The Red Cloud chief., 1907-11-15
CHAPTER VIII.

rarely did a fair day pass with
i cut finding her In some quiet
spot from which she could watch the
shifting life along its edge. the ships
Mt 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
heav Willy 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 ON
10 her. and although she had heard no
hint OF fraud. she began to realize that
they were involved in a serious Jungle.
10 the questions which she a~nxiOusly
put to her uncle he had replied that
thcjr difficulty arose from II technical
1ty In the mining la WIS which another
man had been shrcwd enough to profit
by II was u complicated question, he
sRii. and one requiring time to thrash
out tn an equitable settlement. She
had undertaken to remind him of the
service these men had done her, but,
with a smile. he interrupted. He could
not allow such things to influence his
judicia, 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
md dry. ana beyond the fact that 1t
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 i'm the form of q man
Mcnamara.
He had begun with quiet. half con
cCa'ed admiration of her, which had
rapidly Increased until his attentions
Ind become of n singuiarly positive
and resistless character.
Judge Stiliman was openly delight.
ell, while the court of II like Alec
Mcnamara could but fiatter any girl.
In his presence Helen felt herself re-
belIing At his suit, yet as distance sep
Nrnted them she thought ever more
kindly OF il. 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
~Cfienister was with her she saw his
love lying markedly In his eyes, and II
exercised some spell which drew hei
10 him in spite OF herself, but when
he had gone back came the distrust
there behind 1t all. The II appealed
10 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
ICED that her affairs neared q 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 20 know. or the other sht
was surc-she never could.
Busted with these reflections, she no
tieed 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
Spying her, he approached and seated
himself In the sand against the boat
while at her greeting he broke into tall
IN II he was needfui only Of her friend
nv presence to stir his confidential
chords into active vibration.
"We're in turrible shape, miss" h'
anId 'N"" :.-.rtx iEmund. SOMEBODY