Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 July 1904 — The Blazed Trail [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

The Blazed Trail

By STEWART EDWARD WHITE

SYNOPSIS OF PREVIOUS CHAPTERS. Chapter I—Morrison A Daly, lumbermen on the Saganaw waters of Michigan, drive a hard bargain with Radway, a contractor. II and lll—Harry Thorpe, having left his dependent sister Helen, at service, tries for work at Morrison A Daly's, fails and takes a job at choring until he can go to Radway’s camp. IV—Thorpe at Railway’s making Uimber road. The men attempt hazing. Thorpe puts on the gloves and knocks out the champion. V and Vl—Radway running behind owing to slack management. Thorpe a “swamper.” Death of his chum, Paul. Thu men “chip in for the widow.” Radway goes home for Christmas, leaving Dyer, the scaler, in charge. Vll and Vlll—Long delay waiting for roads to freeze. Thorpe hurt and sent to Sisters' hospital. Radway fails Thorpe out of work. IX—Thorpe demands pay of M. A D. for work done by Radway. The contract was illegal, and the firm have profited by the work done. M. AD. settle the account. X—Thorpe provides for Helen’s education and goes into the north woods to locate valuable tract. Makes a friend of Injun Charley and a Chicago boy tourist. Wallace Carpenter. XI and Xll—Wallace has capital and helps Thorpe buy land. Dyer, the old scaler for Radway, is out looking for land for M. A D. Thorpe goes to Detroit to head off his rivals' land purchase. XIII and XlV—Wallace sends telegraph order to Thorpe at the land office just in time to head off M. A D. in a $30,000 purchase. M. A D. offer to buy. Thorpe won't sell. War declared. XV aud XVl—Tim Shearer, former foreman for M. A D., hires with Thorpe. Thorpe takes forcible possession of a dock 51. A D. have built abutting bis new purchase. The rival firms agree to work in harmony. XVII—M. A D. close a gate in the dam above Thorpe's logs. Thorpe puts out a sentinel with a Winchester. Mischief ends, but M. A D. bring two suits aginst Thorpe. XVIII, XIX, XXand XXl—Thorpe has a poor case in court, buthe buys a government tract which M. A D. have robbed of timber, to play off against them. Wallace loses heavily in speculation, and Thorpe’s firm pnts up $60,000 to save him. Five years pass, and Thorpe is bewitched by a dream girl. XXII and XXlll—Hilda Farrand reaches the woods with a party, including Wallace's sister. Hilda is i an heiress, and Wallace urges Thorpe to win her. Love in the forest. Hilda saw Thorpe leave Detroit for the woods and always loved him. XXlV—Hilda asks Thorpe to spare the forest where they first met Its sale will save the sinking firm. • Nothing better than love,” she says. “Yes. the duty of success.'' Thorpe They separate XXV. XXVI,XXVII, and XXVIII—WhiIe driving the logs down stream the flood hursts. A dam has been blown up with dynamite. XXIX, XXX, and XXXl—lnjun Chnrley trails the dynamiters. Radway prevents vengeance by Thorpe's men. Thorpe fears failure and thinks of Hilda's last words. The water rises and logs are held with difficulty M. AD, schemiug to ruin Thorpe. Injun Charley on guard. XXXII—Dyer sneaks among Thorpe’s men at night. Dyer caught cutting Thorpe s boom chains. Shot bv Injun Charley.. XXXIII and XXXIV - The log jam breaks. Thorpe remembers Hilda's creed al>oiit love and lets the logs go to save a workman's life. The enraged men raid M. A D.’s camp and burn their mill. CHAPTER XXXV. mHORPE walked through the silent group of men without seeing them. He had no thought for what he had done, but for the triumphant discovery he had made in spite of himself. 'lt was then about 6 o’clock in the morning. Thorpe passed the boarding house, the store and the office, to take himself as far as the little open shed that served as n railway station. There he set the semaphore to flag the east bound train from Duluth. At G:3G, the train happening on time, he climbed aboard. lie dropped heavily into a seat ami stared straight in front of him until the conductor had spoken to him twice. “Where to, Mr. Thorpe?” lie asked. “Oh! Mackinaw City.” Thorpe descended at Mackinaw City to find that the noon train had gone. He ate lunch at the hotel, borrowed SIOO from the agent of Louis Sands, a lumberman of his acquaintance, and seated himself rigidly in the little waiting room, there to remain until the 9:20 that night When the cars were backed down from the siding he boarded the sleeper. In the doorway stood a disapproving colored porter. “Yo’ll fin’ the smokin’ cah up fo’wu’d, sah,” said the latter, firmly barring the way. “It’s generally forward,” answered Thorpe. “This yeah’s the sleepah,” protested the functionary. “Yo’ pays extry.” “I am aware of it,” replied Thorpe curtly. “Give me a lower.” “Yes, sah,” acquiesced the darky, giving way, but still in doubt. He followed Thorpe cautiously, peerjng into the smoking room on him from time to time. A little after 12 his patience gave out. The Stolid, gloomy man of lower 6 seemed to intend sitting up all night. “Yo’ berth is ready, sah,” he delicately suggested. Thorpe arose obediently, walked to lower 6 and without undressing threw himself on the bed. Afterward the porter in conscientious discharge of bis duty looked diligently beneath the seat for boots to polish. Happening to glance up after fruitless search he discovered the boots still adorning the feet of their owner. I “Well, for the land's sake!” ejaculated the scandalized negro, beating a hasty retreat. Thorpe descended at Twelfth street in Chicago without any clear notion of where he was going. For a moment he faced the long, parklike expanse of the lake front, then turned sharp to his left and picked his way south up the interminable reaches of Michigan avenue. Block after block he clicked along, the calks of his boots striking fire from the pavement After an Interval he seemed to have left the smoke and dirt behind. The street became quieter; boarding bouses and tailors’ shops ceased; here and there appeared a bit of lawn, shrubbery aud flowers. By and by he came to himself to find that he was staring at the deep carved lettering in a stone horse block before a large dwelling. His mind took the letters in one after the other, perceiving them plainly before it accorded themjrecognition._Fl-

naTTy Tie TTacT completed lhe~word T‘Farrand.” He whirled sharp on his heel, mounted the broad white stone steps and rang the bell. It was apswered almost immediately by a clean shaved, portly and dignified man with the most impassive countenance in the world. This man looked npon Thorpe with lofty disapproval. “Is Miss Hilda Farrand at home?” he asked. “I cannot say,” replied the man. “If yon will step to the back door I will ascertain.” “The flowers will do. Now see that the south room is ready, Annie,” floated a voice from within. Without a word, bnt with a deadly earnestness, Thorpe reached forward, seized the astonished servant by the collar, yanked him bodily outside the door, stepped inside and strode across the hall toward a closed portiere whence had come the voice. The river man’s long spikes cut little triangular pieces from the hardwood floor. Thorpe did not notice that He thrust aside the portiere. Before him he saw a young and beautiful girl. She was seated, and her lap was filled with flowers. At his sudden apparition her hands flew to her heart, and her lips slightly parted. For a second the two stood looking at each other, just as nearly a year before their eyes had crossed over the old pole trail. To Thorpe the girl seemed more beautiful than ever. The red of this violent unexpected encounter rushed to her face, her bosom rose and fell in a fluttering catch for breath, but her eyes were steady and inquiring. Then the butler pounced on Thorpe from behind with the intent to do great bodily harm. “Morris!” commanded Hilda sharply, “what are you doing?” The man cut short his heroism in confusion. “You may go.” concluded Hilda. Thorpe stood straight and unwinking by the portiere. After a moment he spoke. “I have come to tell you that you were right and I was wrong.” said he steadily. “You told me there could be nothing better than love. In the pride of my strength I told you this was not so. I was wrong.” He stood for another instant looking directly at her. then turned sharply find, head erect, walked from the room. Before he had reached the outer door the girl was at his side. “Why are you going?” she asked. “I have nothing more to say.” “Nothing?” “Nothing at all." She laughed happily to herself. “But I have—much. Come back.” They returned to the little morning room, Thorpe's calked boots gouging out the little triangular furrows in the hardwood floor. Neither noticed that. “What are you going to do now?” she catechised, facing him in the middle of the room. A long tendril of her beautiful corn silk hair fell across her eyes; her red lips parted in a faint, wistful smile; beneath the draperies of her loose gown the pure slender lines of her figure leaned toward him. “I am going back,” he replied patiently. “I knew you would come,” said she. “I have been expecting you. Oh. Harry,” she breathed, with a sudden flash of insight, “you are a man born to be much misunderstood.” He held himself rigid, but in his veins was creeping a molten fire, and the Are was beginning to glow dully in his eye. Her whole being called him. And still she stood there before him, saying nothing, leaning slightly toward him, her red lips half parted, her eyes fixed almost wistfully on his face. “Go away!” he whispered hoarsely at last. The voice was not his own. “Go away! Go away!” Suddenly she swayed to him. “Oh, Harry, Harry,” she whispered, “must I tell you? Don’t you see?” The flood broke through him. He seized her hungrily. He crushed her to him until she gasped; he pressed his lips against hers until she all but cried out with pain of it; he ran his great brown hands blindly through her hair until it came down about them both in a cloud of spun light. “Tell me!” he whispered. “Tell me!” “Oh, oh!” she cried. “Please! What is it?” “I do not believe it,” he murmured savagely. She drew herself from him with gentle dignity. “I am not worthy to say it,” she said soberly, “bnt I love you with all my heart and soul.” Then for the first and only time in his life Thorpe fell to weeping, while she, understanding, stood by and comforted him. The few moments of Thorpe’s tears eased the emotional strain under which perhaps unconsciously he had been laboring for nearly a year past. The tenseness of Ms nerves relaxed. He savored deliberately the joy of a luxurious couch, rich hangings, polished floor, subdued light, wanned atmosphere. He watched with soul deep gratitude the soft girlish curves of Hilda’s body, the poise of her flower head, the piquant, half wistful, half childish set of her rod lips, the clear starlike glimmer of her dusky eyes. It waa all near to him

“Kiss me. dear,” she said. '« She leaned her cheeks against her hand and her band against his shoulder. “I have been reading a story lately,” said she, “that has Interested me very much. It was abont a man w r ho renounced all he held most dear to shield a friend.” “Yes,” said Thorpe. “Then he renounced oil his most valuable possessions because a poor common man needed the sacrifice.” “Sounds like a mediaeval story,” said he, with unconscious humor. “It happened recently,” rejoined Hilda. “I read it In the papers.” “Well, he blazed a good trail.” was Thorpe’s sighing comment. “Probably

he had his chance. We don't all of us get that Things go crooked and get tangled up, so we have to do the best we can. I don’t believe I’d have done It.” “Oh, you are delicious!” she cried. t, After a time she said very humbly: “I want to beg your pardon for misunderstanding you and causing you so much suffering. I was very stupid and didn’t see why you could not do as I wanted you to.” “That is nothing to forgive. I acted like a fool.” “I have known about you.” she went on. “It has al) come out in the papers. It has been very exciting. Poor boy, vou look tired.” He straightened himself suddenly. “I have forgotten—actually forgotten,” he cried, a little bitterly. “Why. I am a pauper, a bunkrupt. I” “Harry,” she Interrupted gently, but very firmly, “you must not say what you were going to say. I cannot allow it. Money came between us before. It must not do so again. Am I not right, dear?” She smiled at him with the lips of a child and the eyes of a woman. “Yes,” he agreed after a struggle, “you are right. But now I must be. gin all over again. It will be a long time before I shall be able to claim you. I have my way to make.” “Yes,” said she diplomatically. “But you!” he cried suddenly. “The papers remind me. liow about that Morton?” “What about him?” asked the girl, astonished. “He is very happily engaged.” c Thorpe’s face slowly filled with blood. _ “You’ll break the engagement at once,” he commanded, a little harshly. “Why should I break the engagement?” demanded Hilda, eying him with some alarm. “You actually don't think he’s engaged to me!” she burst out finally. “Isn’t he?” asked Thorpe. “Why. no, stupid! He’s engaged to Elizabeth Carpenter, Wallace’s sister. Now where did you get that silly idea ?” “I saw it in the paper.” “And you believe all you see! Why didn’t yon ask Wallace? But of course you wouldn’t. Harry, you are the most incoherent dumb oid brute I ever saw. I could shake you. You need a wife to interpret things for you. You speak a different language from most people.” She said this between laughing and crying, between a sense of the ridiculous uselessness of withholding a single timely word and a tender pathetic intuition of the suffering such a nature must endure. Suddenly she jumped to her feet with an exclamation. “Oh, Ilßrry, I’d forgotten utterly!” she cried in laughing consternation. “I have a luncheon here at half past 1. It's almost that now. I must run and dress. Just look at me; just look! You did that.’! “I’ll wait here until the confounded thing is over,” said Thorpe. “Oh, no. you won’t!” replied Hilda decidedly. “You are going downtown right now and get something to put on. Then you are coming back here to ■tay.” Thorpe glanced In surprise at his driver’s clothes and his spiked boots. “Heavens and earth!” he exclaimed. “I should think so! How am Ito get out without ruining the floor?” Hilda laughed and drew aside the portiere. “Don’t you think you have done that pretty well already?" she asked. “There, don’t look so solemn. We’re not going to be sorry for a single thing we’ve done today, are we?” She stood eloee to him, searching his face wistfully with her fathomless dusky eyes. “No, sweetheart, we are not,” replied Thorpe soberly.

“Go away!” he whispered.