The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1908-12-27

harass her from the mountain side
THAT the Unforeseen was actually I'm
Hlinent and. above all. that John Ros
sitter should be its agent made her des
/ perate. she resolved that Il shoald moi
be.
I So she went to him with her ava.
lanche OF protests and approaches III
her surprise and infinite chagrin she
was unable to lodge them effectively,
He listened with admirable gallantry
but Janet Armltage realized before she
had launched d 1.-THE Of her argument
that John Rosslter had made up bis
mind.
Il couldn't-nobody could--haye be.
lleyed you capable Of such such an
awful desecrationw she declared, with
q manifest intention to put him on the
defensive.
Il hated to do IT, be confessed So
berry. 81 really did"
why did you. thenl~ she demanded
tllogIcally.
4 must have money" he replied sim.
ply.
'One needs very little In Crosskill," Z"
she said. "You certainly must need It
very much TO be tempted to do what
you expect. II must be another case
Of life or death"
"0h, hardly as bad as thatF' He
laughed rather uneasily. Then his face
sobered and his voice became lower
and somewhat unsteady. 1T might
not seem necessary to another man.
but 1t does TO me. Shall I tell you all
about It. JanetY'
NE" she returned hastily. 81 must
decline to have anything to do with
such detestable thing"
Then we must let 1t 90 at that he
said. with quick resumption Of bis
business manner. "Let It stand that l
want money for precisely the same
reasons that influence the average
man-for steam yacht, a house In
Fifth avenue. castle ln-in Killar-
Dey. a.
Janet did not remain to hear fur
ther At bay, but still unyanquished,
she retired and from that day gave
herself up unreservedly to the task OF
frustrating the design Of the traprock
company. The weight OF public SEN
timent was with her. and she manipu.
lated it in every possible manner that
her ingenuity could suggest
Nothing was Of the slightest avail.
The big crushing machinery came up
the river IN sections, was unloaded at
the foot Of the mountain and put to-
gether and began at once its merciless
reduction Of the picturesque Outcrop
which had been loosened BY the mighty
fulminations and sharp pickaxes Of the
gang Of dwarfed and noisy Palermi-
tans that had camped Just without ia.
nets inclosure.
1t was trying period for Janet Ar
mitage. She was the most wretched
woman in CrosskilI when Ehe knew
that she should have been the happi-
est. She was the prey Of cOntendlng
emotions. 1t almost crushed her to be
brought face to face with the knowl-
edge that the power to make her SUI
premely unhappy had been delegated
to any one, and 1t grieved ard humlll-
ated her inexpressibly that the person
delegated should have been John Ros-
sitter. Most exasperating Of all was the
tardy conviction n-unwelcome, yet un-
mistakable-that the man who had
brought her to this extremity of dis
comfort was dearer to her than life
Itself.
An this came home to her with tre-
meDdous significance as she sat alone
at Ter dinner on Christmas day. Ev-
erything seemed strangely unreal. The
season itself was as unlike the typical
holiday time as It well could be. Thus
far bhere had not lodged single snow
aake on the hemlocks to herald the ap-
proach Of winter. The afr was soft |
and balmy. and there was a hazy lull |
In It that suggested a beIated Indian |
summer. The unseasonableness Of tine
weather was positively disquieting. 1t !
was impossible to at the Christmas
Into the scene.
+open the windows, Beppo-wide |
openp she called out to a half grown |
boy who stood looking in on her from
the Veranda outside. "It'B positively
SttfiUg." Beppo was a swarthy sicil-
IAN lad whom she had rescued from
-he mountain gang and befriended and
who was repaying her for her protec-
ion with a devotion that was almost
tragic In its earnestness.
Beppo threw open the Unmatched door
windows and stood In one Of them in
IN attitude Of rapt admiration. There
was nothing at all reserved about Bep-
20. His efrusiveness was a thing to
DO dreaded and repressed. Standing
framed In the tall window, he seemed
% Janet to be especially out Of place |
Ind melOdramatic. 1t irFitated her to
zee him standing there, so suggestive
Il an opera chorus or a trumpery Ne
Ipolltan 6gurlne. It was all very well,
The told herself. to have him about
when be was a starved and helpless
yaif left to shift for himself, but now
really she must send him down to
be yards to see If anything could be
made Of him.