The San Francisco call., 1904-04-24

and Darleyed with the waiting maid
for full five minutes. She had also
the pleasure of being turned away
from the door and of going back up
the hill, wroth at heart for the indig-
nifty which had been put upon her.
Who is this woman that she should
refuse 10 see me?" she asked herself
One would think IL was the other way
around, and she herself but a dancing
girl denied at the door of the wife of
captain.
She would not have been surprised
had she been taken iEto the dancers
cabin and encountered on common
ground; nor surprised had she been
taken in and fiaunted in prideless ar
rogance. But to be treated as she had
been treated was UNEXPECTED and dis
appointing. Ergo, she had not caught
Freda's point of view. One cannot
understand deflement without laying
hands TO pitch, which is very sticky,
while there be plenty willing to under
take the experiment. All of which is
Of small concern beyond the fact that
it gave Mrs. Eppingwell ground for
grievance and bred for her a great
love in the Greek girls heart.
And in this way things went along
for month, Mrs. Eppingwell striving
TO withhold the man from the Greek
dancers Establishments against the
time of Flossie's coming; Flossie les
sening the miles each day of the drea-
ry trail; Freda pitting her strength
against the model woman; the model
woman straining every nerve TO land
the prize, and the man moving
through IL all like a flying shuttle,
very proud of himself, whom he be-
ieved to be second Don Juan.
II was nobodys fault except the
mans that Lorraine Lisznayi at last
landed him. The way of a man with
maid may be too wonderful to know,
but the way of woman with a man
passeth all conception. Perhaps the
model woman's attraction lay in that
20 the eye she was a handsome ami
NAL; perhaps she fascinated him with
her Old World talk of palaces and
princes: leastwise she dazzled him
whose life had been worked out in un-
cultured roughness, and he at last
agreed to her suggestion of a run
down the river and a marriage at
Forty Mile. In token of his intention
he bought dogs from Sitka Charley
more than one sled is necessary when
woman like Lorraine Lisznayi takes
TO the trail-and then went up the
creek to give orders for the superin-
tendence of his Bonanza mines during
his absence.
He had given it out rather vaguely
that he needed the animals for sledg-
ing lumber from the mill to his sluices,
and right here is where Sitka Charley
demonstrated his fitness. He agreed
to furnish dogs on a given date, but
no sooner had Floyd Vanderlip turned
his toes up creek than Charley hied
himself away in perturbation to Lo-
raine Lisznayi Did she know where
Mr.. Nanderlip had gone He had
agreed TO supply that gentleman with
big string Of dogs by certain time;
but that shameless one, the German
trader Myers, had been buying up the
cEirY7nad he arlro n
was very necessary he should see Mr.
Nanderlip, because OF the shameless
one he would be all Of a week behind
hand in filing the contract.
She did know where he had gone?
Up creek? Good, Did he understand
her to say Mr.. Vanderlip needed the
dogs on Friday night that he must
have them by that time? 1t was too
bad. but ii was the fault Of the shame
less one, who had bid up the prices.
They had jumped $50 a head, and
should he buy on the rising market
he would lose by the contract. He
wondered If Mr.. Vanderlip would be
willing to meet the advance
She knew he would? Being Mr.. Van
derlip's friend, she would even meet
the difference herself? And he was
to say nothing about it? She was kind
TO so look TO his interests. Friday
night, did she say? Good, The dogs
would be on hand
An hour later Freda knew the elope-
ment was to be pulled off on Friday
night; also that Floyd Nanderlip had
gene uD creek. and her hands were
tied.
On Friday morning Devereaux, the
official courier. bearing dispatches from
the Governor, arrived over the ice. Be
sides the dispatches he brought news of
Flossie. He had passed her camp at
Sixty Mile; humans and dogs were in
good condition and she would doubt
less be in on the morrow. Mrs. Ep-
pingwell experienced a great relief on
hearing this. Floyd Vanderlip was safe
up-creek, and ere the Greek girl could
again lay hands upon him his bride
would be on the ground. Sitka Char
ley remarked incidentally that she in
tended jumping out down river that
night with Floyd Vanderlip, and fur
ther ventured the information that ac-
cidents were very likely at that time OF
year.
So Mrs. EppingwelTs thoughts of
Freda were unkinder than ever She
wrote a note. addressed il to the man
in question and intrusted il TO a mes
senger who lay in wait at the mouth
Of Bonanza Creek. Another man bear
ing note from Freda also waited at
that strategic point. SO it happened
that Floyd Vanderlip, riding his sled
merrily down with the last daylight,
received the notes together. He tore
Freda's across. No, he would not go to
sec her. There were greater things
afoot that night. Besides. she was out
of the running. But Mrs. Eppingwell!
He would observe her last wish-or,
rather, the last wish it would be pos
sible for him TO observe-and meet her
at the Governors ball to hear what she
had to say. From the tone of the writ
ing it was evidently important; per-
haps- He smiled fon6ly, but failed
TO shape the thought. Confound 1t all,
what lucky fellow he was with the
women anyway! Scattering her letter
TO the frost, he mushed the dogs Into
swinging loDe and headed for his
cabin. 1t was TO be a masquerade, and
he had to dig I'D the costume used at
the oDera-house a couple of months
ago. Also. he had to shave and to eat.
Thus ii was that he, alone of all inter-
ested, was unaware of F1ossie's prox-
unity.
Have them down to the water-hole
off the hospital at midnight sharn.
Don't fail me-" he said to Sitka Char
ley, who dropped in with the advice
l.. r@~-T~ H. -