonder lighted ferry
boat crept toward Its lighted slip at
the other side Of the harbor. There
in the shadow the boy and girl were
young enough to be afraid. Jenny
twitched her fimsy sleeve from Joes
stained fingers.
Then they heard the nearing step
Of the watchman, whom they had not
evaded, after all. Instantly. Jenny
shrank closer among the shadows Of
the lumber pile. Joe clenched his fists
and took an involuntary step back
ward. The back step brought him
over the edge Of the wharf, and turn
ing upside-down, he was plunged head
first into the cold wash Of the dirty
water. Jenny's scream brought the
watchman into quicker action. But
the tide was running hard that night
and Joe's body wasn't found by the
authorities What happened to Jenny
no one knew or cared.
That autumn a fellow called Brick"
worked at the Eliot farm, and then
stayed on through the winter to chop
wood. At first his back ached furir
ously and his hands blistered and the
cleanness Of this wide outdoors be-
gan to startle him. A man needed
or II he was to work, the ground and
gather of its bounty; man wouldn't
dare live in this sunshine and storm
and hear the night winds drawing
through the tree tops, unless he
cleaned his heart. When spring came,
wages to make a payment on piece
Of woodland which he meant to work
up for himself the following winter.
There was an old cabin on 1t where
he could live. But for this summer he
was to work at the Eliot farm.
Planting time passed eventually and
! the Eliot truck commenced to go to
the city market with loads of abun-
dant harvest. Brick" had been In
once with Mr.. Eliot when the ener-
gency call came for him to go alone.
He could drive the truck and he
needn't lose his way in the procession
that nightly wound its length from the
fertile river bottom lands to the his
toric market place. The red light OF
the truck ahead glowed at its dis
tance on straight stretches Of the road
and disappeared around the curves
only to reappear at the next straight
ening of the cement ribbon. Dis
tances between the towns lessened ;
here was the smaller city across the
river mouth from the metropolis.
Brick" felt his truck rumble out
upon the great bridge that spanned the
stretch of dark water lights spangled
the rails of both sides; lights spangled
the streets Of the sleeping city. A
clock striking somewhere penetrated
the quiet purr of the smoothly rum
ming engine. Amid this multitude Of
humanness no less than on the fields
and hillsides, a man needed to be right
with himself and his Creator. And
where was Jennyf The question trou-
bled Brick"
At the entrance to the bridge the
truck had passed q keen-eyed blue
coat who signaled with cordial wave
Of white glove for the driver to pass.
And there against q cement buttress
half way over leaned a wisp Of sub
stantial form that stirred as Brick
glanced that way. He pulled on the
emergency and sprang to catch q
fiimsy skirt that tore, but gave him
time to clutch a foot and arm. He
knew how black and cold and over
whelming that water was. One never
wanted to live so much as at that aw'
full moment when the stiaingness Of
II closed overhead. He set the wom-
an on her feet and spoke sharply.
Don't be fool"
"Joep she gasped. "Hot dog, Joea
deadl I'm of my nut seeing spooks r.
He hesitated, fingers holding at her
clothes as they had held that other
night when she slipped ahead among
the wharf shadows He could go on
and leave her with the cloak of his
new world concealing him; or he could
stop to touch her with tise beauty and
joyoumess Of these other ways.
Jenny" he said gently, I'm Joe.
I got away that night and II had given
me such shakeup that didn't want
to stay cumming round"
She continued to stare wildly. tears
streaking her thin cheeks. Joe watched
with pitying eyes and saw the TUFTS
and threads Of better purposes to
which she chung while bruised among
the wreckage of her environment.
"Joei" she sobbed- "Joei Your dy-
ing like that scared me stiff and I've
lived straight, but I can't get no work
and was going like you did"