The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-10-12

Thorpe could catch the swirl Of its
rising waters. a day or two later
dark masses drifted or shot across the
field of his vision. and twice ne
thought he distinguished men standing
upright and bold on single logs as they
rushed down the current.
What is the date?" he asked of the
sister.
The elevent' of March"
Isn't it early for the thaw?"
Listen to inn" exclaimed the Sister
delightedly. Early is it, Sure tn
freshet cot them all. Look, darlint,
We can see the drive from here"
Il see" said Thorpe YEARLY. when
can l get OUT"
Not for wan week." replied the Sis
ter decidedly.
At the end of the week Thorpe said
goodbye to his attendant. He took
two days of tramping the little town
to regain the use of his legs, and
boarded the morning train for Beeson
Lake. He did not pause in the viii
lage but bent his steps to the river
trail.
He followed the trail by the river.
Butterballs and scoters padded up at
his approach. Bits of rotten ice occa-
sionally swrled down the diminishing
stream. Around every bend Thorpe
driving the logs down the current
He knew from chance encounters with
several of the men in Bay City that
Railway was still in camp, which
meant, of course. that the season s
operations were not finished. Five
miles further Thorpe began to wonder
whether this last conclusion might not
be erroneous. The Cass Branch had
shrunken almost to it's original limits
an
even this early, for the stream in it's
present condition would hardly float
saw log.
Thorpe, puzzled, walked on. At the
banking ground he found empty skids
Evidently the drive was over. And yet
even to Thorpe's ignorance, il seemed
Incredible that the remaining million
and half of logs had been hauled
banked and driven during the short
time he had lain in the Bay City hos
pital. More to solve the problem than
in any hope of work, he set out for the
logging road.
Another three miles brought him to
camp. 1t looked strangely wet and
sodden and deserted. In fact, Thorpe
found bare half dozen people in it
Railway, the cook and four men who
were helping 10 pack up the movables.
The jobber showed strong traces of
the strain he had undergone, but greet
ed Thorpe almost joviaily
Hullo, young man." he shouted at
Thorpe's mud-splashed figure. come
back to view the remains? All we'll
again, heigh? That's good!'
Il didn't know you were through"
explained Thorpe, and 1 came to see
II ] could get a job"
We'll now / am sorry" cried Rad
way. you can turn in and help,
though, If you want to-
Thorpe greeted the cook and OLE
Jackson Hines, the only two whom he
knew, and set to work to tie up bun
dies of blankets, and to collect axes,
peavies, and tools of all descriptions.
That evening the seven dined together
at one end of the long table. The big
room exhaled already the atmosphere
Of desertion.
Not much like old times, is she ?''
laughed Railway. Cant you just shut
your eyes and hear Baptiste say, Max
heem de soup one tam more for me-
She's pretty empty now"
Jackson Hines looked whimsically
down the bare board. More room than
God made for geese in Ireland" was his
comment
After supper they even sat outside
for a little time to smoke their pipes,
chair tilted against the logs of the
cabins, but soon the chill of melting
snow drove them indoors. The four
Transfers played seven-up in the cook
camp by the light of a barn lantern,
while Thorpe and the cook wrote let
tiers. Thorpe's was to his sister.
Il have been in the hospital for
about a MONTH" he wrote. Nothing
serious-a crack on the head, which is
all right now. But l cannot get home
this summer, nor, l am afraid. can we
arrange about the school this year. l
am about seventy dollars ahead of
Where | was last falE so you see 1t is
slow business. This summer l am GO
ing into mill, but the wages for
green labor are not very high there
either" and so on.
When Miss Helen Thorpe, aged II.
received this document she stamped
her foot almost angrily You'd
think he was day-laborer!" she cried.
why doesn't he try for clerkship or
something in the city where he'd have
a chance to use his brains?''
And thus she came to feeling rebel
liousiy that her brother had been a lit
tie selfish In his choice of an occupa-
ton. that he had sacrificed her incli-
nations to his own
After finishing the letter Thorpe lit