Mower County transcript., 1904-03-16

II 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. am afraid, can we
arrange about the school this year.
am about $40 ahead Of where | was
last fall, SO you see it is slow business.
This summer I am going into mill,
but the wages for green labor are not
very high there either" and so on.
When Miss Helen Thorpe, aged sew
enteen, received this document she
stamped her foot almost angrily.
''You'd think he was day laborer''
she cried. why doesn't he try for a
clerkship or something in the city
where he'd have a chance to use his
brains?'
And thus she came to feeling rebel
liously that her brother had been lit
tie selfish in his choice Of an occupa-
ton; that he had sacrificed her inclina
tons to his own.
After finishing the letter Thorpe lit
his pipe and strollcu out into the dark
ness. Opposite the little office he
stopped amazed.
Through the narrow window he could
see Railway seated in front of the
stove. He had sunk down into his
chair until he rested on almost the
small of his back. his legs were stuck
straight out in front Of him, his chin
rested on his breast, and his two arms
hung !istless at his side, pipe half
falling from the fingers Of one hand.
All the facetious lines had turned to
pathos.
"What's the matter with the boss.
anyway" asked Thorpe in low voice
of Jackson Hines when the seven up
game was finished.
''Hain't ye heard?' inquired the old
man in surprise.
"Why, no. WhatY
Busted" said the old men senten-
tously.
"How? What do you mean?'
"What I say. He's busted. That
freshet caught him too quick. They's
more than million and a half logs
left in the woods that can't be got out
this year. and as his contract calls for
finished job he don't get nothin' for
what he's DONE"
'Thats a queer rig,' commented
Thorpe. Hes done a lot of valuable
work here. The timbers cut and skid
ded anyway, and he's delivered a good
deal Of it to the main drive. The NJ.
h n O11fff o1 o1r TO -
that"
'.They do, my son. When old Days
hand gets near anything it cramps l
don't know how the old man come to
make such contrac', but he did. Re-
suit is he's out his expenses and time"
The exceptionally early break up Of
The spring, combined with the fact
that owing to the series Of incidents
and accidents already sketched the ac-
tual cutting and skidding had fallen so
far behind, caught Radway unawares.
He saw the rollways breaking out
while his teams were still hauling in
the woods. In order to deliver to the
mouth of the Cass branch the 100000
already banked he was forced to drop
everything else and attend strictly to
the drive. This left still, as has been
stated. million and half on skid
ways. which Radway knew he would
be unable to get out that year.
In spite of the jobbers certainty that
his claim was thus annulled and that
ne might as we'll abandon the enter
prise entirely for all he would ever get
cut Of 1t, he finished the "drive' con-
sc1entiously and saved to the company
the logs already banked Then he had
interviewed Daily. The latter refused
to pay him one cent.
The next day Radway and Thorpe
walked the ten miles Of the river trail
together, while the teamsters and the
cook drove down the FIVE teams Un-
DER the influence of the solitude and q
certain sympathy which Thorpe mani
tested Radway talked-a very little.
Il got behind; that's all there is to
It, he said. Il bit off more than I
could chew"
Thorpe noticed break in the mans
voice and, gancing suddenly toward
him, was astoundcd to catch his ewes
brlmmlng with tears. Radway per
eeived the surprise.
You know when left Christmas?'
he asked.
"Yes."
"Ihe boys thought it was mighty
poor rls-my leaving that way"
lie paused again in evident expecta-
ton of a reply. Again Thorpe was ST.
lent
"Dhn't th"y?" Ratlway insisted.
"lt' they tiil.' answered Vlnroc,
The older man sighed -! thought
so,' he went on. swell, didn't 90, to
spend Christmas. l went because jim
my brought me telegram that Ida
was sick with diphtheria. sat up
nights with her for eleven days.
mo bad after effects, I hope?' in
quired Thorpe.
She died. said Radway simply.