The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-08-16
CHAPTER VIII.


TVHE water front had a strong at
traction for Helen Chester and
rarely did a fair day pass with
Il out finding her in some quiet
spot from which she could watch the
shifting life along its edge, the ships
at anchor and the varied incidents of
the surf
This morning she sat in a dory pulled
high up on the beach, bathed in the
bright sunshine and staring at the
rollers, while lines of concentration
wrinkled her brow. The wind had
blown for some days till the ocean beat
heavily across the shallow bar, and
now, as 1t became quieter, longshore-
men were launching their craft, pre-
pairing to resume their traffic.
Not until the previous day had the
news of her friends misfortune cone
to her, and although she had heard no
hint of fraud, she began to realize that
they were involved in a serious tangle.
To the questions which she anXiously
put to her uncle he had replied that
their difficulty arose from a technical
ity in the mining laws which another
man had been shrewd enough to profit
by. 1t was complicated question, he
said, and one requiring time to thrash
out to an equitable settlement She
had undertaken to remind him of the
service these men had done her, but,
with smile, he interrupted. He could
not allow such things to influence his
judicial attitude and she must not en-
deavor to prejudice him in the dis
charge of his duty. Recognizing the
justice of this, she had desisted.
For many days the girl had caught
scattered talk between the judge and
Mcnamara and between Strive and
his associates, but it all seemed foreign
and dry, and beyond the fact that it
bore on the litigation over the Anvil
creek mines, she understood nothing
and cared less, particularly as a new
interest had but recently come into her
life, an interest in the form of a man
-McNamara.
He had begun with quiet, half con
cealed admiration of her, which had
rapidly increased until his attentions
had become Of a singularly positive
and resistless character.
Judge Stillman was openly delight
Ell, while the court of one like Alec
Mcnamara could but flatter any girl
In his presence Helen felt herself re-
belllng at his suit, yet as distance sep
arated them she thought ever more
kindly of it. This state of mind con-
traSted oddly with her feelings toward
the other man she had met, for in this
country there were but two. When
Glenisterr was with her she saw his
love lying markedly in his eyes, and it
exercised some spell which drew her
to him in spite Of herself, but when
he had gone back came the distruSt,
the terror OF the brute she felt was
there behind it all The one appealed
to her while present; the other pleaded
strongest while away. Now she was
attempting to analyze her feelings and
face the future squarely, for she real
lied that her affairs neared crisis,
and this, too, not a month after meet
ing the men. She wondered If she
would come TO love her uncle's friend.
She did not know OF the other she
was sure-she never could.
Busted with these reflections, she no
ticed the familiar figure of Dextry wan
dering aimlessly. He was not un-
kempt, and yet his air gave her the i'm
preston of prolonged sleeplessness.
Sowing her. he approached and seated
himself in the sand against the boat
while at her greeting he broke into talk
as il he was needful only of her friend
" presence to stir his confidential
chords into active vibration.
Were in turrible shape. MISS" he
said. Our claims jumped. Somebody
run in and talked the boy out of II
while 1 was gone. and now we can't
get 'em of He's been tryin' this here
new law game that you all brought in
this summer. I've been drunk. That's
what makes me look SO ornery."
He said the last not in the spirit OF
apology, for rarely does your frontiers
man consider that his self indulgences
require palliation, but rather after the
manner Of one purveying news of milo
interest. as he would inform you that
ms surcingle had broken or that he hsd
witnessed q lynching.
What made them jump your claimT'
II don't know. l don't know nothin'
about it, because. as remarked pre-
vious, / amt follered the totterin' foot
steps Of the law none too close. Nor