Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1907-04-25
A CLOUD
OF SMOKE
by \. c. riTxER

- $50 effse t"tAPhhb ulinc
was incoming.
did them strikers raise any rum.
pls today" she inquired.
Grafton shook his head. stan.
wood was with the committee all AT.
ternoon." he said: they've compro-
missed their differences. and the men
come back 10 work tomorrow. OF
course a few sore-heads are hanging
on. but we can get along without
them. Our hve-day strike is done
with"
You don't look none too cheerful"
Mrs. Cree limited.
Grafton shrugged his shoulders
The mines not worrying me-" he
said shortly. The owners presence
straightened out the muddle."
And don't you think his daughter
kind OF helped things along?" Mrs.
Cree innocently inquired.
Grafton shot a suspicious glance at
her. "She mapped out her fathers
speeches. suppose" he grunted.
The landlady chuckled as she set.
tied herself more comfortably In her
chair; and though 1t was chuckle
OF amusement there seemed 10 run
an under chord OF sympathy through
IT,
She's up there In her bedroom
now" Mrs. Cree said. "a-sewing by
her window. and a-looking out over
the hills. Seems kind OF down In the
mouth and dispirited. poor thing. like
as II the hills wasn't as pretty this
year as last. Why, last summer when
she was here. she was just like a
kitten. playing all over everything.
and not giving gracious what she
did or how she did II. You and her
was always trotting up the cricks and
over the rocks-don't you remember?,
And this summer she don't even say
how-de-do hardly. especially to you"
Mrs. Cree paused moment. You
] was down at her home in Denver last
winter, wasn't your" she broadly
limited.
she is a girl Of moods" Grafton
said shortly.
But sech moods amt natural. Jim.
mic"
The strike worried her." Grafton
stood up.
Now, you set down again." Mrs.
Cree said with sharp decisiveness.
The young superintendent meekly
obeyed.
You've been boarding with me
going on six years." Mrs. Cree re-
sumed, land I've got sort OF hearty
feeling for you. Jimmie. And Madge
Stanwood's been stopping with me a
few weeks every summer, going on
six years, too. I've seen her growing
up, just as you have. and I've seen all
along just what you was calculating
for later on. That later on came this
winter. down in the city, didn't it?
| With unpleasant resuits?"
! Grafton made a wry face. "Oh,
what's the use?" he said, irritably.
Talking about 1t won't mend mat
| ters. She turned me down, hard.
But what's the use OF threshing out
chan? She dislikes me, and that's
the cold fact"
III she thought 1t was ended" Mrs.
Cree said sagely. shed be down here
on the veranda right now, and Id "a
seen her dimples all day, stead OF
them white cheeks. 1t amt ended,
Jimmie"
Grafton grunted again.
"Oh, you men are aggravatin',"
Mrs. Cree cried in evaporation. You
cant tell a body anything. Well,
don't. 1t amt any Of my affairs"
But"
There, trot along down town and
see IL you can't absorb a little life. II
you come back in an hour, I'll try to
have her out here, settin' in the twi-
light and pretending she amt wait
ing for YOU
Grafton obediently started down the
| steps, but he hesitated an instant and
returned.
1T was when / visited them last
winter" he said quickly. There was
another fellow. l lost my head, l
guess. | didn't manage rightly. He
cut me out, somehow. and l got the
sore-head. She's nothing but a
flirt."
! He turned and savagely strobe to-
ward the gate. but Mrs Crees benev-
client chuckle followed him with
something like mockery.
He was agitated and distraught,
and his unpleasant reverie closed in
upon him, shutting out the struggling
mining town from his vision, so that
he neither saw nor cared where his
stems led him. Some one hailed him
from over the way, and he crossed
the street.
THAT you, Mr.. Stanwood?' he In
uuired. well, ! won't have any
more trouble in the Apple-Dumpling.
That's cinch."
Stanwood's thin, nervous face bore
a worried expression. Il don't know, I
he cogitated. RED Cassidy and
Dago' George are still looking for
trouble. 1t seems they have grudge
against Madge. They think she In