The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1908-01-31

sprang blooming flowers and whose
high banked walls were pierced here
and there with sleepy windows. II
had been built by homesick foreigner
of unknown nationality whom the ar
my of ''mushers' who paid for his
clean and orderly hospitality had dub
bed duly and as a matter of course a
"Swede." When travel had changed to
the river trail. leaving the house lone
some and high as though left by re-
ceding wave, Strive had taken it over
on debt and now ran 1t for the con-
venience of slender traffic. mainly
stampeders, who chose the higher
route toward the interior. His hireling
spsnt the idle hours in prospecting a
hungry quartz lead and In doing as
sessment work on nearby claims.
Shortz took the horses and answered
lis employers questions CURLY, flash
Ing a curious look at Helen. Under
other conditions the girl would have
been delighted with the place, for this
was the quaintest spot she had found
In the north country. The main room
held bar and gold scales, a rude table
and huge iron heater, while it's
walls and ceiling were sheeted with
white cloth so cunningly stitched and
tackled that it seemed a cavern hol-
lowed from chalk 1t was filed with
trophies of the hills-stuffed birds and
animals, skins and antlers-from which
depended in careless confusion dog
harness, snowshoes, guns and articles
OF clothing. A door to the left led into
the bunk room, where travellers had
been wont to sleep In tiers three deep.
To the rear was kitchen and cache,
to the right a compartment which
Strive called the art gallery. Here
free reign had been allowed the origi-
nal owners artistic fancies, and he
had covered the place with pictures
clipped from gazettes Of questionable
repute till 1t was bewildering ar
rangement of pink ladies in tights, pu-
gilists in scanty trunks, prize bulldogs
and other less moral characters of the
sporting world.
''This is probably the worst compa-
ny you were ever in" Strive observed
to Helen, with a forced attempt at
lightness.
Are there no guests here?" she ask
ed him, her anxiety very near the sur
face.
"Travel is light at this time of the
year They'll come in later perhaps"
A fire was burning in this pink room
where the landlord had begun spread
ing the table for two, and its warmth
was grateful to the girl. Her compan-
ion, thoroughly at his ease, stretched
himself on a fur covered couch and
smoked
LET me see the papers now, Mr..
Strive" she began. but he put her off.
mo, not now. Business must wait
on our dinner. Don't spoil our little
party, for there's time enough and to
spare
She arose and went to the window,
unable to sit still. Looking down the
narrow gulch, she saw that the noun
tains beyond were indistinct, for it
was growing dark rapidly. Dense
clouds had rolled up from the east.
A raindrop struck the glass before her
eyes, then another and another, and
the hills grew misty behind the COM
ing shower. A traveller with q pack
on his back hurried around the corner
OF the building and past her to the
door. At his knock Strive, who had
been watching Helen through half shut
nd int l,n oil
ROOM
''Thank heaven, some one has come"
she thought. The voices were dead
ened to Il hum by the sod walls till
that of the stranger raised itself in
such indignant protest that she distin-
guished his words.
- ooh, I've got money to pay my way!
I'm no deadkead."
Shortz mumbled something back.
Il don't care If you are closed. I'm
tired, and there's storm coming"
This time she heard the landlords
refusal and the miners angry profani-
ty. \ moment later she saw the trav-
eler plodding up the trail toward town.
what does that mean" she inquir-
ed as the lawyer re-entered.
"Oh. that fellow is tough, and
Shortz wouldn't let him in. He's care
full whom he entertains, there are so
many bad men roaming the hills"
The German came in shortly to light
the lamp, and, although she asked no
further questions, Helen's uneasiness
increased She half listened to- the sto-
rles with which Strive tried to enter
tain her and ate little of the excellent
meal that was shortly served to them.
Strive meanwhile ate and drank al
most greedily, and the shadowy, sinis-
ter evening crept along. A strange
cowardice had suddenly overtaken the
girl, and If at this late hour she could
have withdrawn she would have done
so gladly and gone forth to meet the
violence of the tempest. But she had
gone too far for retreat, and, realizing
that for the present apparent compli-
ance was her wisest resource, she sat
quiet, answering the man with cool
words while his eyes grew brighter,
his skin more flushed, his speech more
rapid. He talked necessarily and with
feverish gayety, smoking numberless
cigarettes and apparently unconscious
Of the fight of time. At last he broke
off cn11onIv on1 coucI11to1 hfc watch