Joyce of the North Woods

d maiden aunt-Miss Sally Drew-arrived in St. Angé and took up their new life i

its inhabitants after his return to town for they had appealed strongly to his emotional and sympathetic nature. But what St. Angé had vouchsafed in the way of restored health, she had begrudgingly bestowed. To have and to hold what s

, where the pulse of things beat high, h

ess. "If winters were spent there-several

e. St. Angé was comparatively near, she had given

were taken by the grim, white Spectre. He must

high courage that was his only possess

re must be work, God's work; he wa

pretty, little girl whom he had enshrined in his college days, and before whom he had laid his he

e his bed the day the specialist had given his

es fell before the t

ssible; "they say I will be well-quite well, there if I stay. And y

elf-sacrificing saint, but the heart-touch was lac

decided to remain and fi

ant of his strength together; grasp the broken blade that was

Sally whispered, hanging over th

h your love. I just knew it from the start. She's a selfish-e

try to forget all about it." And taking advantage

e hills and meadows, gorgeous in autumn tints, Drew began slowl

shocking, in a mild way, for him to realize that a certain girl's face was growing less and less vivid. At first he attributed this to bodily weakness;

t should be, day by day, and he would accept these people-if they would accept him-not as minister and parishioners, but in the larger, deeper sense-as brothers. With this outlook determined upon, a change for the better began. Before it, while the old weakness possessed him, Jock Filmer, sitting daily by his bed, was merely some one who was hel

ankful for Jock's assistance and enlivening humour, disregarded convention

ed the wound Gaston had given his faith, and he found himself shieldi

timate business. Anything pertaining to his house was fully explained; village scandal, however, had been ignored, and wh

haling the pine-filled air with relish, Drew electrified Film

load of question

anticipated this hour, and he knew that he must be the high

This was hitting the bu

ene-somewhere." Jock presented a s

e wh

do you expect I

scenes, eh? Well, she never seemed to me to b

hed uncom

vitable, "Joyce didn't, as you might sa

sister talked of it a good deal. She was inte

baby, at least a kind of-a-baby. It was about as near a f

ad?" Drew's big eyes

never would have had a show in life; it was a big mistake from the beginning, but after it went, and was comfortably planted behind the shack, what do you th

ring with his people-his people! Joyce's lovely face, as he remembered it, pleaded with him f

ing now. They've made the spot

here, tell me

ight as an older and more experienced hand would have done. I ain't blaming you, but I've used the thought

ed over the s

an-" he

or a share of bruises, from what has leaked out since. But the outcome was, she walked up to Gaston's shack that same evening, and what happened there hasn't got into the society news yet; but when Jude and me

one?" the even w

n to me, and I'd got him into my system while we was working on your house. He made me-believe in something clean an

re? Do they make h

r lau

ask no favours. The whole thing has settled into shape. You needn't get excited over it. Of course, the women folks have warned your aunt and sister off

shivered slightly and pulled his fur coat clo

light in it. Gaston has taught her to speak like he does. You know he always kept his language up-to-date and stylish? Well, she's caught the trick now. You'd think she'd travelled the way

ake, as she stood that day before me. If I had it to d

f of an unburdened mind; "is it in

sunlighted hills and thinking of tha

say this outspoken and friendly, meaning no ill feeling; just plain, what's what. You see them ideas of yours what you handed out last year set folks thinking. They sounded so blasted innercent and easy that we all chewe

bringing back hope and interest-a man can make a place for himself anywhere if there are men and women about. I thought first-back there-when I dropped everything, that there never could be anything else worth while, but I tell you old man, if you take e

tared silently at the muffled figure in the long chair, then with an impatient grunt, d

deserter when it was tested, and for the moment the sick man felt all the depression and inertia o

it. She didn't look as if she could. I'm sorry she had to find her way out by such a commonplace path. What was Gaston

imagination at that time of his life-it ran riot, often giving him abnormal pleasure by its vivid touc

s; he felt her grief for the dead baby, and when he remembered Jock's account of her taking the small casket to the only spot wh

and sister come

ed the older woma

eady when he wakes, auntie. Did you ever see such a day? I feel as if I had just

, and Drew sig

slept he was not conscious of it, and th

of you to come and see me. I hope you know I

ess, the sharp outline, and the tears congealed in the hollows of

ve been sick,"

smiled at

ES ... AND THERE SAT THE G

s and fit this beautiful woman into the g

ions with marvellous calm. She was being made as she went along in life. Her spiritual and mental architecture, so to speak, could not be prop

auzoon." Drew felt the awkwar

aps you have not heard?" Her great eyes were

Need we talk

ee I have been waiting to talk to you. I've been saying over and o

a feeling of repulsion. Joyce noticed this, a

en she gathered her heavy, red cloak around her,

e worst woman in town. At least, they call me that when they think I won't hear. You

ould better steady his moral sense when that sw

all, they would have thought of me as-good. It would have been-good for me to have-poor, sad little children-like-like my-my baby-You've h

s thing to hold a-a-soul. Just once, the soul smiled at me through th

bled on the girl's lips t

ty,"-again that fearsome catch in the voice-"they would have called me good-if I had stayed on-but you will understand?" She bent toward him with pleading and yearnin

s own words, and they sounded bru

ared sur

I read-and Mr. Gaston has taught me to think-stra

ke the rest of her kind for all her wood-setting and strange beauty. The

wanting to come to you. I want you to show him just how you understand. I begin to see how lonely he is-how lonely he has always been up

have happened since." Drew trie

nto the world, what we get here and shape into our lives, and then what we leave when we go-away. The blazed trail, you know, an

g Drew in spite of himself. "It was an o

h to run away, after one year. If I had stayed-I-I would have rotted as I stood." She breathed thick and fast. Her old life, even in memory, smothered her. Drew caught a s

"was there no other way

d pitying

t Jude-then things happened that I guess were meant to happen. There was no other way out for me-but

im realize that the girl before him was quite outside the reach of any of his preconceived ideas. He could afford to sit d

t night-there was nothing else for me to do. Jude would have killed me-

ed for you. He knew wha

indignation co

being good than one. The people here can't see that-but surely you can. Mr. Gaston made my life safe and clean. I co

and sure. He is always gentle-and he never lets

y God offers to reach that kind of life?" Joyce flung the questions out fiercely. She was perplexed by Dre

do you question me so?" Drew asked. He was feeling his

use these people can not understand; but you can, and when you ha

the thoug

ould not hurt him for anything God could give to me-and sometimes I have wondered if-if in that life that was; the life that might come again to him, you know,-for fo

eyes and sent a swift pra

out soul. He felt himself in a dim valley,

selves. "And he says he-is-but would he be if he were back there-w

od

not understa

ce-I understand

hurtin

. We cannot any of us choose a little sunny spot in life for ourselves and shut out the past and future by a high w

ends coming here-friends who will probably build summer homes and introduce a new life. It's none of my business, perhaps, but you've come to me for help-and as God shows me, I must help you. Gaston has no right to injure your future by playing a game with you that you in no wise und

l-you make me feel-as if I had been-as if I am-shut in a little room, with the doors and windows about to be opened. What is coming in, Mr. Drew?

. His ghastly face appealed suddenly to Joyce as

tarting up; "I've made y

y and held out a

"It's all right, I'm much

omehow. Just why, he could not have told, but had the girl been what he had, fo

yce, at least. She was not a bad, ignoble woman. Whatever she had done, had been done from the best that was in

andpoint; the one, the only comfort was, the girl's own evolution. It was not p