The Place Beyond the Winds

red. Mary McAdam with strained eyes and rigid lips waited at the wharf as each party returned, and when

e verified every word. That her sons had disobeyed her about the sail there could be no doubt, and when she went to the shelf of the bar and discovered the half-filled bottles which Sandy had put in the places of the brandy and whisky, her heart gave up doubt. She relinquished all that she h

ded Big Hornby; "dig them one o

ound, poor soul?" Hornby had a tender nature

'm doing my part; le

a wild desire to shoulder his bag and set forth under shadow of the night and the excitement, for one of his long absences, this one, however, to terminate as far from Kenmore as possible. Once he had even started, but at the edge of the water where his boat lay he halted, deterred by the knowledge that his safer cou

but the sight of the distracted mother steadied him. Here was something

Rest yourself. You look

oors than in the cottage, for the shades were drawn at Farwell

task," said the poor soul, sinking into the nea

rwell. "What I'll be permitted to

bout deceiving me. I thought I'd made them strong and sure, but I did the same hurt to my flesh and blood that I did to others. I put evil too close and easy to them. I prid

evere voice. The very hardnes

ou can for them who never had the right mother to teach them. I'm no church woman; the job of priest and minister sickens me, but I know a good man when I see one. You helped th

self-the trust and friendship of these simple people. Hard and distasteful as the effort was he dared not turn himself from it. Full well he knew that Ledyard's magnifying glass was, unseen, being used against him even now. The delay was probably caused by the doctor's silent investigation of his recent life, his daily deeds. He could well imagine the amusement, contempt, and disbelief that would meet the story of his poor,

o more comfortable, sitting apart waiting for his summons. He would, as far as in him la

" he said, turning for his hat, "and as

crude that Farwell could not, by any possibility, comprehe

ained. "I'll not be waiting for the license t

d over the Green toward the Lodge, the idlers and loiterers followed after at a respectful distance. Mary wa

Bring others and behold the sight of your lives. Behold a w

y's voice; she was nearing the end of

bar. Jerry McAlpin was there with Jerry-Jo beside him. Hornby, just come from the di

e, her arms filled with bottles, while be

Mary McAdam spoke fierce, hot words. She showed herself no mercy, asked for no pity. She had dealt in a business that threatened the souls of men and

andon and despair. Her words f

word to you. Here! here! here!' The bottles went w

"I'll keep my word to

ng and crashing on the

, break open the keg and

e; I'd not trust you inside when all's as free as it is to-night. You have your lad-heaven help you! Keep him and give him a clean chance. Nor you, Hornby! Out with you! It's

t drop of liquor was soaking into t

t the muttered discontent or the approach of the horse and buggy bearing Docto

then Mary McAdam made her appeal. Her voice broke

"who'll come to the

y. They were overcome by curiosity and fear, and the faces in

helpfulness, words of memory-haunted scenes. He told of Tom's courage and Sandy's sunshiny nature. 'Twas youth, he pleaded for them, youth with its blindness and lack of foresight. He recalled the last dread act as Jerry-Jo had depicted it. The older brother risking all for the younger. The smile-Sandy's last bequest-th

ng, the empty graves were refilled,

efore he slept he would know his fate, for he acknowledged that his fate lay la

k struck; the lights went out in the village, but Farwell rose and trimmed his lamp carefully. Ten o'clock-all Kenmore, excepting Mary McAdam, slept. Still Farw

wn by the water, probably hiding in some anchored boat until he was sure that he wou

r would you prefer t

rdly have told what he expected, but he certainly did n

k you"-for Farwell had offered a chair near

upon Farwell. He sat opposite Ledyard,

u're a

arwell parried the blows as one doe

here was a full account. You were escaping into Canada. The

Head," Farw

a picture of you in th

ll found himself strangely calm and collected. He saw that his manner irrit

" The eyes under the sh

interesting reading after I got over the shock of

l keeps in touch

udge me-this

outside the pale of human co

ade no rejoinder.

to do about it, now that I've

u would tell me, on

e come to

s chair and stretched his

signify much one way or the other, but I'm curious. Why did you ma

the table and so came n

u about it? I don't expect sympathy, pity, or-even justice, but when a man's been on a desert isle for

muttered, and shrugged his heavy s

suffer. God! how I suffered! I faced death with the horror that only an intelligent person can know. I saw no escape. The trial, the verdict, brought me closer and closer to the hideous reality. At first I thought it could not happen to me-to me! But it could! I sat day in and day out, loo

d Ledyard's fascinated gaze

tifling, yet feeling relief as the past dreams

t when semi-unconsciousness made me helpless. I'd wake up yelling, not with fright, but pain

air faded from sight. If I lived-there was hope; but I was mistaken. You know the rest. The legal

s runs, doesn't it? Well, so did I, though I didn't k

tten the listener across the table; he was remembering aloud at last, with no fear of c

the hounds on. I'm done for as far as the past's concerned. I'm a different man-not a reformed one! God knows I never played that r?le. I'm another man. I took what I could to keep me from insanity. I ha

ss eyes. So he looked when a particularly interesting su

he States without being hauled there-and

suppose your infernal ideas of justice claim that a man should be hounded beyond death, and every chance for right living be barred from him? If a poor devil ever can e

He may have deserved his punishment for the lapses of his life-but you were not the one to deal it. His family demand and should have justice for him-I mean to

on the same plane then; had the same interests. Had I

d--" Ledyard paused; he was losing his self-control

view. A week before he had done the same; I escaped. No one believed that when

ou? What was your li

as mine was then; he always scurried back to respectability and honour; I grovelled

ecall you always squealed. You were always t

unmoved unde

e you never comprehend. On the different stratas of life exactly the same passions, impulses, and emotions exist; it's the way they're dealt with, how they affect people, that makes th

hin hands on the table to stay

came down to hell to play, he played with her and defied me. But on my plane it was man against man, you see, and when he flung his plaything aside, she came to me; that's all! She told me how he had brought her where she was-yes, damn him! when she was innocent! She paid her toll then, not for his money-though who would believe that?-but for the chance to be decent and clean. H

e knew it, and later he came back and tried to get her away. After I shot him and went to her with the s

d set his jaws harshly. The s

is she now?

suppose. She t

tells y

l never let her

to go back

mirthless laugh at t

d long enough, perhaps. You know even in a disembodie

rward and across the table; his fac

ghtn't to be alive; you're a menace while you have breath in your body; you should have died years ago in payment of your debt, just

the turning

play your part well; but you always had a knack for theatricals. I know I'm a hard, unforgiving man, but there is just one phase of human nature that I will not stand for, and that is the refusal to take the medicine prescribed for the disease. What incentive have people for better living and upright thinking if every devil of a fell

ure: the going back to that which he had once known. But looking at the hard, set face opposite he knew that this hope was futile: he must live forever where he was, or, by depart

here you are!" L

ntend to sta

ghed and leaned