OCR Text |
Show Friday, September THE OGDEN POST 6 Twns all oil arfobuT of de little girl he done IL You know de girl I mean. Black Jack's dead stuck on her, an' de furdvr she stands him off do more set he is to get her. Youse don't know dat innn." THE TD2A.0IL 98 (DEF A 'Tell me what's the matter, for Heaven's suke." Well, when youse didn't come, de little girt she got worried. I used to be doin chores round de restaurant an she asks me to take a note op to Northland Romance by ROBERT W. SERVICE Illustration bjr Irwin Myer WKUSwvlos SYNOPSIS CHAPTER L DbMtlsflofi with th aula! Ilf In bl horn surrounding. Athol' Maldrum. young Scotsman who tall th story, laavaa bl tnothar and brothar, Uarry, to aaalt bis fortuna. At San Francisco, practically pnnila. b taku a laborers Job, and marts a follow adventurer whom ba dubs, and who la hereafter knows as, tbs Prodi - sab CHAPTER II Th Is anxious to Join tb rush ofProdigal gold sk-- , srs into Alaska, and lfeldrum agreed to go with him after ha (the Prodigal) eoims back from a visit to hla wealthy father In th East Athol, In great need, la befriended by Jim Hubbard (Salvation Jlm). Whan the Prodigal returns, th thro man Join th Into th Kronen North, th tampad Prodigal and HubbarS financing tb I - outfit. CHAPTEK crowd on th viously out III. Among th motley boat la a young girl obof plac. She la traveling with bar grandfather and a couple named Wlnklestoln. .who figure s her uncle and aunt. Athol baa an opportunity to befriend her. and ah tells him a aad story of her We. Sh Is Journeying Into Alaska to take car of her grandfather, who la obsessed with th Idea of getting rich Her name, she telle him. Id Klondike. Is Serna CHAPTER IV. Landing at Skagway Athols party at one takes th trail. In a enowslld on th Chllooot trail which Bern and her companions had taken, hundreds of lives are lost Fearful for Bern safety, Athol haatene to the scene. He finds th old man dead and learne that Barns la prostrated. Madam Wlnkleeteln refuses to let him so th girl, but ha leaves a letter for her. At Bennett Bern comes to Athol confesses her love, and begs him to marry her, to save her from th harsh fate sh foresees. He Is unwilling to take such a decisive step, and tella her they must wait CHAPTER V. Some daya afterward Berna tells Athol Madam Wlnkleeteln plana to sell her to plack Jack" millionaire miner of evil reputation. While realising how greatly he loves the girl Meldrum. In a mixture of emotions, flinches from th Idea of Immediate marriage, and they agree to wait a year, though Berna Is fearful Reaching the gold fields. Athol and hla party find the claims all taken and th camp crowded with Idle hard-looki- ng Lo-esa- to, men . you. Bo 1 said I would. But I got on a drunk dut day, an' for a week after I didn't draw a sober breath. When I gets around again 1 told her I'd seen you an' given you de note an you was cornin' In right away." Heaven forgive you for that Tep, dat's what I say now. But It's all too lute. Well, a week went on an' you never showed up, an meantime tocasto was pesterin' her cruel. She got mighty peaked like, pale as a ghost, an I could sea she cried most ell her nights. Den she gives me anudder note. 1 said she could lay on me dla time, I waa de kid' an 1 starts off, But hurry-uBlack Jack must have cottoned on, for he meets mef back of de town an' taxes me wld tskln' a message. IVn be seta on me like a wild beast an does me up good and proper. But III fix him yet." Where are the notes 7" 1 cried. In de pocket of me coat Tell d nurse to fetch In me clothes, an' 11 give dem to youse." The nurse brought the clothes. There were the notes, folded verj small, and written In pencil. There was a strange faintness at my heart, and my Ungers trembled as I opened them. Fear, fear was clutching me! compressing me In an agonising grip. Here wee the first My Darling Boy: Why didn't you coine? I was all ready for you. lias anything happened to you, dear? For Heavens sake write or tend a message. I can't bear the suspense. Your loving "Berna." p Blankly, dully, almost mechanically, 1 read the eecond. Oh, come, my dear, at once. Pm In aerloua danger. He's grown desperate. Swears If he can't get me by fair means hell have me by foul.' Pm terribly afraid. Why have you failed me? ' Oh, my darling, have pity on your poor little girl.' Come quickly before It Is too late." It was unsigned. ' ! Heavens I I must go' (o her at once. I was well enough. I was all right aguln. Why would they not let me go to berl 1 was strong, so strong . now,. Ilal there were the Worm'i clothes. It was after midnight The nurse had CHAPTER VI. Athols party decides Just finished her rounds. All was to stay and await developments. Unable to local Berna, Athol seeks Inquiet In the ward. Black Jack" formation from Locaeto Dizzily I rose and slipped Into the disclaims knowledge of her whereof aware and abouts, later, evidently .frayed and greasy garments.. There the rivalry between them, lures Mewere the hospital slippers. 1 mast ldrum to a lonely spot and beats him wear them. Never mind a hat iolo unconsciousness 1 was out In the etreet. 1 shuffled VII. Through a lucky . CHAPTER 8h tells along, nnd people stared at me, but no chance Afoot finds Berna. him she has so far evaded Locaeto one delayed ine. 1 was at the restauand will die befor sh yields to him. rant now. She wasn't there. Ah I the They set. a data for their marriage, the first of June Meldrum hoping to cahln on the bill have mede a stake by then and part 1 was weaker than 1 bad thought. seCHAPTER trm.-- Th 1 Prodigal times Many stumbled, cures a claim and he, Salvation Jim." cutting myand Athol begin work on It. The self on the sharp boulders. The way have a questionable seemed endless, yet stumbling, stagresort known opened aa th Paragon, and Berna Is there, as a waitress Athol gering on, there was the cabin at last. dislike the Idea or tb girl greatly On my hands and knees, 1 crawled In such an environment, but there seems no help for it to the door and hammered with clenched lists. Thera was. silence CHAPTER IX. A friend of the Prodand his partners locates what within, then an agitated movement igal seems to them a good thing." After I knocked aguln. Was the door ever months of unceasing labor th strike" la made; tb four men havo won a going to be opeued? At last It swung small fortune. But the Incessant work, Inwurd, with a suddenness that preaud anxiety for Berna, has weakened Athol On th fateful first of Juno, the cipitated me Inside the room. day set for hla union with Bern, he The madam waa standing over me lies unconscious, la th clutches of 1 had fallen. where At sight of me typhoid fovor. she screamed. Surprise, fear, rage, CHAPTER X struggled for mastery on her face. "It's him," she tried, him." "Berna," 1 gasped hoarsely, Where I was Ijrlns In bed. find g heavy Is sheT 1 wont Berna. Wbat are you weight was pressing on me, so that, lu to her, you devils? Give her to doing spite of iny struggles, I could not me. She mine, my promised bride. I was move. hot, Insufferably hot. The blood ran boiling through my Let me go to her, I any." All at once 1 realized that the air veins. My flesh was burning up. My was heavy with a strange odor, the brain would, not work. It wus ail odor of chloroform. Frenzied with cobwebs, murky end stale as a chsc 1 rushed forward. fear, bouse. came the drennia. nel Then Then the Amazon foused herself. There waa always Berna. Through With a cry of rage she struck me. a mass of grimacing, faces gradually there formed and lin- Savagely both of them came for me. I struggled, 1 fought; but, weak as 1 gered her sweet and pcuslve one. I was, to they carried me before them and her. She to was wait ink go struggled for me, breaking her heart at my delay threw me from the door. I heard the Then the fever, the ravings, the wild lock shoot; 1 wus outside; 1 was ImYet behind those log threshing of my pillow, all passed potent. . . . walls. It was horrible! Oh, I was left limp, weak, help awuy, and Could such things be tu Gods world? less, resigned to my fute. And 1 could do nothing. I was on the sunny slope of con I wus strong once more. 1 . ran valcscencc. As 1 turned and twisted round to the back of the cabin. She narrow on my cot It seemed as If the time would uever pass. All 1 wanted was lu there, 1 knew. 1 rushed at the was to get better fast, and to get out window and threw myself against It. Crush! 1 burst through both sheets ngaln. Then, 1 thought, 1 would marry Berna and go Outside." I was sick of glass. I was cruelly cut, bleeding of the country, of everything. In a dozen places, yet I was half Into I was lying thinking over these the room. There, In the dirty, drab things, when I became aware that the saw I a face, the fiendish, light, man in the cot to the right was tryfare of to attract my attention, lie had ing He at turned the crash. With a been brought In that very morning, curse lie came at me. Then, as I said to hare been kicked by a horse. He was la great pnln, but quite con- hung hulf lu. half out of the window, he clutched me hy the throat Using scious, and he was making stealthy all his strength, he raised me further motions to me. Into the room, then he hurled me ruth"Say, mate," he said, "I piped you out onto the rocks outside, !olt soon'a I set me lamps on you. lessly 1 rose, reeling, covered with blood, 'Don't youse know me 7" blind, sick, speechless. Weakly I looked at the bandaged face to the window. My strength staggered a with I Then, great start, was leaving me. I felt the world go 'saw it was the Worm. 1 swayed; I clutched at the "Taint no horse done me up," he blank. 1 fell. said in a hoarse whisper; "twas a walla; I had lost I 'man. Ton know de man, de worst devil In all Alaska, Black Jack. Bad "No, no. I'm all right Really I am luck to him lie knocked me down and give me de leather. But Tta goln' riense leave me alone. You want me to get even some day. I'm Just laying to laugh? Ilal Hal There I Is that all right now?" for him" The mon's eyes glittered vengefully No, It Isn't all right. It's very far from all right, niy boy." ihetwgfn white bandages. Win-klestel- na . greed-contorte- d rage-distorte- won-deringl- y. th. d It was In the Mg cabin on Gold hill, and the Prodigal wus addressing me. He went on : Now, look here, kid. Iui giving you a straight line of talk. Ever since the start I'vs taken a strong notion to yoa. We've been In tight places together; we'va been stacked up against hard times together: and If I'm going to now Pll be stand by and see you go downhill, while the devil oils the bearing Oh, I'm all right," I protested. Yes, you're all right," he echoed In an Impersonation of an grimly. man It's the hook for yours. men like you hitI've seen ting the hurry trail for the boneyurd before now. You've lost your grip, m boy. fou don't care whether school keeps or not. In fad If It wasnt for your folks, you'd ns lief take a short cut acrosa the Great Divide!" It'a all very well for you to preach.'' said I ; "you forget I've been a pretty sick man." "Thats no nursemaid's dream. , Yoa almost cashed In. Typhoids s serious proposition at the best; but when you make take e ertsy streak on top of a midnight getaway from the and land up on the Slide lookes If you'd been run through a ing thrashing machine, well, youre sure letting death get a short option on you. And you gave up. You didn't want to fight Yon shirked, but your youth and constitution fought for you. They were a great team, and they And you weren't , pulled you through. one bit grateful teemed to think they had no business to butt In." My hurts are more than physical." Yes, I know; there was that girl. Aa I camped there by your bedside listening to your ravings, and getting on you when you took a strangle-bolIt Into your bead to get funny, you blabbed out the whole yarn. Oh, sonny, why didnt you tell your uncle? Why didn't you put me wise? I Amid have given you the tight steer. But you kept mum as a mommy. Wouldn't even tell your old pard. Now you've . lost her," lost her." I've "Yea, Did you ever see her after you came out of the hospital Once, once only. It was the Brat day. I dragged along wearily, leaning on a stick. I was thinking of her, thinking, thinking always. Then suddenly she was before me. She looked like a ghost, poor little thing." "Yes, what did she say? "Say I she said nothing.: She Just looked at me. fler face waa cold as Ice. She looked at me. aa If she wanted to pity me. Then Into her eyee there come a shadow of bitter ness, of bitterness and despair such ai might gloom the eyes of a lost soul It unnerved me. Then she drew a great, gasping breath, and turning on her heel the was gone. gol-darne- d 'all-righ- t' all-rig- t lick-war- d . d - r wen, ive written out for piping an a monitor, an next spring I hope I'll have the plant In workln order. I The stuff's on the way now. Hullo .Come In I" The visitors were Mervln and Hew-soon their wsy to Dawson. These ;two men had been successful beyond their dreams. They were offensively prosperous; they reeked of success. As I went ou with my packing I paid but little heed to tbelr talk. What mattered It to me now, this bubble of dumps and dost, of claims I was going to thrust and clean-ops- ? It all behind me. blot It clean out of my memory, begin my life anew. Then all at once I pricked np my ears. They were talking of the town, of the men and women who were making It famous (or rather Infamous), when suddenly they spoke the name of Locasta. Hes gone off," Mervln was saying; "gone off on a big stampede. He got pretty thick with soma of the Peel River Indians, and found they knew of a ledge of quarts somewhere out there In the Land Back of Beyond. So he's off with an Indian and one companion, that little Irish satellite of hla, Pat Doogan. They'll be away all winter. "Whats become of that girl of bis?" asked newson, "the last one hes been living with? You remember she came In ou the, boat with us. Poor little kid I That waa a good little girl before he got after her." Uewson growled like a wrathful 'bear, but Mervln smiled bis cynical smile. he Oh, you mean the Madonna, on dance the shes gone said; why halls." They continued to talk of other things, but I did not hear them any more. 1 was In a trance, and I only aroused when they rose to go. Better say good-b- y to the kid here," snld the Prodigal; "bea going to the old country tomorrow." ' No, I'm not," I answered sullenly; Im just going as far aa Dawson." He stared and expostulated, but my mind was made up. I would fight, ' fight to the last MONEY TO L0 impassively ueaung. xnere were nuge wheels .of fortune, keno tables, crap outfits, faro layouts, and. above all PEOPLES FINANCE the dainty, fascinating roulette. EveryTMUFT CO AND thing was In full swing. In front of Ui Waihingtu. me was a double swing-doo- r painted In AUTO KKTvTuvTr white and gold, and, pushing through Attaatioa Mr. AiS!?11 this, for the first time I found myself b J nradj far fceuM whero the work b tlL. In a Dawson dance hall h WALT JAME8 AUTo the on at. seat a very I aat down KkMl At,... M'AUtuij back of the audience. Before me wera row after row of heads, mostly rough, Their faces rugged and unwashed. were eager, rapt as those of children. They were enjoying, with the deep satisfaction of men who for many a wear7 month had been breathing the CLEANED AND lRESSPn free, unbranded air of the Wild. The One Day Servlet! sight of a woman was thrllllngly sweet; the sound of a song waa ravishing. 402 Looking at many of those faces one could see that there waa no harm In their hearts. They were & honest, uncouth, simple ; they were just like children, the children of the "Ogden's Premier Cleaner" -- . n high-grad- free-millin- e, rr at Mens Suits Wild. A little girl was singing, a little, winsome girl with a sweet childish voice and an Innocent face. How terribly out of place she looked In that palace of sin. Sbe sang a simple, g old-wor- so o o Berna on the dance halls words cannot convey all that thla simple phrase meant to me. For two mouths I had been living In a dull apathy of 'pain, hut thla news galvanised me Into Immediate action. For although there were many de green of dance-hadepravity, at the best it meant a brand of Ineffaceable shame. She had lived with Locastu, had been recognized aa hla mistress that waa bad enough; but the other to be at the mercy of all to be classed with the harpies that preyed on the Man wlrh the Poke, the vampires of the gold camp. Berna Oh, it was unspeakable I The thought maddened "She cut your .me. Yes, cut me dead, old fellow. And to' the big cabin, Bidding good-bmy only thought waa of love for her. with my twfi partners looking ruefully eternal love. But IU never forget the after me, I struck off down Bonanza. look on her face as she turned away. All 1 of waa Dawson and It was as If I had lashed her with a Berna. thought whip. My God I" I would make Berna marry me. I And you've never see her since? cared nothing for what had happened No, never. That was enough, to I might be a pariah, an outher. wasn't It? I went back to the ward; rest of my days; at least cast for the ' then, in a little, I came on here. My would save her, shield her, cherish I body was living, but my heart was her. The thought uplifted me, exalted dead. It will never Uve again." Whnt did It matter If physically .me. Oh, rot I You mustn't let the thing down you like that Its going to kill they had wronged her? Was not the soul of her beyond their you In the end. Buck up Be a man I pure, virgin .reach? If you dont care to live for yourself, ' I was just In time to see the last live for others. Anyway, Its likely boat go out. all for the best' Maybe love had you iococd. Maybe she wasnt really . As 1 strolled the streets I saw many good. See now how she lives openly a familiar face. I went Into Have Your Car Greased ld song full of homely pathos and As she sang she gentle feeling. looked down on those furrowed faces, and I saw that many eyes were dimmed with tears. As the last echo died away the audience rose as one man, and shower of nuggets pelted on the stage. Ilere was something that touched their hearts, stirred in them' strange memories of tenderness, brought before scenes of fireside them . ! s PHONE DeLuxe Cleaners Dyers, Inc. toll-groov- . a balf-forgott- . by our high pressure system and by . exper-ience- Shell Gas and Motor Super-Servic- Station VIADUCT I Market & Groceteria . 1SS-- S for Cask and Carry People. (Continued Next Week) au Johnson Locksmith Keys to all makes of cars, to house locks, padlocks; umbrella repairing; steel Union Pacific Airways, Inc. STUDENT TRAINING PASSENGER FLYING We Fly You Anywhere, Any Time. All Licensed Planes and Pilots. tapes mended; novelty repairing. New Location Under Ogden Hotel. . Phones Call Ogden Airport Street and fltrstf Twenty-fourt- h A Cask and Carry Market at Cash and Carry Prims : : e Southeast Corner 23rd Street . and Grant Avenue en Twenty-fift- h 317-- J Oil Gwilliam happiness. The curtain fell Men were clearing the floor for the dance, so I went ' downstairs, pressed my .way to the door, and stood there staring and swaying, but whether with wine or weakness I knew not In the vociferous and flamboyant street I could bear the raucous voices of the spielers, the Jigging tunes of the orchestras, the dick of ivory balls, the popping of corks, the hoarse, animal laughter of meu, the shrill, Inane giggles of women. And 'as I stood there wretchedly a timid little hand touched my arm. . 431 d men. : ll ?n 2734-- for Particulars. R y , 1 , . with Locasta" I rose and looked at him, conscious that my face was all twisted with the pain of the thought Look here," I said, "never did Gad put the breath of life Into a better girl There's been foul play. I know that girl better than anyone In the world, and If every living being were to tell me she wasn't good I would tell them they lied, they lied. I would buhl at the stake upholding that girl." y He looked at me thoughtfully. I say, old man, do you ever hear from your old lady? Every mall" Why not go back? That's your proper play ; go back to yoar mother. She wants you. You're pretty well heeled now. You'll be comfortable; you'll devote yourself to the old ludy; you'll be happy again. I hate to see you go. I'm really sorry to lose you; but Its your only salvation, so go, go 1" Never had I thought of It before. Home I how sweet the word seemed. Mother I yes, mother would comfort me as no one else could. She would uuderstnnd. Mother and Garry I a sudden craving came over me to see them again. Home I that was the solu- tion of It all. Ah me! I would go home. "Yes," 1 said, I can't go too soon; I'll start tomorrow." So I rose and proceeded to gather together my few belongings. In the early morning I would start out Jitn came lu ahd sat down quietly. The old man had been very silent of late. Back In Dawson there wus a man whom he hated with the hate that only death can end, but for the peace of hla soul he strove to conquer It I've heen out a scheme." said Jim suddenly, an I'm to put all of that twenty-fivthousand of 'mine back into the ground. I cant quit this minin' business." What's you scheme, Jim?" "It's Just this: Im goln' to Install a hydraulic plant on my Oplilr creek duim. I'm goln to begin a new era in Klondike minin'." "What are you going to do?" e the Parisian restaurant, and there was Madam, harder looking and more a creature of rapacity and sor-- . did lust. I marched up to her and asked abruptly : "Where's Berna She gave a violent start There was a quality of .fear lu her bold eyes. Then sbe laughed, a bard, jarring vul-turis- 25his coupon and 10ff buys a h, quarter pint of WaterSpar varnish or enamel, or may be applied on alarger purchase. lac-qu- er, r laugh. In the Tivoli," she said. Strange again I Now that the worst had come to pass, and 1 had suffered all that it was In my power to suffer, a new sense of strength and mastery had come to me. The greatest evil had befallen me. Life could do do more to harm me. I had everything .to gain and nothing to lose. I cared for no man. I despised them, and. to back me In my bitterness, I had twenty-five thousand dollars In the bank. I waa still weak from my Illness and .my long mash had wearied me,' so I west into a saloon and called for drinks. I felt the raw whisky burn my throat I tingled from head to foot with strange, pleasing warmth. Where was that bitter feeling now? As I drank It all seemed to pass away. Magical change I Whnt a fool I was! Wbat waa there to make such a fuss about? It wus all a farce anyway. What would It matter a hundred years from now? Again I drank. IIow wonderfully strong I felt I 1 smashed my clenched fist against the bar. Sly knuckles were bruised and bleeding, but I felt no pain. I ached to fight some one. Then all at once came the thought of Berna. It came with tragical suddenness, with poignant force. Intensely it smote me as never before. I was drunk, deplorably drunk, and I was bound for the TlvolL , To the right as I entered the place was a palatial bar set off with burnished brass, beveled mirrors and glittering, vari colored pyramids of costly liquors. Up to the bar men were bellying, and the bartenders in white Jackets were mixing drinks with masterly dexterity. To the left I had a view of the gambling room, a glimpse of green tables, of spinning balls, of ' cool men. with shades over their eyes. QikkUbtag Vbmish-Lacquer-Enam- Brilliant ds modem colors! For furniture, floors, woodwork, automobiles, anything! Its the lacquer that "dries in no time the varnish that even hot water cant harm the enduring enamel to refinish yoar car. Coupon good for a short time only use it today. This coupon and 10; are good for one quarter pint of WaterSpar Licouer, Varnish or Enamel or can be on larger purchase. 0 . . ' N. Oil Ogden Paint, & Glass Company 2440 Washington Avenue Phones 4 and 5 |