White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1930-04-18
! The Crippled Lady
} Of Peribonka o,, .z ' s.,s...
~ t@, 1893, Doubleday Doran & Co.. lrc)
"a, 1879, Doubleday Doran s Co.. Irc.)

an error. II was merely evidence
that most human eyes were blind.
In sandy place he got out and
cut bushes weighted heavily with
blueberries, and they plucked the
luscious fruit from tie same stems
and ate II as they rode along. II was
almost happiness. Only the grim
thing shndowing them kept 1t from
being that, and even this shadow
seemed to fold It's wings for flashing
moments. II grew warm, and with
the habit of her mothers people
Carla barred her head to lei the all
stir In her hair. Paul looked at It,
with the restless desire In him grow
Ing stronger. II was always so smooth
and soft, with its silky coils SO grace
fully fitting her head. that II seemed
loss of something precious not to
touch Its beauty. He thought of what
Lucy Belle had told her husband-oi
the love story in Carla's life. Some
man had loved 1t. Some man had put
his hand upon It. AS their road came
into green timber and he listened to
Carla's voice telling him that in her
own heart was love for Nature 81
great that she would never live In a
city again. he wondered what II was
that had spoiled her romance so that
she would never care for any other
man or marry.
They came to Peribonka, and Maria
Chapdelaine set them Il luncheon in the
old-fashioned little dining room over.
looking her garden. with its iuXurinni
array of vegetables ant flowers She
admired Carla, and brought in little
girl she had adopted to slnw her what
loneliness one might come to possess
If one lived right. Carla was biz
embarrassed, and Paul delighted, by
such ardent and frankly spoken up
prevail Samuel Chardclnine, tall
thin, and the main prop of perIbonkn's
churcl. choir, joined them d. the table
for visit, and after a time Paul took
him aside and explained his mission
They went up the street together, and
when they returned the business was
over. The small square of ground
with Its wild honeysuckle vines be
longed to Carla.
He took her to see a after they said
good.by to the ChnpdeIaines and when
river, he saw tears in Carlns eyes
for the first tim" since he had known
her. She made no m 'vemenf to hide
them or wipe them away when sh,
smiled her gratitude NJ him He held
out his hand. and she gave him hei
and neither broke the silence which
fell between them % they walked
down the fnotworn pnih and through
The picket gate.
An impulse which neither attempted
TO voice held them for time IN
l'erih,nkn. They wen' down To thu
rivers edge and st,cd where tle.
could see the birds spllsling water
over themselves on the SlnIhnrs
I'hey SAW the tlunpy little twice-a
week boat from across the lake IN
ioa'ling goods for he villagers ana
habtnnls at its di.pGated wharf
TN the opposite shore. close to TIN
wayside. was n shrine. They cnuI''
see its cross from, where they stood
with the sun shining on It,
When they were ready TO go Pau
felt as II he were leaving something
in l'erilonka. just as the warmth at
tarl;ls hand had left something In
his heart t'arla peribOnkn fhe littl,
plot of ground they would he as I'm
forgeitahle us Mrs lladan's mem
cries. He thought ~ this ms they
rode back through The afternoon. HI
thought ot II later wDrn he stood H.
his Office again and looked down upon
the smash and grind of machinery in
the pit. II troubled him and made
him restless and uneasy This du!
burned deerly into his life seemed
unreal now than II was over II was
rs If an experience had turned into
dream thing OF few minutes In
stead of hours.
The friendly, family smiling gaze
Of his wife followed bin about Tho
room. He answered her ierter tiili
evening. and IN his pages to hei his
freshly reused emotions found ,heil
voice He told nbnnf the tragedy In
t'nrln's life. OF their Journey to Peri
bonkn and Of the lille plot 1T ground
in the cemetery Writing in his office
with his wife's face looking al him
il was moi difficult 70, him 10 lei The
floods pour ont. just ns he had TN
trnslled them once or twice before Nv
his six years Ut married life with her
He was man wanting 81 woman He
wanted his wife Ile did not want
her IN Europe or Egyl! or waiting fni
him In n pulnce nj home lie wanted
her with him He told her this as
tanderIy rs q ninn conld write 10 II
wo!nnn II WAS a letter Of love NJ
nrlspn hope. OF visionings--fo his wife
fnr!a vas the inspiration Of 1t.
ITO BE CoNTINUED)