Gilpin observer., 1907-02-07
A CLOUD
OF SMOKE
BY II. c. PIT1ER
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Copyright, by Daily Story Pub. Coz

| MIS-. cree, the ,landiady, came out
on the porch after supper. and drew
a chair close to where the superin-
tendent of the Apple-Dumpling mine
was incoming.
Did them strikers raise any rum
pls to-day?" she inquired
Grafton shook his head. "Stan.
wood was with the committee all af-
terncon," he said; they've compro
missed their differences, and the men
come back to work tomorrow. Of
course a few sore-heads are hanging
off, but we can get along without
them Our fvc-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
Strengthened out the muddle.''
And don't you think his daughter
kind of helped things along?" Mrs.
Cree innocently inquired.
Grafton shot suspicious glance at
her. She mapped out her fathers
speeches, 1 suppose he grunted.
|
tied herself more comfortably in her
chair; and though it was a chuckle
of amusement there seemed to 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 If 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 a gracious what she
did or how she did it. You and her
was always trotting up the cricks and
over the rocks-dont you remember?
And this summer she don't even say
how-de-do hardly, especially to you"
Mrs. Cree paused a moment. You
was down at her home in Denver last
winter. wasn't you?" she broadly
hinted.
"she is a girl of Moods" Grafton
said shortly.
But sech moods amt natural, jim
mie."
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 results?'
Grafton made WY face. "Oh,
what's the use?' he said. irritably.
Talking about it won't mend mat
ters. She turned me down, hard.
But what's the use of threshing out
chat? She dislikes me, and that's
the cold fact
If she thought it was ended" Mrs
Cree said sagely, shed be down here
on the veranda right now, and I'd "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 exasperation. "Yor
can't tell body anything Well
don't, 1t amt any of my affairs
But"
There, trot along down town ant
see If you can't absorb a little life 1
, you come back in an hour. I'll try t
have her out here, settin' in the twi
light aad pertending she amt wait
=, ing for you"
Grafton obedieGtly started down tn,
:. steps, but he hesitated an instant an,
returned.
1T was when visited them las
winter he said quickly. There wa
I another fellow. | lost my head.
guess. didn't manage rightly. HI
!. cut me out, somehow. and | got tn,
, sore-head. She's nothing but
fiirt."
He turned and savagely strobe to
7 ward the gate but Mrs. Cree's benev
olent chuckle followed him witt
, something like mockery.
/, He was agitated and distraught
and his unpleasant reverie closed II
upon him, shutting out the straggln,
mining town from his vision. so tina
S he neither saw nor cared where hi
/. steps led him. Some one hailed hin
!, from over the way, and he crosse,
!, the street.
That you. Mr.. Stanwood?" he in
] quired. We'll | won't have an.
!. more trouble In the Apple-Dumpllng
2 That's a e.-ch."
Q stanwood's thin. nervous face Dor,