White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1930-05-02
The Crippled Lady
\ Of P eribonka or ;, ' e=:.,.
wNU Service 10. q Co. Inc)

1t quickly In his car. The asters and
q bunch of roses which had come to
him from Roberval he placed on Mrs
Haldan's grave. Carla had been there,
for the grave was we'll cared for and
covered with flowers from her gar
den, most OF them faded and shriveled
by the frosts. These he gathered in
cluster and placed In pot by them
selves. near his roses. He remem
bered that Carla loved flowers even
when their color and life were gone
He made no effort to blind himself
to the fact which had leaped upon him
so irresistibly when he had looked at
t'arla's head bent over his desk. The
futility of such evasion struck him
with almost equal force. He wanted
Carla, and that want was as much q
part of him as his vision or his sense
Of the obligations of life. II was she
who had brought him back to the
Mistassini with feeling that he was
on his way home. His regard for her
was not sudden lrruption brought
about by physical or emotional rest
lessness, which might have been
stirred by her nearness and her
beauty. He could look back and see
where It had been growing In him
slowly over a period OF three years. SO
slowly that 1t had not been difficult
for him to escape its true Significance.
But now there was no longer the pos
sibility of either avoidance or self
deception. He knew that Carla meant
more to him than friendship and that
only miracle had held his arms from
taking her into them.
He also believed that fash OF un
derstanding had come into her eyes
his face the grim shadowing of the
fight which from that moment he was
bound to make.
| After this Paul was more than ever
filled with the desire to go among the
men and work with his hands. and he
was seldom in his office. Every mus
| Gle in his body yearned for the siren.
uous activity of work which he saw
/ piled upon others, and he let down
the bars which his position had com
PEELED him to accept, until, at times,
one coming upon him in the pit would
have taken him for a laborer. He was
skillful with the ak. and one day late
in October he had finished hewing q
saddle into a heavy timber when be
turned about to find Carla standing a
few feet away, looking at him She
had come to the far edge of the pit to
find the father of one Of her boys. and
for q moment 1t seemed to Paul that
he caught in her face look which
bridged in few seconds the abysmal
gulf which he had felt gr,wlng be.
tween them since her mothers death
He went to her. breathing quickly he
cause of his exertions, and Carla
laughed softly. almost with little
triumph In her throat. when he showed
her his hands blackened by pine pitch
He went to Peribonka frequently
during these autumn days. and once q
week he had flowers sent to him from
Iloberval for Mrs. Haldan's grave
t5arla knew OF his visits t. the little
cemetery. and Paul made no effort tC
conceal them from her He never
went ON Sunday, which was Carla's
day with her mother. When she tried
/ to express to him the depth of hel
gratitude, he talked az If 1t were the
spirit Of his own mother he was think
Ing of when he took flowers to Peri
bonka. But he felt he was not hiding
the truth from her, and was rather
glad of It. II was satisfaction fol
him to know that t'arla was consci0u!
of his thoughts about her. 1t mad,
his fight easier, gave 1t certain
thrill, Which comes to man when HI
is aware that some one he cares fOl
Is watching him And the knowledge
OF It could not harm t,nrla, in whose
life another love had fastened itsel
so securely that no corner Of hei
heart could be filled with an emotion
responsive to his own. They mnde NJ
effort to avoid each other. except tina
he did not take her to Peribonka ant
she did not come to his office any
more, and one day when they wer,
together he asked her frankly WHY
she did not marry. No sooner wer,
the words spoken than he was sorry
He could see the hurt flame up fo
an instant In her eyes. like a fir,
from which q curtain had been sud
denly snatched away; and then 1t die,
out, leaving her face little whittier
hut smiling AT him gently, as II sh,
were apOlngiZing for letting II affec
her In that way Then she told him
II was almost traditional In their fam
lily that woman should have but on,
love. And she had loved man. still
loved him. with all her heart ant
soul. though he was gone from he
forever. The love had come into he
life long time ago. She emphasize,
this feet. gazing away from him witt
her long Iashes yelling eyes filled witt
mystic visions.
ITO BE CONTINUED)