The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1904-03-18

Carpenter, have you? locations fine
anyway. and to me it's sort of pictur-
esque. You'll like Mrs. Hathaway.
She's a buXom, motherly woman who
runs the boarding house for eighty men
and still finds time to mend my clothes
for me. And you'll like Solly. Solly's
the tug capitals, mighty good fellow,
true as a gun barrel. Wen have him
take us out some still day. Well be
there in few minutes now. See the
cranberry marshes. Sometimes there's
a good deal of pine on little islands
scattered over it. but it's very hard to
log unless you get good winter. We
had just such proposition when /
worked for Railway. Oh, you'll like
Railway. He's a& good as gold. Helenr'
eyes" replied his sister.
81 want you to know Railway. He's
the man who gave me my start"
"All right, Harry" laughed Helen.
"I'll meet anybody or anything from
bears to Indians"
81 know an Indian, too-Geezigut, an
Ojibway. We called him Injun Charley.
He was my first friend In the north
woods. He helped me get my timber.
This spring he killed mana good
job. too-and is hiding now. wish
knew where he is. But we'll see him
some day. He'll come back when the
thing blows over. See! Seer
what" they all asked, breathless.
cts gone. Over beyond the hills
there caught glimpse of Superior"
You are ridiculous, Harry" protest
ed Helen Thorpe laughingly. 81 never
saw you so. You are regular boy"
do you like boysp he asked gravely
of Hilda.
adore themv' she cried.
"All right; don't care" he answered
his sister in triumph.
The air brakes began to make them
selves felt, and shortly the train came
to grinding stop.
"What station is this?" Thorpe asked
the colored porter.
"Shingleville, sah." the latter replied.
81 thought So Wallace, when did
their mill burn, anyway? l haven't
heard about it."
Last spring, about the time you
went down"
SIS that SO? How did it happen"
'They claim incendiarism," parted
Wallace cautiously.
Thorpe pondered a. moment, then
laughed Il am in the mixed attitude
of the small boy" he observed. "who
isn't wicked enough to wish anybody's
property destroyed. but who wishes
that If there is fire, to be where he
can see it. am sorry those fellows
had to lose their mill, but it was a
good thing for us. The man who set
that fire did us a. good turn. If 1t
hadn't been for the burning of their
mill they would have made stronger
fight against US In the stock market"
Wallace and Hilda exchanged
glances. The girl was long since aware
of the inside history of those days.
you'll have to tell them that" she
whispered over the back of her seat
"It will please them"
"Our station is nextT' cried Thorpe.
'and it's only a little ways Come.
get readyp'
They all crowded into the narrow
passageway near the door, for the train
barely paused
"All right, sah." said the porter.
swinging down his little step.
Thorpe ran down to help the ladies.
He was nearly taken from his feet by
a wildcat yell, and a moment later that
result was actually accomplished by
a rush of men that tossed him bodily
on to its shoulders. At the same mo-
ment the mill and tug whistles began
to screech and miscellaneous firearms
exploded. Even the locomotive engineer,
in the spirit of the occasion, leaned
down heartily on his whistle rope |
The sawdust street was filled with |
screaming. jostling men. The homes |
of the town were brilliantly draped |
with cheesecloth, hags and bunting. |
For moment Thorpe could not make
out what had happened. This turmoil
was so different from the dead quiet of
desertion he had expected that he was
unable to gather his faculties. All
about him were familiar faces upturn-
ed to his own. He distinguished the
broad, square shoulders of Scotty Par
sons, Jack Hyland. Kerlie. Bryan Mo
loney: Ellis grinned at him from the
press: Billy Camp. the fat and shiny
drive cook; Mason, the foreman of the
mill; over beyond howled Solly. the
tug captain; Rollway Charley. Shorty.
the chore boy; everywhere were fea-
lures that he knew.
AS his dimming eyes Travelled here
md there, one by one the Fighting
Forty. the best crew of men ever gath
red in the northland, impressed them
selves in his consciousness. On the
sauntered the tail form of
rim Shearer. a straw peeping from be-
leath his fax white mustache, his eyes
under his fax white eye
rows.
Big Junko and Anderson deposited
heir burden on the raised platform of
he Office steps. Thorpe turned and
ronted the crowd.
At once pandemonium broke loose. as
hough the previous performance had
cen nothing but low voiced rehear-
al.
"Oh, aren't you proud Of himT' gasp .
d Hilda, squeezing Helen's arm with I
little sob. /
In moment Wallace Carpenter, his !
ountenance glowing with pride and
leasure, mounted the platform and {
TODD beside his friend. while Morton ,
nd the two young ladies stopped half {
nv mn the stanS &