Joyce of the North Woods
was born. It was a most inconvenient
d ending of their jobs, and severe discipline had been necessary in more than one camp. Hillcrest's ideas of decency had been deeply outraged; its courts of
never before it had ventured. Not being content in carrying its legitimate burden of logs to the lower towns, it bor
es to the south, seize it there, and make arrangements for bringing it back. This absence from the scene of his life battle, turned Jude into a veritable fiend for the
uffered that spring fr
labour of working on Drew's house. He and Filmer, with or without Jude, hammered, sawed and made r
howing themselves, after the winter's long reign, l
k Cat were interrupted by Jude's necessary absence
lated prosperity, had insisted that hi
e, and the tavern's attractions had never held a sure power over J
e on a social equality with the Lauzoons. So
horror, when Joyce became aware of the singing of bir
ade her faint. She waited a moment, then slowly turned her head on the pillow and opened her eyes. There by th
down her face. It had not, then, been all a hideous nightmare? Something
all that Isa, drowsing luxuriously as
hed from the demands of home cares
nd then
e did not intend that Joyce should be exacting. Women were
h a thrill in the voice that Isa was at
. A mere baby, to Isa, was no cause
ut in a claim for him," she replied with a v
again overflowed. "Di
ake a nap. You won't have any too much time
o, too heavenly. My little b
in Isa's mind. She must p
id slowly, and tried to remember what was giv
words came pantingly-"like t
into the living room, and her eyes fell, a
hed. The entire train of events since her arrival the
e baby in a blanket she strode over to the
ll or you'll hurt the little beauty. I'm g
still room and the early morning,
d stood entranced. Fear and awe hold even love in abeyance. Into poor, loving, human hands a soul-an eternal soul-was e
was a fear that her joy, when she looked upon the blessed
raised herself upon her elbow and reverently dr
enveloped in a black pall. The ominous stillness that pr
w her baby's face clear and distinct, and with firm fingers sh
e in its weazened fixity; the little legs were twisted, and the thin body lay crooked among its blankets.
stare seemed to challen
estows. In divine strength she accepted her child. This little, blighted creature would have no one but her to look to-to
it against her breast. With the touch of the small body at her hea
. He had come, bearing a heavy load of disease and deformity. All that was left for her to do now, was to
was alive in the child. Joyce laughed. At first tremblingly, then shrilly. Sudden
screamed for help, and for days Jude Lauzoon's house was the meeting pla
sa felt a glow of pride and interest. She was an honourable diploma to Isa's skill as nurse. In the future, Mrs. Tate was to feel a new im
ys," Joyce answered, indifferently.
ol than what he otherwise would be. It's one agin 'em whichever way you take it. They don't need looks. They gets what they wants, anyway, a
that amounted to enough to make you willing to overloo
was born with twelve toes, twelve fingers-tw
case he could do that early-and made up his mind to make good for his deficiencies-if you can say that 'bout one as had more rather than less than Nature generally bestows. Land! the learning that child was capable of absorbing! Hillcrest School just sunk into him like he was
tales only accentuated the agony she felt whenever she
utiful child. And with that vision growing clearer she felt her own spirit gaining strength for flights into a future where this little son of hers, borne aloft by her determined will and purpose,
or intelligence to awaken in the grim little face; the first flying signal of the
d won Joyce's everlasting gratitude by holding her tongue regarding the child's bodily deformity; and the Hillcrest doctor, who had been summoned when the fe
hair! That must be public property, and its piteous appeal ha
, "what's that you got up to your place-a baby or a Chinese idol? That come
aversion to the strange, deformed child made him weakly sensitive. He recoiled fr
he returned foolishly, "don't fav
her similar witticisms, and
all made him hate, where, heret
the pines the few interests and friendships that he
munion sacred to themselves. They read together in Gaston's shack. They had, at times, skimmed dangerously near the Pasts that both, for reasons of their own, kept shrouded. After one of these close call
between Jude and Joyce. In saving himself from temptation, he felt he had sacrificed the g
ed upon to elect himself arbiter of Joyce's future. No; to put it baldly, in his lonel
opes that by so doing he might help Jude to decent manliness. But that hope soon died. Jude, laz
importance. Gaston and Filmer, glad with the intelligence of men who know the value of work, took the actual burden upon themselves. Lauzoon had the empty glory; they had the blessing of toil that brought their faculties into play, and gave them relief from somberer thoughts. But Gaston was too normal a
housing and assured food were litt
e of Joyce that had interested him an
ed! Poor girl! he thought; and in the inner chamber of his shack with the doors and shutters barred, the pistol lying at hand upon his desk, he cursed himself for a fool
that dull life in the little house, he'd brighten it and Jude be-the laugh that Gaston
uld control Lauzoon, and who else mattered, except Filmer? Well, Filmer had sense to keep his opinions t
f other folks' conduct. Unless he let light in upon hi
n the bay window of the sitting room when the air was too co
ew from the strings. Sometimes he explained what they meant, his word
into her beautiful face; the brooding eyes once again had the glint o
he ideal where her baby was concerned made it peril
led vaguely at him-his personality now, neither annoyed her nor appealed to her. While living with him outwardly, she was to all intents and purposes, spiritually living with Gaston.
obbed and glow
ays had been? Jared Birkdale kept his distan
nstructing his elders, and laying down the law. He was endeavoring to fill Birkdale's place. Jared had always been the tavern orator
threshold of big happenings. Her pale beauty had a new glow. The thinnes
by on her bosom. Even in her work
mfort and peace. When he was awake his elfish eyes were fixed in solemn stare upon the mother-face. Not knowingly nor
n her low rocker, the baby on her knees, sat on the piazza fac
was an idle questio
e a lot to do about Mr.
at it was in the least necessary, or even sensible,
eplied, tuning up the fiddle. "And then
looked down happ
se compelling airs, so intensely sweet and melodious that it all but
ace, as the smile replaced it, and dropped upon the thin cheek of the baby. He did not flinch, and the staring eyes
just look-a
It was to make her forget the child-and
, and bent
ust the same to
are not much in my line. I don't think I ever saw such a little fe
g the day. I weighed baby to-day," she faltered, "an
teful litt
this awful time when I can't tell just what might be the matter-it will be easy enough. But young babies are so-so-unreal. You don't know whether you've got
ow voice, but the weazened face of the chil
rible if he did not le
spised himself for being so brutal when he
The whole world would be empty-empty, until it would kill me with the emptiness-and I'd always think, you know, he'd found out I wasn't fit to be his mother. It
a place-and Filmer had a letter from Drew to-day. He's coming before the autumn cold sets in-he's going to bring an aunt and a sister-just get your idle fancy on the doings, and let Master Mal
blank stare gave place to a broken, crinkling expression; the thin shapeless lips trembled over the toothless gums, and
ajesty of Joyce's attitude toward the change in th
ith the same dense stupidi
, he-he knows me. He-he-does like-me-he's going t
ing to be a comical imp, if I don't miss my guess. Se
t then Jude came around
ng stifled him for a moment. He wondered if money
to hold him in leash-
eared something was going to occur. But nothing did; and the next thing in Joyce's life st