The Savannah morning news., 1903-05-17
THE WESTERNERS
BY STEWART EDWARD WHITE.
Copyrighted by Mcclure, Phillips & Co.


an appreciated. and perhaps she un-
derstood. for she suddenly became very
| shy in Jims presence. And then
sometimes she would gaze at him
when he was not loking. with an ado
ration of gratitude filing her eyes.
After the doctors home was finish
ed, jim betook himself into another
gulch, where he constructed a less elab-
crate shelter for his own occupation
/ ThenCefOrWard he spent much of his
time in mysterious prospecting opera
| tions; but two or three times a week
he liked to sit perfectly silent under
the tree which overshadowed the doc
tors cabin watching Prue, If she hap
/ pened to be near playing with Miss
Prue, or trying to talk with the doc
tor. He never went inside the house,
/ even in the winter; and he never SEEM
ed to try to know Prue any more in
| timately. 1t would have been difficult
for him to say just what pleasure he
discovered in these visits.
After little the routine Of life be-
came fixed. The doctor took up his
] work systematically. Each morning he
| plunged into the hills. His little bent
| form moved from ridge to ridge, fol-
! lowing his own especial leads as earn
| estly as the most eager gold prospec-
tor of them all. Sometimes he got lost,
| but generally he managed to reach
nome at sunset. ne was enllTely pre-
occupied. He ate his meals as they
were set before him without question:
he pulled on his well-mended clothes
without noticing the new patches, he
warmed himself before his fire with
out a thought of whence came the
wood, blazing up the mud-chimney.
Prue at first wondered a little at
this, for even in his intensest absorp-
ton the doctors home life had been
much to him; but in time she came to
appreciate his mood, and to rely on her
self even more than usual. She had
such an exalted opinion of his work
that she easily fell into the habit of
sacrificing herself to it. She watched
for the things that pleased him, or,
rather, did not bother him, for his
pleasures were negative, she careful
ly excluded all disturbing influences,
and came to look on this lonely time as
only a probation, sooner or later to be
over, after which, in the fullness Of
his success, he would turn to her with
his odd love. To hasten this she would
have cut off her right hand.
So much to the disgust of Jim Buck
| ley, the brave little woman took the
management of things upon herself.
During the long days while the doc
tor was away, she schemed to make
both ends meet. She raised a few
Vegeta Dles in a plot of open ground
on the sunny side of the creek. woBk-
ing in 1t daily with an old spade. Her
face was hidden in the depths of a sun
bonnet, and her hands were covered
with a pair of deerskin gauntlets, for
she could not forget, poor womanl that
she was gently bred, and she hated to
see her skin reddening in the dry air
of the hills.
Items of necessity she bought scanti-
ly, sparingly, of travelling pedlars, for
prices were high. Candles for the VIM
ter. cornmeal, occasionally flour, cof-
fee, sugar-all these counted. Things
cost so much more here than she had
anticipated. Prue Saw the end COM
ing, distant though it might be. She
sometimes did little bits of mendng
for passing miners, and was paid for
1t. Oftener she skimped on the daily
meals, pretending that she was tired
and did not care to eat. The doctor
| never noticed, nor did she mean that
he should.
In the presence of his work, he could
think of nothing else. Once when they
ran out of wood she told him of it. 1t
worried him for a week. Material ne
cessities drew his mind away from the
attitude of calm scientific investiga-
ton. The pile of fuel that goes with
every new shack lasted the first win
ter through After that was gone, Prue
used the chips made when the house
was built, as long as they held out.
Then she tried to chop down a tree
herself. Jim Buckley found her sitting
on stone, the ak between her knees,
her face buried in her hands. Beside
her was pine SCARED at random with
weak, ill-directed blows. He made a
few profane remarks into his thick
beard concerning the doctor, then took
the ak from her, and started to work.
In week enough firewood was piled
over against the house to last the win
ter During that week he ate his noon
meals in the little cabin. The woman
did her best and used up a fortnight's
provisions in the attempt to make a
respectable showing before the hungry
man. But in spite of that he saw
through her pitiful efforts, and offered
to let her have money. She drew her
self up and showed him the door.
When he had gone, bewildered, she
went out and looked at the white shin
ing wood pile and wept bitterly.
But in spite of economy the closest,
and the sacrifice of absolutely every
essential, the time came when the
last cent had gone. The woman stood
face to face with want. And, as i'll
luck would have 1t. at this period the
doctor was especially trimming with
enthusiasm. for he had almost achieved
the one result he needed to fill out his
SNhViiAS. AiG WI hcu LeNeflSnly 10 IOTe-
stall the snow. He was full OF his
system, alternating between glowing
enthusiasm and a haunting fear that
the winter would set in too early. He
must have uninterrupted time for work
until then, he said. On this depended
his professional reputation, their for
| tune.
She set her lips firmly and looked
about her. The flour and meal were
gone; there were no candles, and with
| out candles how could the doctor put
the last touches to his book when win
| ter fell? Little light filtered through
| the oiled paper of the windows. She
sold her ring to some passing gam
| blers. The money soon slipped away.
| For few days she fought hard with
her pride. Then she put on her sun
! bonnet, and, kissing the child tenderly,
went, with heightened color, down the
| gulch to Jim Buckley's.
She found him sitting on stump in
| front of his dirt-roofed shack, pound
| ing into sand some quartz in an iron
/ mortar. He did not hear her until she
stood beside him. Then he arose
drawing his gaunt form up quickly.
| taking off his broad hat. and wiping
his grimy hands on his jeans.
Mr.. Buckley" she said. hurriedlv
before he could speak. Il have come
| to tell you how sorry l am that I
| was so rude to you. You have been
! very kind to me, and l had no right
FNsS