The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1925-11-20

ulu you tHllk u NC. rave q SOO0
slecp?' ~,
He shrugged and nodded, and,
turning his eyes shoreward, saw that
the forest was flowing slowly past.
The boat in which he found himself
was slowed full of impedimenta
forward of Laure man was row.
ing istlessly, and on the scat beyond
him were two female figures bun
died to the ears in heavy wraps.
They were the 'coon-shouting sisters
whose song had drawn Pierce into
the Gold Belt Saloon the evening
before. In the distance were sew
eral other boats.
You feel tough, I'll bet" Laure's
voice was sympathetic.
After a moment of consideration
Pierce shook his head. No" said
he. Il feel tine-cxcept that I'm
hungry. / could eat a. log-chain."
No headache?"
"None. Why?'' 49,.
Laure's brown eyes widened in ad-
miration and astonishment. Jim
m'ny! You're hound for punish
ment You must have oak ribs.
Were you weaned on rum?"
Il never took a drink until last
night, I'm rank amateur
'"Rcally!' The girl studied him
with renewed interest. what set
you off,"
Pierce made no answer. His face
seemed fixed in frown. His was
a tragic past; he could not bear to
think OF it. much less could he speak
of it. Noting that the oarsman ap-
pcared to be weary, Pierce volun-
tecrcd to relieve him, an offer which
was quickly accepted As he seated
himself and prepared to fall to work
Laurie advised him:
Better count your money and see
it it's all there
lie did as directed. at. all
here" he assured her.
She flashed him smile, then crcpt
into the place he had vacated and
drew up the robe snugly. Pierce
wondered WHY she eyed him with
that peculiar intentncss. Not until
She had fallen asleep did he suspect
with a guilty start that the robe was
hers and that she had patiently wait
cd Tor him to finish his sleep while
She herself was dropping witt,
fatigue. This suspicion gave him a
disasreeable shock; he began to give
some thought to the nature OF his
new surroundings. They were of a
sort to warrant consideration for d
long time lie rowcd mechanically, a
trown upon his brow.
In the first place, he was amazed
to lind how bravcly he bore the
anguish Of a breaking heart, and how
little he desired to do away with
himself. The world, strangely
enough, still remained a pleasan,
place, and already the fret for new
adventure was stirring in him. He
was. not happy-thoushts of Hilda
awoke real pain. and his sense OF
Injury burned him like a brand
nevertheless. he could not make
himself feel SO utterly hopeless. 81
blackly respondent as the clrcum-
stances plainly warranted. tic was,
on the whole, agreeably surprised al
his powers of resistance and &c Sc.
cuperation, both physical and emo
tional. For instance, he should by
all means experience 4 wre.ched re-
action from his inebriety; as mat.
ter of fact, he had never felt bettei
in his life; his head was clear, he
was ravenously hungry. Then, too
he was not altogether hopeless: II
seemed quite probable that he and
Hilda would again meet. in which
event there was no telling what
might happen. Evidently liquor
agreed with him: in his case it wa:
not only an anodyne, but also q
stimulus, squirting him to optimistic
thought and independent action
Yes. whisky reused fellows man.
hood. 1t must be so, otherwise he
would never have summoned tn.
strength to snap those chains which
bound him to the Countess Courteau
or the reckless courage to embark
upon an enterprise so foreign to hi:
tastes and to his training as this one
His memory of the later incident
OF the night before was somewha
indistinct, as was his recollection o
the scene when he had served hi!
notice upon the Countess. OF thi!
| much he felt certain, however, h.
had done the right thing in freeins
himself from situation that re-
fected diseredit upon his manhood
Whether he had acted wisely b,
casting in his lot with Morris Best:
outfit was another matter altogether
He was quite sure he had not actet
wisely, but there is satisfaction a
certain times in doing what ".
know to be the wrong thing.
Pierce was no fool: even his lin,
tied experience in the North l,ae
taught him a good deal about ths
character of dance-hal! women ant
of the men who handled them: h<
was in. no wise deceived, therefore
by the responsibility with which thu
word theatrical" cloaked this troupe
of wanderers: it gave him a feeling
of extreme self-conseiousness to fine
himself associated with such folk
he felt decidedly out of place.
| What would his people think
And the Countess of Courteau
Well. il would teach her that .
mans heartiwas not football; that
a mans love was not to be jugglcc
with. He had made gesture Of
splendid rccklessness; he would
take the consequences.
| In justice to the young man, be j,
said he had ample cause for resent.
mcnt. and whatever of childishness
he displayed was but natural, 10,
true balance OF character is the re.
suit Of experience, and as yet he had
barely tasted life. 20 a
I As, for the girl Laurie, she awoke
Inc real interest in him, now that he
saw her in the light of day; he in
cluded her in his general. vague
contempt for all women Of her type
There was, in fact. certain con.
y H.. kAss~iS La