The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1898-06-29

hccfcI III bue uOOHllBub.
Farnham at once recognized the man
who had caused him such extreme hu-
initiation this night.
II am going past the dam, admit
ted Farnham.
"Alone?"
81 expect So"
"Mebbe you'd take passenger?"
Certainly; get in"
The huge bully thrust himself un-
! der the robe. Farnham seated him
self beside him, and then they went
spinning away over the openings at q
rapid rate.
"'Twas you with that strung
Lyon gal, want it?"
eyes" admitted the ook-keeper.
''She looked mad enough when /
trod on her dress. Sich trails 1 don't
admire nohow. No sensible gal would
wear 'em to dance; but then I've
been thinking 1 didn't do the squar'
thing tonight, cap, SO when you see
the gal agin jest tell her I'm sorry
tore her dress; didn't go for to do it,
nohow. You'll tell herp'
Farnham said that he would. River
Dan was garrulous, and did most of
the talking, and the little book keeper
felt that under his rough manners the
giant riverman had good heart after
all.
'You see, I'd been takin' too many
drinks, was what allied me, cap. l
wouldn't insult no respectable gal for
nothin' in the world"
The explanation and apology were
ample, and all this had come about
without bad blood, row and bloody
faces. On the whole, Farnham felt
that he had pursued the wisest
course, after all.
The little bookkeeper left River
Dan at the dam and finished his jour
ney to Oxbow alone.
Mr.. Lyon made no mention of the
trouble at the dance to his book
keeper His daughter gave an account
of her escorts cowardice, but the
lumberman failed to take that interest
his daughter desired.
Matters went ON after the old fash
ion. Mark Farnham had been q fire.
quent visitor at the Lyon house, but
since the dance at Maple Top he had
held himself aloof. The little book
keeper had been hit in tender spot
and he could not forget how Janet
looked when she uttered the word
coward.
The foreman came often to Oxbow,
and Janet and the handsome Apollo
were much together. The loggers
coupled the name of the two, and in
timated that Dick would feather his
nest before long. The little book
keeper heard, but remained silent.
He could not discuss q subject that
was of most painful nature to him.
He believed Janet cared something for
him, until that affair at the Maple
Top dance. From that time she had
cut him effectively. He had pride, as
we'll as the belle Of the Muskegon, and
from that fatal night they met as
| strangers.
The pallor OF the little bookkeeper's
face seemed to deepen. His eyes
were hollow, and his cheeks sunken.
He attended to business devotedly,
and no one noticed any change in
little Mark Farnham.
The winter passed. Late in March
the ice in the river began to move.
Soon tremendous roaring filed the
ears of the citizens of Oxbow. Peo-
pie gathered on the bank to see the
ice go out. 1t was grand sight, as
the huge cakes, nearly foot in thick
ness, went crashing down over the
dam with mighty seething, grinding
roar.
On with irresistible fury swept the
mighty mass, hurled with tremendous
fury by the rapidly rising waters
which the warm spring rains had
augmented to mighty flood. Close
behind the ice came a mighty jam of
pine logs. The river was fast clog
ging, aud huge jam was formed
against the dam which had lately been
built across the river.
"a jam must not be permitted to
form there" cried John Lyon, as he
saw the rolling and tumbling mass of
logs halting, choking the river on the
brink of the dam.
Among those gathered on the bank
was River Dan from the dam.
"Get your pick-levers, boysl" he
cried in loud voice.
The logs had already formed jam,
and men in red shirts, with picks and
peevies, were focking to the danger
ous jam, working with might and
main to keep the mighty mass of
pine moving.
The female portion of Oxbow was
out watching the movements of the
red-shirts. Right in the center Of the
river, not far from where the water
boiled and seethed over the dam,
was Dick Wellington, giving orders
in stentorian voice. 1t was q dan
gerous place, and Janet Lyons
cheeks blanched as she saw him.
The logs on the further shore were
kept moving, and the current of the
river swept that way with the fury Of
an avalanche. The red-shirts had
been working an hour with desper-
ate energy, and many of them were
exhausted.