Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-01-15
THE BARRIER
Copyright, 1908, By
Harper q Brothers.
All Rights Reserved
go 9Vovs1 By REX BEACH
AUTHOR OF THE SPOILERS"

come from the states, and I feared that
he might be among them; but it's no use
hiding any longer, there's no other
place for us to go. II Lee has got
mine, I'll have the one next to 1t, for
we will be the first ones on the ground.
What happens after that won't matter
much, you four will be provided for. We
are to leave in an hour, one at time,
to avoid comment"
But why did this man stop here?' in
sisted the woman. why did he not stay
on the steamboat and go to Dawson?"
Hes a friend of Lees. He is going
with u.s." Then he added. almost in
whisper, Before we return I shall
know"
AIluna seized his arm. Promise to
come back, Johnl Promise that you
will come back even If this should be
the man."
''I promise. Don't worry, little wo-
man; I'm not ready for a reckoning yet"
He gave her certain instructions about
the store, charging her in particular to
observe the utmost secrecy regarding the
strike, else she might preoipitate a pre-
mature excitement which would go far
towards running his and Poleon's chances.
All of which she noted; then, as he turn
ed away, she laid her hand on his arm
and said:
'If you do not know him he will not
know you. Is it not so!
Yes"
Then the rest is easy"
But he only shook his head doubtfully
and answered, "Perhaps-I am not sure"
and went inside, where he made up q
light pack of bacon, -four and tea, pail
er two, a coffee pot and a frying pan.
which he rolled inside a robe Of rabbit
skin and bound about in turn with
light tarpaulln. 1t did not weigh 80
pounds in all. Selecting a new pair OF
water boots, he stuffed dry grass inside
them, oiled up his six shooter, then
slipped out the back way, and in Ave
minutes was hidden in the thickets. Half
an hour later, having completed a detour
OF the town, he struck the trail to the
interior, where he found Poleon Doret,
equipped in a similar manner, resting be-
side stream. singing the songs OF his
people.
When BurreIl returned to. his quarters
he tried to mitigate the feeling Of lone
someness that oppressed him by tackling
his neglected correspondence. Some
how, today, the sense of his isolation
had come over him stronger than ever.
His rank forbade any intimacy with his
miserable handful of men, who had al
ready fallen into the monotony of rou-
tine, while every friendly overture he
made towards the citizens of Flambeau
was met with distrust and coldness, his
stripes of office seeming to erect a bar
rier and induce an ostracism stronger and
more complete than If they had been
emblems of the penitentiary. He began
to resent 1t keenly. Even Doret and the
trader seemed to share the general feel
ing, hence the thought of the long, lone
some winter approaching reduced the
lieutenant to a state Of black despond-
ency, deepened by the knowledge that
he now had on open enemy In camp
in the person of Runnion. Then, too, he
had taken a morbid dislike to the new
man, Stark. So that all In all, the youth
felt he had good reason to be in the
dumps thts afternoon. There was moth
ing desirable in this place-everything
undesirable-except Nicola. Her presence
in Flambeau went far towards making
his humdrum existence bearable. but of
late he had found himself dwelling with
growing seriousness fon the unhappy cir
cumstances of her birth, and had almost
made up his mind that 1t would be wise
not to see her any more. The tempting
vision of her in thep ball dress remained
wildly in his imagination, causing him
hours of sweet torment. There was
sparkle a fineness, a gentleness about
her that seemed to make the few women
he had known we'll dull and common
place. and even his sister. whom till now
he had held as the perfection Of all
Things feminine, suffered by comparison
with this maiden Of the frontier.
He was STEPPED in this sweet grave
melancholy, when knock came at his
door, and he arose to find Necia her
self there, excited and radiant. She came
In without sign of embarrassment or
slightest consciousness Of the possible
Improperly of her act.
''The most wonderful thing has hap
pened," she began at once, when she
found they were alone. You'll faint for
JOY"
What is it?"
Nobody knows except father and Pol
con and the two new men"
what is it2'
IT teased the news out Of mother,
and then came right here"
He laughed. But what-may ask"
Lee has made a strike-a wonderful
strike-richer than the Klondike."
$50? the old mans luck has changed.
I'm right glad OF that" said the sol
der
81 came as fast as could, because to-
morrow everybody will know about It,
and it will be too late"
TOO late for what2''
For us to get in on 1t, of course. oh,
but won't there be a stampede. Why' all
the people bound for Dawson on the
next boat will pile off here, then the
news will go up the river and down the
river, and thousands OF others will come
pouring in from everywhere, and this
will be a city. Then we will stake our
town lots and sell them for ever SO
much money, and go around iwth our
noses in the air, and they will say to
each other:
"'who is that beautiful lady with the
fine clothesT and somebody will an
swer:
why, that is Miss Necia Gale, the
mine-owner' And then you will come
along and they will say:
"aThat is Lieutenant Burrell, the mill
lionaire and"
Hold oni hold on!'' said the soldier,
stopping her breathless patter. Tell
me all about this"
We'll, No Creek came In this morn