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Show THE FIGHT OF HIS LIfF OUrjrjoQauPTTQtnjTJTJUOOO J'!') ul1! HAT you any'" nnd Knoul Y looked ehnrply from the I AT trap be had been scraping I JVV and cleiinlng. Hut the vis. rv u5-. I'or's fnce nnsonlyfiieudly and Inquiring, without sarcasm sar-casm or Impertinence, and the momentary moment-ary gleam In the trapper's eyes died out. He hnd grown to like this si ranger, ran-ger, and hsil told hlin mora things concerning his pant llfo than be had ever divulged to Buy living limn before. be-fore. Hut the Inst qucslluu bad cut dep. For a long time he bent over the trap, bla lingers trembling ns be scraped the rust from the Jaws and alnnk. All n round were evidence of speedy departure, bis gun standing in a corner, cleaned and polished until Us hnirel shone like a mirror, his 'blankets, 'blan-kets, provisions, nil the rest of the traps, even his nioccnslns ami snow-shoes, snow-shoes, packed and fastened into compile', com-pile', bundles for convenient carrying. On a wolfskin a few feet away the dog lay with bis nose renting upon hla outstretched pnw-a, motlontesa, hut with his eyes wide open, watching. He understood, anil wns ready nnd waiting. Twenty-four hours, and be and the trapper would start for their winter In the Far North, whero every day wns In close, companionship wltb life nnd dentil. As he snw the shadow, come to Hanoi's fnce am! slowly fade, the visitor vis-itor stepped fornnnl Impulsively, placing plac-ing his baud upon the trapper's shoulder. shoul-der. "I beg your pardon, 1100111." he snld. "I did not know. I wns merely Interested Inter-ested 111 your life, and spoke without thinking. You may tell mo something else. "Xon, non, m'slcii: I been tell yon bnnt ills. It Is not dnt I be anhnnie," nnrt Ilsoul forced the Inst vestige of shadow from bla fnce. Hut be was still grnve. "It nln" vrr' ninoeli to tell, m'sleu." be went on. "only Jes' one little part of my life, an' II hnppen long, long time ago, an' nil In two, free week. Itut young peoples like hear 'bout dose t'lngn. an' ills be so ver long time by," drawing a hard breath, which he forced Into a mirthless chuckle, "dnt I nln' mln' tcllln' 'bout blm. You lieen t'lnk It funny I sin' like nn girl, dnt I nln' ncv' be married, dnt I nln' nor' make no home?" "Yes. If yon don't mind my saying so," the visitor answered. "You are a strong, handsome man, even though your hair Is turning gray and yon are scarred by encounters with wild animals ani-mals and the elements; and you are Straightforward nnd tencei hearted and a gentleman In nil your Instincts Just aurh a person an any thoughtful girl might lenrn to love." Itnoul shook bis head. T'nnk you. m'slen," he snld. "but you nln' know all. lint fniigbtful girl been like man who stny In home an' fix up t'lngs nn' nln' ncv' enr" run roitn'. 1 been like run rutin' all de time. When I wna a buy I run off to be hunter, nn' when I grow to be man I like more ns ntiyt'lug to go 'way off In do wood 'lining de liiit game. I lie strong mail, mil, but l"ii- time n:o, fore de hair turn, be mooch stronger. KotMn nln anlf tit io well Itt lion iliiv as lo fin' de bl-.tges' nn' wil'es' game In nil de place roun' on' den see which de atrnnges', lilm or inc. Hometlme 1 heeu t'row de gun down nn roll tip de sleeves. Jest' to make de wrestlo more fair. "Hut you nln' enr' 'bout nil dls." hla ntiliuatlnu auddenly mulshing. "I been goln' tell 'limit dc girl. Her fader come to work 'long me on do recver. an' blm an' me be Ter' good ft-!t-n's. Folk nay I likely young iiian den," simply, "vss-' Birong nil' ver ban'some. lie fuder like me nil' any so, an' I t'lnk de girl been like nie some. An' I " lie stopped sud.linly. raising his keen, deep-set eyes to the vlsltur's face. "You ev' know a girl dnt wns an angel come down to show whnt heaven been like?" he asked; "sweeter den nnyt'lng you ev' dream of In ile worl' before, closer lu your bear! den life, un more far oft as de stars? You ev' know her?" "Yen," the visitor answered, a tender, almost reverent look coming Into bis eyes, "I know her." "You un'erstnn'. den." Raoul went on. "Life niu' not'lu Yep' it goln make dat girl more happy nn' better off. Hhe not like nny girl I ev' sco before, on dere plenty huu'somc girl In Cnn-ads. Cnn-ads. b'he lie more like some great lady dat nln' proud nn' nlu' know she been han'soiiie-nnly F.llse nln' rduent. M, one queen drop down In de wood by ntlsiske. an' grow np 'fore peoples fli' out. When I t'lnk maybe she goln' corns live long Lie till we both be dead, i 1 nnI.'u4'-. I aln' birly know bow 1 breathe, fl be so Well el .'III. "ivn a young man come from Mow-tre.il Mow-tre.il to see 'hunt some rrevw claim, nn' he hire me to show blm bow de ctiiieut run dls way nn' dat way, as' how fur up de spring water rise; na' den one .lay we go I' it de cabin su' ; heme F.llse. i "Well, he feet 'bunt her Jes" like me. nn' ver' soon 1 see ilul F.llse feel te M'slen de I'urine an' me 'limit de same. When I 'en go aee her she like nie bca', 'ctiue I nln' ncv' 'frald not'ln', ; an' go down de recver stnn ln' straight up on n log like no nddcr recver mnn ev' dar' to: but when M'slen de I'Ortne ; un see her. den she like blm lies', 'online be sof spoke an' poleesli an' educnt. We nln' both know her but two week. ' an' she like Jmth de snine: two, free more week, nn' she goln' like Jos' one mooch better, an' It goln' 'pend en which de lien' innn." "And you proved yourself to be that, ( 1 of course." i "I been prof slcdy nerve dose flay," , Itnoul went oil. without aceinlng to j notice the Interruption. "When I stsrt out for flng I go straight on. an" If It broke my bend I let It been broke. I nev' atop to count dul. Wlicn X see how t'lngs goln' I slip off In de wood ( wber' I be by myself. Hat my way. I nlu' nev' t'lnk good with peoplea roun'. Well, firs' I see F.lle married an' me tonkin' out for her. an" I know t gqln' do de ver' lies' t know bow; den I see 1 M'slen dc Torino look In' out for her. an' t know he goln' do Jes' de same. I 1 been watch blm prof clone, nn' knew be clean, straight mail who guln' do Jes' whnt be sny. "So dnt nln' settle It, an' t go queer , to Montreal, my tooth set hard." I "To find out something nbnut Mob- I alenr de I'Onne?" the visitor aug-gented. aug-gented. I 1 Itnoul nodded. "Oul. m'slen. Her fader nln' bod.ler 'bout dat. But wheal a girl get married she goln' 'pond a might' long time on do man. mos likely. like-ly. I been know 'bout myself, an' I t'lnk I know 'bout M'sleu de I'Orme. Hut I am' goln' let Kline tnke aome reeak, non. When I fin' out If he been good man aa me, den I goln' hack an sny, 'Here, Kline, you pick out d ana yon been mos' happy long wl'li " A slight grin twitched the corners tt Itnntii's mouth. "Hoems like I lie might' fnlr," he coa-tlnued: coa-tlnued: "but I feel Jos' how flnga comln' out nil de time. Her fader Ilk me, nn' F.llse fink whole lot what her fader sny, an' she like me. too, some much as do udder mnn, I fink. I goln' stnn' clone up to 111 111 when ahe look, nil' I ten Inch taller nn' lift' pound bigger, big-ger, an' my voice goln' drown blm all out. Ills voice sof" an' quiet like,, 'cep' once In a long time when his eyes flash, den It still sof, but cut like, knife nn' make de udder man Jump. Out. I know Jc' how flngs comln' out till I go down to Montreal. Den I know Jes' de same, only de worl' bce shlf round." Ho wns silent so long Ibis time thst the visitor would have reminded blm of the untlnlsbeil nnmitlvo had It been, upon any other subject. As It wss, be wnlted. "I been 'quire Mioiit M'slen de I'Orme." I'Or-me." Kami snld at length, lu a low voice, "nn lln he straight, true man, Jes' like I fink, lint more. I II u' he great lawyer, with big house nn' servants ser-vants on' flngs llko tint. Any folic who 'long to blm goln' have de ver' beat de worl' got to give. When I fin' dnt nut I go off In de wnud, an' fight de hlggea' fight dnt mnn ev' lire frou. Den I go buy trap an' fines an' start off on de hinges' nn' mos fur off hunt I ev' tnke. I been gnue free yenr." "What! And did not go back tat Ellser "I aln' dnr. Maybe ahe start out tsr like me lies', nu' you know what a llfo been as trapper wife. Kllse nln' mean for dat. uon. rlhe made for de lies'." "And forgive lue haven't you eveti seen her alnce?" "Non, I ain't nev feel strong 'neugis tn go lo Montrenl since dnt time. Hull I hear. Kile been 'Hint 011 goln' to school! an' study to bo like him, nn' dey have) a great bouse, an she he like (literal 'niong de peoples. Iley have two cbfld nn' de olden' I been bear dey named Hiinnl. I-I " The trnpper rose Impatiently, and, strode to the pack of traps, over which! he bent, ostensibly trying to place the) one he had Just clennid with the others. The visitor glanced toward him, then; turned nhruptly nnd stole softlv frous. the cabin. New York Times, |