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Show ..n... iwiiii'iirn . i ilmh Tlic " Hero of Beaver Head. rents (lotvn tho liillside, nnd;caiun upon tho bench, Tho Voa sermed nllro with leaplnjf rldirosDN thnllirlilulnfr fell uikiii (hem, iiniltill tikii(f tho Iiumi of tlio head It burl.t at tinicd Into lm Id firo. Tho boy drejv btu'le bMoro It, but hUisther was ont'thore out tbero whoro 0)1 things rolled togrthvr In convulsion, and ho cfunrf'ln tho teoth of tho tempest, r.trahiln o,ir ard ryo upon the Hen. (Suddenly a nhip burst. Inld tho frlnre. I it"iciiu,(l oouiiii(f Ltra!:(lil upon tho aliure, uml tho liy idiouted ilth fear, I but It vi'orcit and in-d aiiny Into tlio darkness. Hut whit! wan tlmt lruplnif nloiitlio billons? Thp.ro It hIioiio hi the Klare; noiv till was Hivtdlowi'd tp In ntcht: tlipro It cairn' Hi;aIiiT-n IhihII nnd he ran Into tho very nrm of tho billows to mo"t it iui n lonif wave hurled it hti.'h upon tho IkViCIi. With u loop bo wuh ticslilo It, nud when tho lightning" emtio Dffulti hi' l.mv It waa hi i fnllier'n boat, but emptyl A bhoclt of horror patiKi'd tlinuifli him; his wish had come, truo. The lightning fell about hhn, tln oeenn turned to froth, and the billows, burbling agatust tho head, leaped up the shattered pillars In blulfdi, miowy Kheets. llut ho guvo tio heed. Suililen-ly Suililen-ly ho seemed to hoar voices calling. Now they seamed In tho roaring Vrood across tho bay; now far out to ben; then high up in heaven. It moot be his fancy, ho thought, or tb winds walling' In the holes and hollows of thu cliff. Up paused around toward tho front of tho head and listened, but the blakt roared In his ears, uml tho noise of tho Inrolling flood was so great he could not henr distinctly. How unspeakably fearful it wan; Ida father out there In tho wallowing-iwaters. wallowing-iwaters. A plcturo of tho man moro 'vlvldthan life cama into tlio boy's excited ex-cited mind; his tall stature, stooping1 shoulders, ragged clothes, and laugh-.lag, laugh-.lag, vagabond air; liis, native good humor, save when liquor mado him harsh; his lovo for children, nnd dogs, and hunting, nnd how, when ho did not drink, ho was the best axmnn and tho Btrbngost man In all tho region. Ah, how darkly It all had ended. Hut presently, whllo ho was thinking, t' i -Ind lulled, and a voice leaped out from tho very lips of tho head In a long, quivering cry for help. Ills blood ltounded and stood still; then the cry came again, rising above the clashing elements like peal of anguish. Ah, It was his father's volco; and his blood leaped forward again with a great thrill, and forgotful of his lameness ho ran In closo to the bursting rollers and began to climb tho face of tho head. It seemed nn attempt tit for something mad, for oil below him lay a boiling abyss, lashing nnd thundering and loaning loan-ing after him: but ho had no time for fenr; was not his father calling for buc-cor buc-cor somewhere out thero In that abyss of noise and commotion? lie knew every holo and shelf In the fneo of tho precipice, and soon by tho aid of the lightning flashes ho was on a ledge leading toward the voice. It was n frightful place. Once ho slipped nnd hung over tho edge of tho shelf, very closo to death. A thick sweat broke out upon him, and his heart Jcrrcd his sldo with every stroke. After that he crept forward more carefully, waiting for tho lightning flashes and feclhirr his way with trembling hands. Thoughts uud Images were flying through Ida brain; the children sleeping sleep-ing In tho hut, his mother stooping at tho llroplnco trying to kindle, a lire, tho stove hi tho shed filling with water from tho storm, and the mlllmcn'n shirts to be dried and Ironed on the morrow. Suddenly tho clouds broko open to a great height, and there swam tho moon in penccful fields of violet, tho ncrrato edges ot tho lung rift shining llko a onlcc of silver broken upart. The rain had almost censed; only a fmv drops fell Into tho boy'a whlto face is he lifted It to the light, and tho volco broke out n fresh. Ilu shouted n reply, but seemingly eould uot reach thu father's fa-ther's ear, and trembling and pautlug bo crept onward. In a moment ho tamo to a jutting point, and, creeping carefully around It, emerged upon a little plat f mm of stone. Thero tho shelf camo apparently to mi end, nnd as he turned about In blinding eagerness to rind a furthor way, tho volco sprang pMJ. almost from beneath his feet. He "all but jeaped Into tho sea with joy nnd sMiM ' Jn an Instant he was down upon nU lulees pouring over tho brink, and thero, almost In reach of his hand, was his fa-iher's fa-iher's upturned facet He was standing upoli one foot In a braah In one of the illlnrs that leaned agulnst tho elllT, with his arras about Its shattered top, lmd.upon h top and within tho pro-tcptlng pro-tcptlng circle of hU arms, sat a thin-f.i'ced, thin-f.i'ced, yellow'-halrcd child. It waa tho strangest, wildest picture Paul Armor had uver seen. "Ohfuthor, don't yo let gol I'll save yel" ho cried. With tho Hrs). look the 'child stretched out ir arms to him, and a light that was mom than the radianco of tho moon broke over the man's face. "It tuck a sight of hollerin' to ralso ye, sonl" ha said, half weeping in his joy and weariness. "I'll'lmut made up my mind to lot go and slidu down among tho lltili. I guess I'd done it only this little shlverlu' thing hep' holdlu' mo rsj-w. hJwN. IN ,1V IWTAVl IIS WS llQWtf 1IH)X Ills i -Hj 7v rntxK. 1 ,'wii";r','T"'''."" 1 " I'., w ' ' : '. j-!i-.'' gf , , round the neck." Aud 11 m man's Mnntpil cheeks were trickling w !lh tnr Ho j seemed to break down noh- th.il help had eomo. Bnt what hofp! i lame Ixjy, trembling and turning lm potently ttliotit tho ledge, whllo tho llqiior-ivpukciied man, dUry at times, nnd seeming to sofS all thine go round lintll round. innif there with tho btUoiVlugglng til 'hrs feet. 'fj "I might mebby get'otltcn hph but for tho ehlld,'' he cnlcl7 -ttut l 'fo.U' purty wabblyf son. If 1 let go ril.biivfl' her slttln' here, mi' mebby yo keli llsh lier up some way." ' "Oh, fatlinrl" cried the lioy. Milfll' straining eyes,, "don't ye let gut '"I'll savoycl" , "I won't lot go If I ken help It.'ron.'' said tho liinn faintly". "But y'd besttt a rope; mebby yo kon save tho eli.ld, if yo enn't save nie." I "Yes, fathcrf A'nd Paul had stott-d on his perilous., journey neroas lh(' faeo of tlio cllll ugulti. ' '' -" " ai CIIAPTRIttl. I As Paul Armor crop' back alonp llie ledgo bis hcurt beat verj- fust. I ji ulid down, In uud out, pi.iitmg, Imrr.vli;,,!' pasusl nbovo tho turmi.il of wfiters. Would they bo there when be rottlriu'il? Oh, for wlugs, or oven sound limbs! Hut how cumo his limbs so halting? IImiIIiI not think of that now'n Kb hli fMher, who had maimed hhn. hnilglng thi-iv trf) near to death. Pity lmiij tnrn"il th noisome current of luito aside, iul io wa lieltig carried forward on tho cver-saving, cver-saving, over-hetillng streniu of lov(. ' In a few niliuitis, tlmt seemed n many hours, he camo down upoU ljie bt'nch. Ills blood was fairly leiiplngi nnd ho ran along tin1 sand Jiitehhig forward for-ward in his lameness, und lodkin.-l pallid pal-lid nnd wild In the moonlight. A little way beyond his father's broken boat ho camo to a sort of landing He remembered remem-bered having seen a ropo there. Yw, there It lay, colled anil wet, on tin bow of a canoe. His face lit up nnd he seized it with a joyous cry. Hut (tuns fastened to the boat! Instantly lyo ell upon his knees, nnd began pulling nnd tugging at tho knot, using both lingers and teeth In his eagerness. Hut t tvns sodden and solid, nnd Mould not yield. Then ho seized tho nut on the ioucr end of tho boat that held tho ropo, nnd twisted It with nil his strength. It turned; and in n moment ho had it off, and, climbing upon the etlgo ot thi lioat, ho wound the rope about Ids shoulders and hands and lifted hard. Suddenly, as he strained, tho rusty bolt left Its socket, and ho plunged headtohg from tho boat's slda upon tho wet snnil. Scrambling up, and snatching tho ropo, he hurried down tho bench. Without waiting to take breath, or steady himself, him-self, ho plunged Into the. sprn.y, and, climbing above tho surf, took liH dangerous dan-gerous way across tho bend. Onward ho went, creeping along tho drlrfpltlg ledge, with clouds of mist rolling past him up the cliff, nnd now and then tho mooullghl breaking through upon )ilm. As ho approached tho boeUlnr point that hid his father and the uulcniiwii child from view ho paused with flutter-lag flutter-lag pulse and listened. No souuit h.ivo tho long rolling crash of tho Incoming surges met hU oar. Trcmbllntjy he crept on round the point nnd lixUed down; thero they hungl nnd his heart gnvo n great leap tit the cipht. The f nail with closed eyes seemed sinking iluwli, but tho child still held him fast about tho neck. "t'other! fatherl" shouted tho lioy, with warning voice. "I'm cornel I've got tho rope!" Tho man roused himself with n pitiful mile and the boy mado a hurried llooSc of tho ropo and cast it down. The father steadied himself and at length got the noose over the child's head and around Its body. Then Ji? kissed her and said, fnlterlngly; "Idon'lkuoye who yo are, llttlo thing, au' I an't made out a word yo'vo said, but yoVo 'saved me so far, and mebby It wo get miUr hero yo'U keep me saved from something worse than this. Good-byl" Then grnsplng the ropo tMitly Paul began to pull nnd tho ehlld swung away from the mull and hung over the plunging waters with nvlddi terrified eyes. Hiowly he dreW her lift and the man wntchtd until slio was mife On tho ledge; then ho snld: "Now, son, I'll seo what good I ami" nnd he begun struggling strug-gling to get upon tho end of the leaning column. Again and again ho essayed It: he was so numb bo could scarcely move. Tho boy "watched htm, 'with oyory musclo rigid from sympathy. Tho action seemed to warm and freshetitho man, and at last he got upon tlie pillar's end and sat still, with his furchead resting; rest-ing; against the cool wall before hhn. "Now, my son," he said, when he hud gotten his breath, "take all the thne'yo need for gettln' tho little thing ouo dry ground. I'll bo a-restin' wlillu y'rl gone. Don't hurry, I'll bo a-restln'. Keep tho ropo 'round tho child, nn If (sho falls mebby yo ken save her. ngulii, I'd rather ye'd save her thnn me. Hood-by!" Hood-by!" Slowly and warily the boy plelted his way through tho curling mist, guiding, lifting, leading tho frightened ehlld along tint dizzy path. At Inst they came down and out upon tho lieatcn sand, and as ho took the rope from round the child's quivering form ho hcurd a cry. and ookng up saw his mother coming dowti tho raln-giillied bluff, with tho gray light of down breaking over tho edgo of the cllll behind her. "Oh, mother, hO's cornel Father's cornel" cried tho lioy. "He's, Jltst 'round yanderl I'll bring him In n minute!" min-ute!" Tho woman's haggard foee lit lip os aha ran forward to meet him. When, ho nw tho child slio slopped short. "Why-tvlry, where did thut little thing come from?" slio asked. "I don't know, mother. Father snld she'd been holding him round tho ueek au' keoplu' him from drowndin'," said tho boy, and ho looked ntthchhlverlng waif with something like awe. Tho child sat still on tho rock where-I'aul where-I'aul had placed hor, and looked from ona foee to the other. Her clothes went One and thin, but torn and wet, and her tangled curls clung about her thin neck llko yellow silk. Her blue eyes wero wry 'appealing, andth woman dropped down on hor knees beside tho child V Itli a irreat pang of pity at her henit. "Ob, you poor, drowned, starvhi' little lit-tle thing!" sh said, "what's bocomo of your matnmyr" The child gazed at her woDderlngly a monient. and inurinured aoUKtuhig In a foreign longuo, i4W4 I "lleroy!" molalmed thu woman. "It can't speak Kugllsb; It's a foreigner!" I and tbo put her faded shawl about it cotnpmlouately. caj.'rV4i:, Suddnly the boy started up, "I'm goln' now, mother," he suld. "I'm go- . In' after father!" ami before thr woman ' could comprehend he snatched the rope I and ran up In tha spray apfl wat swal- IfynWIWftrltW'SltfllIntjt-trpiialliMl j her. aad she spvnng esr-amtng aftor Jifui, but .ItikltpiMslmi the wet mcks an 1 the plunging surges boat hpr biek. To i her mothi'i) heart it waam-vh i:lf ho Iil passed ln6 a Wllowm', Iliv. T'h' 'no ments swrnWl Iftterinlrmblr: u-mitil he i no;f r .env, back from, Unit Kit'nriux I iioiindlng ';ulf of fn ua nnd :n''.'.' bnlf bolir'iif ti rvi,r Went by; thon aiiddfiile In' burst ir i tor Hip lii'nl..i ' sprnv ulyM' hor, w itli II ory mil 'h ii if be linSl '"liivfi-vcs I i iteavou. It.ltlild hltll ttiittl' hi i TatJiVrt' Uro i;ilivr ft ml staggering stag-gering forward, nnd husband and wife fell Into each other'a arms, n-'d s o.l aWtlylllgribrlVibbmtfoii the Ni.nl, iviiih-Pnul'Orotit iviiih-Pnul'Orotit aWuyi slek und broken, nnd Whvlhhucif. Ah! bo had bpcn through frrent p"rll; Iry had iliinu h noble deed: bo had ltruuirtttf bank his s)lf ivspei t; but hud .not the old hoveling (hirkiicss eomo along n 1th It? Wlieii Trove Armor, following his wife, bent bis tall, shambling form nud i ' " " 'i sJv- M4f sun put iir.n rAm:t biiawi. auout it COMPASSIONATELY, went weakly In through tho low doorway door-way of his humble home, n bright tiro of pine knots wan flnmlug and popping in tlio (lrcplacc, nnd n pot of colfee, sitting sit-ting in tho hot nshes tit olio eorncr of tho fire, wmi bre.ithing sweet frn-(jrnnce frn-(jrnnce front its mouth. A wave of Inexpressible In-expressible tlinukf ulnces swept through him at the sight. The children cius-tcrcd cius-tcrcd about him with exclamations of wonder, uml tho mother, placing the llttlo stranger in ti chair before the pleasant flames, went into tho other rtKint. Tho glcnt-llko father, rubbing hU hands before tho grateful blaze, looked at tho children with n beaming face. "Wnl, my hearties," ho said, "ye sec I've brought yo a little sister." Tho chiid, iih If somowhnt frightened by tli.' circle of roguish fuces, put out 'her hnnds ttppotillngly, and tho big mnii drew hor lnU his lap and crooned over Jief Jlkq a woman. "on't yo bo nfenrcd, llttlo thing, don't yd' bo nfcnrd," ho said. "If y'r pnp or1 tnnmmy never eomo yo'U bo always al-ways safo Willi lis. Wo had u llttlo gal unco, utijost y'r size nn' heft, an' yes, she looked nmost llko ye. Wo culled her llrcoze,, tm' 1 guess we'll cull yo ,Ualc, fqr y'r umost llko her." tl'lio child looked trustingly up Into his r.ynp.ishHtki face, but it was plain she th.t nut underat.il. htm. "1 i,' 'kirn j i' can't make mo out, llttlo bird, from the way j'o limit," ho said; "but yp tu'i'dii'l bo ufinrd, yo needn't be afoilriL" - TIk' nltUdrciii wero pressing about tlu'iii, uml tlio, fntlioi' ilrow I.annlc upon his oty r lpee, Tho pudgj' llttlo fellow looked' ut t In' pale-faced child a moment, then, totifblniT hor thin hand, lie looked up Into the man's, face nnd lisped: "Slio LmnnWa ilstcrf Lunulo's new slsterl' nhdt'ie other children jumped up nud iluwivwltli i.'loo. Thu mother hoard It ns she entered, uul njien alio camo forwurd with tho tiny drey and shoes that oneo had clad 'tlieirllltlo lltveze, her heart was full. I'liltlulthe willing child to her breast sho p.lssed Into the other room uguln to 'loth her in dry garments, nnd tho big, rafgrd, steaming man leaned forwnrd mil poked tho lire, nnd tho children rtonderid, for his eyes ucro wot. Presently the wouinn ctiiue back, nnd, with Ii quick step, set iiboul getting breakfast Armor remained loaning forward, steaming, nnd gazing dimly Into the bed of burning knots, I'esent-ly I'esent-ly his hvud sunk down ns It it were lead; ho had fallen asleep from utter exhaustion. ex-haustion. Thu noiiiaii touched his shoulder. "Drink this cup of coffee, Travo,"sho snld (kiiilhiugly. "It'll strengthen you till 1 get some brcnkfnst on thu tablo." Hut he eould hardly drink It, hie hnuds sliook so, and ho looked up plto-msly plto-msly In her face. "Lucy, I'm umost pegged!" ho snld, "Yes: oh, Truvo, can't you s'top now? Can't you quit drinking?" she cried, and Iter thin frutno sliook from head to foot. - The man swayed forward over his laiPi's-nod groaned: "I.uey, I will If 1 Kin!" lint suddenly ho throw himself baelt with a Ionic of torture in his faeu "I need It now! I'm n-burnln'iip, Lucy I'' ho cried. "Ain't thero uny In tho house 7 Jlst npoonful!" A look of despair spread over tho woman's face. "Tnivo, thero nln't any," sho said. "You must go to bed now, and ,.',-ep until y'r hotter," nnd sho led him Into tui other room as If ho was i, trembling uhild, When sho enmo out ngnln sho asked for Paul, but uono of tho children had loon him, and slip wont nnlously to tho door and looked out. Tho lioy wn limping; slowly up the path with his father's fa-ther's rnstod rlllo on his shoulder. Ho hud found It In the bottom of tho water-logged water-logged boat "Hietikf-i'it Is 'most ready, Paul," said the mot lie i-, and her Volco was nn Infinitely t-uder caress, bho did not 'praise linn:, bht he saw nn approval in hef eyes trto grant for words. i'I'ii 'not 'much hungry, mother," ho ifiM) J'l'llVnt tho tubs 'filled, so wo Can go to work when y'ro roady." When tlio poor meal uns prepared ho came Jn and t.to a fow blten in slleneo, Thb..AA4 ehakud him when h looked nl his mother's euro-worn fueo. Suddenly ns they sat at the table, the father cried Cc 1 wb I CXT , IK |