Evening star., 1900-10-06

Jess falls in love with Hunch and he seems
recprocate. CoDsidine continues LIS
drinking habits.
CHAPTER VIII.
Hunch took charge of the funeral. After
1t was over, and while the man was CLOSING
the casket. he stepped to the front porch
for a breath of air. Jess Bartlett hao
fingered after the service and now stood
alone on the steps. Hunch hesitated In the
doorway He had not thought of Jess dur
ing the last few days, and now ne old not
know what to say. But she was determin-
ed that he should speak first. SO, after an
embarrassing silence, he said:
Hello, Jess
She turned away.
"Ain't you going to speak to me, Jess
.I don't see as / ought to speak to you
Hunch looked at her helplessly, and when
after minute she turned and saw MS
expression she partly reiented-
When are you coming 10 see me asan.
You know why 1 amt been arouno'
Jess ~ w.
II waited for you the other night You
said YOU was coming. .
Il know il, Jess. I'm sorry. IAN
come tonight? ,
II s'pose you can If you want to-
They could not say any more, Tor II was
time to start the carriages. But early In
the evening Hunch went 10 her mouse,
ard they walked to the lake They Iouno
it hard to talk. Hunch finally blurted out:
I'm going to get the ring next week
It's pretty one, think
He felt her arm tremble, but sne salu
nothing. ~
Il guess you're mad at me, amt you?
mo / amt mad 49,
She came closer to him as they walked.
John 1 wish-I wish we could get mar
rfed Somehow l don't feel as II you pc
longed to me. 1 know it's silly, but can't
help it,"
How soon can you get ready?'
II wasn't thinking Of it just that way
i
..Is next month too soon?"
She looked up at him and laughed softly.
Their eyes met and they understood each
other better. They walked down the Deach
and looked out over the fiat lake
I'm afraid we'll have to live kind OF
simple for a WHILE Hunch said. Il amt
very rich, you know.
.po YOU think l care about that John!
Don't YOU know l love you because you're
so strong and good. and you can do SO
much Everybody knows you're going 10
be rich some day. Jim, he says there am i.
another man in town that's got as much
sand as. you have John.
So they talked all through the long even
ing telling each other their thoughts ana
plans and hopes: and her trust in him gave
Hunch a sense of strength and responsibili-
ty When he left her, very late, at the
front steps. he had thought of a plan which
he did not tell her.
In he morning. directly after breakfast
Hunch went to see the foreman of the ele-
vator gang.
Where re you getting your timber, Muir
phy?" he asked.
Getting most of it up at Manistee."
Got ii in YETI
..More'n half of It, The rest Of It's
late order
How much is there to come?'
about 10000.
"How's II deIivered?"
''F B on the dock here. Why, you
looking for job delivering?
Yes wouldn't mind. ! could get II down
here cheaper'n the railroad, and pretty near
'Navigation's closed, though. I don't
know as the Manis tee folks d want to risk
Yes but look at that" Hunch motioned
toward the lake. which lay blue and spar
king beyond the Butterville sandspit
Quiet as August There amt hardly any
We'll. you might talk to 'em up at Man
istee. Hunch. OF course, they can deliver
anyhow they like, but can't run chances
of delay"
Hunch picked up man at Herve's sa-
loon and set to work overhaulng the Dean
which was lying up for the winter. The
next morning. with the up for
ward. he sailed for Manistee
The dealer at Manistee accepted Hunch's
offer to deliver the timber the Manistee
dock half the railroad charges. Hunch
had figured that this would make up the
cost of the ring with slight margin over.
II took a day to load the schooner, and
when they set out on the return trip the
thermometer was dropping and the lake
showed a few ugly signs. The schooner
was loaded down so close TO the water that
Hunch took extra precautions lashing the
cargo with all the spare rope on board and
carrying little sail.
The storm broke early, and Hunch put
out into the lake. All of one night they
struggled to keep the overloaded schooner
headed to the wind, but morning found
them close to the breakers and the shore
Ice on the deserted Clinton village, three
miles north Of Manistogee harbor. The
lghtkeeper sighted them, and though the
life-saving station had been closed for the
winter, a few made up partly of volunteers
put out In the big English lifeboat. But
lunch, through his glass, SOW them cap
sized and thrown upon the breakwater al
most before they had cleared the harbor.
The schooner struck little before noon,
and began to pound herself to pieces in the
breakers. The crew brought their beach
cart up the road and shot line over, and
Hunch and his man slid ashore In the
breeches buoy. All the rest of the day
Hunch paced up and down on the shore ice
watching the schooner until the masts went
over. and the timber was strewn for a mile
along the beach.
At dusk two of the crew men came up
and made Hunch go home. He spent the
evening stretched out on the bed, trying TO
think. Later he fell asleep. and in the
morning, when he awoke. his clothes felt
heavy and stif. After breakfast he went
up the beach. The Dean was battered out
of shape Two fragments of the foremast
had been cast up on the ice, but the main
mast had disappeared. He stayed until he
was sure that the schooner was total loss,
then he returned to his room.
A few years earlier in Hunchs life such
a catastrophe would have set him drink
ing; but now. while he thought Of II for a
moment, the idea of bout In Herve's bar
room with the old crowd of loafers who
would know exactly why he had come and
would, before the night was over, probably
know all about his state of mind, did not
appeal 10 him. He could not bring him
self to go TO Bartletts: he did not want
Jess to see him when he was weak and un-
able to help himself But on the second
evening after the wreck Jim Bartlett
came up and found Hunch lying on the bed
with his clothes on.
Good evening. Hunch," he said kind
of hard luck, amt it?"
sit down" said Hunch
Thanks can't stay but minute l lust
wanted 10 talk To yOu-you see | been talk
ing with Jess She's all broke up about
the schooner. Most bad as you are She
thinks a lot of yOu Hunch. She says YOU
amt been round"
mo. / amt yet"
'.She saws she didn't knnu ,.o,,