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Show George J $nypSf COPYRIGHT Ay TOf PENN PUBLISHING CO. SERVICE "Please, I beg of you, never call me that again !" "Why, I'm sorry I didn't know," he faltered, puzzled by her mood. "It means so much, to me a badge of honor, an accolade." "Yes, at first, but It has come to mean to me " she checked herself. He waited, watching the light touch her sober face. "It has come to mean to me," she went on, "something humiliating hateful." "Why, my dear child !" he gasped in astoninshment. "Humiliating? I'm proud so proud, to love the woman who has been a healer of wounds." "Oh, but you don't understand can't see! And how am I to tell you?" "If, after what we've been through together," lie said passionately, "if, knowing that you are all my world all I have left to cling to, to fight for, you can't be frank with me " "You tell me that you care for me," she broke In bitterly, "then why Is she there in your room, where you can see her? If you've forgotten as you say." He raised his mitten to his forehead us if dazed, then turned a face tense with candor. "Is she still there?" "Still there? Don't you know that the three likenesses are in your room, LOW?" He smiled as one smiles at the caprice of a child. "It is so long since I'd noticed them, I had forgotten." Then, dimly at first, In a moment he saw "Healer of Wounds !" he murmured. mur-mured. "Oh, you tiiink there's a scar, a wound unhealed the memory of her, that I can't forget?" he cried. "Ethel 1 You think you're healing the wounds Ethel left a substitute. Is that It?" She would not meet his smiling eyes. "Long before I met you," he went on, "she had become a shadow. I had come to see her as she was the shallowness, shal-lowness, the hardness of her. Then there came sailing across the strait a girl with eyes that never wavered all. Ami yet you needed me so I knew It that night at Albany." "That I loved you?" "No, stupid, that you needed me." "And that Is why you stayed at Albany Al-bany because you thought I needed you?" "No, prince of bllndmen, because I loved you." And she tenderly kissed the cicatrix which crossed his cheek. "You made me love you the night you told me of the coming of Ninda, to Elkwan." "And I made your brother hate me," he laughed. "Have I atoned for his Injuries to you?" "I love him for those Injuries. He didn't know how lie helped. But you mustn't stand here In the cold with your hood off. You'll freeze your face !" Guthrie suddenly became serious. seri-ous. "Not with you, hungry man !" she laughed. "Good-night, oh much-needed lady," he said In the living room. "Good-night, Sir Philip Sydney. All in a few hours I have seen your eyes cold as the ice out there and I've seen them well, as they look now, dearest man-with-the-scar," and she kissed him and went to her room. The following morning, when the police dog-team had left for Seal cove, the nervous Ungavas led by the protesting pro-testing Shot drew the rude coflin of Craig Galbraith to the post cemetery. There, beside the snow-drifted cross marking Ninda's grave, they built a cache of logs over the rough box of spruce slabs, and against it, rested the spruce cross which would be set in the spring1 when the frost left the ground. As Garth and Etienne crossed to the trade-house, the half-breed stopped, shading his eyes with a mitten. "See something?" "Ah-hah !" "Can't be the police team coining back?" "No, eet ees long team sees dog, I think" "From Albany a packet from Cameron. Cam-eron. I wonder what's happened." Twenty minutes later Guthrie was opening the mail bag which the dog driver from Albany had handed him. "As soon as Etienne rounds to," wrote Cameron, "you bring Mias Joan down the coast she's needed. The company is locating a permanent post on the island in the summer, and want you to handle It. You have made a big stroke with Moose and Montreal, and if you care to stay In the trade, ought to go far. I trust by now you are open to congratulations." But the dispatch of the mall-team to Elkwan was due to the special orders or-ders from Montreal headquarters which accompanied a letter addressed In typewriting to Major Gartli Guthrie. Curious of the reason prompting the unknown writer to the haste and expense ex-pense of an express packet down the MlssinaiM and up the coast In midwinter, mid-winter, Garth opened the letter in the handwriting of his brother, which ran: "Dear Old Garth: "If you will accept my deep apologies, apolo-gies, I will be a happy man. I have learned that Quarrier had personal reasons for wishing to Injure you. At the time I believed him thought you had cut loose from us, were unfair to Ethel. But I have received a long letter let-ter from Fort Albany, from Quarrler's sister, which Is corroborated by Cameron, Cam-eron, the factor, which clears the situation. situ-ation. This Miss Quarrier seems to be a most unusual woman, and Clara you know Clara well, she has a surmise. sur-mise. "The Hudson's Bay people have told me of your marked success this winter, win-ter, for which my congratulations. A Guthrie has a nose for business. Best wishes, my hoy, but If you will come bfck to us, greater opportunities await you hero. By the way, you may be in-toroslcd in-toroslcd to hear that Ethel married Sir Hubert Quayle, president of the Quayle Mines, last week. Clara Is furious. She sends her best love. "Affectionately, "CHARLES." Hurrying to his quarters with Shot at his heels, Garth thrust the letter Into Joan's hand. He watched her color deepen as her dark eyes lit with her Joy for him. "Oh, I'm so glad so gladl" sho cried. "They want you back, Garth, want you with them." "Shall I take Ethel down now? They ought not to lie In there her photographs a married woman," he leased. She shrugged her shoulders. "They are doenrat ive, anil your walla are bare. Why nut leave lluxm there?" "Bravo, Healer of Wounds 1 Spoken like a soldier," and he took her In his arms, as i lit? loiter fluttered, nog-lecli'd, nog-lecli'd, to the floor. "Cameron writes they are sending me next year lo take the new post on Hie Island. Is It Monlreal In tint spring or our honeymoon on Akl-mlsldV" Akl-mlsldV" She rose ami went to his open arms. "The Island The Land across the Water Wa-ter In sight of which I met I hat very 1l ii t-k sheep, Garlli (liilhrle let's spend Ihe HUiiiiner there, Mr. Exile alone." For a space man and girl stood, lost In their happiness, then a wistful whine, Ihe prole.si of two hulry paws In silent demurrer to bin hearllesn exclusion, ex-clusion, waived them. On his hind feel, nose to her slioiil tier, she Impulsively tlivw the doir lo her. "What "'tiulil IhlH family bo wllhoul our Sholl.vV" Anil Gnrlh'8 long linns eiieleil girl and alredale, 1 1 , , . two living Ihlng'l ho held most dour. I'l l IE END.l CHAPTER XIV Continued 21 From the open door two slit-like eyes in a face black with menace glittered glit-tered over a rifle barrel held loosely, shoulder high. In undershirt and socks, his waist belted in 'bandages, stood Etienne Savanue. skinning knife dangling from a wrist thong, at the summons of his chief. "Hand' up ! Queek !" His eyes shifting in doubt from the wage features of Savanne to the man still kneeling, dazed, beside the j body, Parrel demanded: "What's this? A hold-up?'' "It's all right, Etienne. Drop your gun," ordered Guthrie in a tired voice, getting to his feet. "There's no trouble here." "Oh, yes, there is!" objected Raw-don, Raw-don, recovering his nerve. "What d'you mean, Major Guthrie, by secreting secret-ing a man wanted for murder? There's some real trouble ahead for you, as an accessory !" "Shut up, Itawdon!" snapped Far-rel. Far-rel. "I'm in command here." And the older man fumbled in an inside pocket and produced an oilskin envelope. Numb with bitterness, Guthrie, ald- ed by Etienne, carried the shell of Craig Galbraith into the bedroom littered lit-tered with the debris of his unconscious uncon-scious frenzy. "Come here, will you, Guthrie?" called Farrel, who held a photograph in his hand. "Is that Laughing McDonald?" Guthrie apathetically took the photograph pho-tograph and went to the lamp. It was the likeness of a large man in Canadian Cana-dian uniform, the patched face hopelessly hope-lessly disfigured by wounds. As he looked at the Canadian soldier, into the listless eyes of the man who had given his all for friendship, and In vain, crept a doubt perplexity, then cold assurance. Garth handed the photograph to Joan Quarrier. For an instant she examined the iikeness then with a note of triumph in her voice, returned it to Guthrie with : 'Tr looks like liirn, but this man has no lobe on I, is left ear and his hair--look at the thin hair! His our man's is thick." Guthrie nodded. ."This is the man you are after, F;:iTel?'' "Yes, and he's the man in that room." "You didn't teli me his real name." "His real name is Carmichael Jack Carmichael. You ought to know, major; he must have been a friend of yours to take the chances with the law that you have, in hiding him." "All right," said Guthrie coldly, "any chances I took, I'll answer for. Now look at this photograph. You see that this man, besides losing half his fact. poor devil lias no lobe on his left ear. That's clear, Is it?" "Yes, I noticed that." "All rigid. Now look at his hair Is it thick or tii in?" "Thin." "All right. Now In his description, what scars does he carry?" Farrel read from the paper he took from the envelope in his pocket: "Scars: Little finger on right hand, missing ; lobe of left ear, missing; etc.; shell wound on knee." "Come in here. Taking a candle, Guthrie led the two policemen Info the bedroom. "There's the liitls finger on both hands. C"t that?" Joan heard Guthrie say. "Ears both whole, aren't they? See any scars on his knees? No !" "Now, Inspector Fan el, look at that head of hair! Does that look thin to yon? No, quite the contrary, If. couldn't be thicker. N-nv I'll ask yoi: to notice this bayonet I h rust. He go!, it in a raid in I lie Yores salient.--That's what gave hl:i, his first V. ('. I was Willi him. lias your man fi slash across the collar bone like tbb,( .'.'o ! Are you satisfied, Farrel? I-or a space, f he trembling girl, thrilled elated, listened for a replv. Then there came In the low voice i f Fat-re a reluctant "Yes." The throe men returned to the 111- j lug room, victory in the eyes of tne I factor of Elkwan. After Ihe toil, tlx? anxiety, the de-pair, Hie memory r t Craig Galbraith was clean of slain. i;-:cn,ah!e as Guthrie had thought Iff , act, In Ihe I ; ' 1 1 1 of circumstances, t v.iik good to know be bad tiot died a hiihleil man. Craig had not been the only Caii'lian to come home to bis Calvary. Laughing McDonald, of Inc. Ghoi;t, was riot wanted In Halifax. CHAPTER XV "Fib line," said Guthrie lo the ha'f breed, who linger' d af Hie gnu r;l 'k In the room, knife alill hanging I'm hi wrl-il 1 1 1 'j r i ; ' , ho til" i-ye-t on Hi" policemen, police-men, "you help Mi. i (luaiii'-r uud rd Alllie, while I 'how Hie- ('t lit tcni'-n Ihelr b-'l-t. I'll Ii- bad: directly." Willi M hack ward I'l-uic,. af .loan .'ta'don r -1 ' i 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 y followed the other from Hik houao. In the trade-room Guthrie told the ! story of Craig Galbraith- j "He made the trench raid a work of art, Farrel, V. C, Croix de Guerre, Legion of Honor, he had them alL There wasn't a Hun headquarters that didn't know his name. They offered a king's ransom for him dead or alive." "They warned me at Moose that It would be suicide for us to go to that schooner," replied Hie older man. "It would have he.en, Farrel." "What was he doin' with the Lewis guns?" "I don't know. Of course, I thought he was the man wanted and figured j that he didn't intend to be taken. But I he was weird with a pistol. He'd j shoot with either hand, from any angle. an-gle. And his strength you saw him and can judge." "Well," said Farrel with a sigh, "I'm glad it turned out as it did. If the description had tallied with him, you were in bad for concealing him from us, although I understand how you felt In bad with your people, too." "Yes," said Guthrie, quietly, "it took some hard thinking to decide what to do when you heard him break loose." "What to do?" demanded Rawdon with a sneer. "What could you do?" Guthrie's glance in the direction of the speaker brought the blood to Raw-don's Raw-don's face. "Shoot you through the head, Rawdon, Raw-don, if I had been the only one involved in-volved or rather, the ears, to insure getting your brain." "You would would you!" Purpling with rage, the policeman straightened to his feet. "You were trying to hide a crook from the officers of the low or thought you were " With a crash Guthrie's chair hit the floor behind him. "Mention that man over there again and you'll never leave " "Hold on here!" Roughly pushing his subordinate behind him, Faril faced the man whose mouth curled In contempt of the patent fear In the eyes of the younger policeman. "I "von't have a fight here, major 1 You're t ervous get yourself In hand!" "It's all right, Farrel. He's safe enough here," said Guthrie quietly, "tut he'll have to watch his step. Un-d'Vstand, Un-d'Vstand, Rawdon?" I'urning his back on the victim of his over-raw nerves, Garth threw back a good-night to Inspector Farrel and returned to the watchers. Guthrie crossed the white clearing, stung by regret at his loss of self-control, self-control, his deliberate humiliation of the man whose manner with Joan Q.i.TTier at the sapper table was elo-quei elo-quei t of the gossip at Albany. But, har:-?sed as he was by anxiety for the 'Safety of Galbraith. at the veiled Insrit In the uncouth Rawdon's frank adndration of the girl, who staunchly staunch-ly fimulated interest In his attentions, wh'le her ears strained for the dreaded dread-ed sounds which would betray them, Guthrie's command of himself had hen too sorely taxed. The strain ovT, his raw nerves had sought the panacea offered. During his short Kti-y at Elkwan, Constable Rawdon of the government police was not apt to ' ii ess his attentions tin Joan Quarrier. CHAPTER XVI What could be done Etienne and f id Anne, under the dictions of the Ltirse, had done for the dead. In the doming, protected by a cache of logs, be would be buried In the snow until he spring would admit of the digging f a grave. ' "You need air and change from this ( ,ilaoo." Garlli said to Joan. "The si nra 'ire out ; put on your coat and let's walk. I have much to say to you." "It would be good. I think I'd like ! to walk on the river Ice," she agreed. Anil with Shot as escort, they crossed 1 the clearing. "How low Ihe stars seem, almost ! crowding down on us, as you told me that morning on our way lo Albany." "How long ago it seems so much has happened," lie said. "To you. Mr. Exile and to me," she iin.'iu eicd crypt ically. i "You never told me wdiy you stayed at Albany," he began after a silence. She did not meet his eyes, but looked far to tin; east when; the moon, sliced In half, like a miiiiimolh cheese, by the roof of Aklinlskl, bathed the Indigo barrens with silver. "Is II. n Keercl V" he pressed "I was needed there." "And now, because of my bringing r you Into Ihls, you can't go hack." "They will gladly have me back they need inc." "I'.iil to do I, Healer of Wounds, I need you. Won't you lh:len believe what I i-'iyV" Ilia voice broke with eiMol Ion he could not cont rol. J'.he flopped. They had reached Ihe Hut trull and were alone -out of Iglll. of I he po .l building!!. 1 With a Swift Movement Ho Caught Her. a heart oil gold, and hair," he laughed at the anti-climax, "that the wind loved to play with. Like the soldier she was, she forgot self In the work at hand. With those clear eyes, saw the truth. And when I left her that night on the shore of the Albany I loved her." With a catch In' the throat, Joan Quarrier lifted her face to the moon-fight. moon-fight. The sensitive mouth quivered lie-low lie-low clouded eyes, fit rcely questioning. "You cared for me, you say, but each morning you looked at the lovely creature you had lost and felt Just a bit sorry for her, for yourself, eh, Major Guthrie?" He hardly recognized the video, so hoarse, so hitter was the note on which she finished. Hopelessly he shook his head. As If to himself, he muttered In protest: "They were there with those of the family, untouched, because unthought of. I was away hardly slept In the room nfler leaving you at Albany, up the coast, Inland afler Soucl, on the Islam. Do you think I would have turned to you In my need asked yon to come up here with all It meaiil K I hail not loved you?" be pleaded. But In her overmastering pride, Joal Quarrier was obdurate. "Let us walk," she said, niechanlca!-ly, niechanlca!-ly, and 'started on. They walked a mile up the rlvfr trail, anil turning, faced the pulsing aurora. The slinging air bail lured the color to her cheeks, the shadows left her somber eyes. They vied In naming Ihe colors In the liilvniiitlent glow of Ihe northern lights, Idoiilllled stars, for the moment forgot themselves them-selves In the si i 1 1 u 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 of keen ntr and leaping pulses. As they iieared Ihe posl, her moccasin moc-casin slipped on the Icehard Irall. With a swift movement, hn caught lief, felt for an Instant the weight of her In his arms, si ralghteiied, sllll holding her; then, as her hood fell buck and he cimght the fragrance of her hal.1 crushed bis lips to II. Slowly her dn'Mt head turned, and then; on llio Ice cf the Elkwan, he held her, troiublljig, mcellng Ids wild mood with a revolution revolu-tion of tenderness of passion, un-guesseil. un-guesseil. "Why, oh, why," be nuked, "did yuu lorlnre me so long?" "Because, l.h, Lord of Elkwan anil half of Aklinlskl," she halili-reil, "you lorlurcil nie with those photographs." "I in you bellevf Hull I forgot their cxImIciico?" "Yes hut oh, I coiililn'l be second lieal - her sub-illl ule. I wauled lo he Ural wauled lo ho everything to you |