Free press., 1907-01-26

Mrs Cree, the landlady, came out
on the porch after supper, and drew
chair close to where the superin-
tendent of the Apple-Dumpling mine
was incoming.
Did them strikers raise any rum
pls today she inquired.
Grafton shook his head Stan
wood was with the committee all af-
ternoon, he said; they've compro-
missed their differences, and the men
come back to work tomorrow. OF
course a few sore-heads are hanging
OF, but we can get along without
them. Our fve-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, l suppose" he grunted.
The landlady chuckled as she set
tied herself more comfortably in her
chair; and though it was 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 gracious what she
did or how she did it. You and her
was always trotting up the cricks and
over the rocks-don't you remember? d?
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
limited.
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 deeisiveness.
The young superintendent meekly
obeyed
you've been boarding with me
going on six years" Mrs. Cree re-
sumed, "and I've got sort of hearty
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, andfI'7e 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 wry face. "Oh,
what's the use?" he said. irritabIy.
Talking about it won't mend mat
ters. She turned me down, hard
But what's the use of threshing out
chaff? 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 sveranda 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 evaporation. "You
can't tell body anything Well,
don't! 1t amt any of my affairs
But"
There, trot along down town and
see if you can't absorb little life. If
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 I visited them last
winter" he said quickly. There was
a1other fellow. l lost my head, 1
guess. I didn't manage rightly. He
cut me out, somehow, and l got the
sore-head. She's nothing but
f1irt''
He turned and savagely strobe to-
ward the gate, but Mrs. Cree's benev-
olent 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
steps led him. Some one hailed him
from over the way, and he crossed
the street.
That you, Mr.. Stanwood?" he in
quired. We'll. 1 won't have any
more trouble in the Apple-Dumpling
That's a cinch."
Stanwood's thin, nervous face bore
worried expression. II don't know,
he cogitated. Red. Cassidy and