The Green Forest tribune., 1910-01-07

Lal Oliver came to the cabin door and looked out over the blackened stumps of the clearing, wrapping her bare arms in her apron as she felt the chill autumnal air of the Sierra. Her eyes vaguely followed the smoke of forest fire not far away in the tim Der; but listlessness in the attitude of her tall, well-knit figure indicated a lack of interest in her surroundings reaching deeper than the mere indif- ference of custom.
 When man appeared at the edge Of the clearing and vaulted over the fence, the watching in which there had been neither hope nor desire was ended, for she turned from the door, busying herself about the dinner keep ing warm upon the hearth.
 Despite the wood-chopper's slouch in his shoulders, he looked a son of the forest, tall and powerful. When he entered the cabin his dinner was on the table. He looked at his wife tentatively. but her shoulder was turned toward him and she gazed per sistently out of the window; so he sat down and ate, casting occasional glances at her motionless igure. A hound had stolen in and crouched near him, watching with slavering jaws eager for morsels. He found his master unresponsive. Oliver had an air of nerving him. self as he said: q heard Dave Brick son was back"
 There was no response. Taking out a pouch he began filling his pipe, push ing down the tobacco with an un- steady thumb. He knew Lal had seen Dave. Nevertheless he felt goaded to ask: Has he been here?"
 "Yes."
 He drew long whiff from his pipe before he asked, doggedly pushing his questioning, What did he come for?'' AS the woman turned, her husband shrank yisibly under the lash of her eyes.
 "He came to tell me you had lied." she replied with deliberation.
 His huge numbering frame was trembling, as Oliver stumbled up from the hearth, steadying himself against chair. 'Lal, he-told-"
 She confronted him like some sore ly wounded wild thing.
 "Everything-the whole story. The message callin' him to his dyin' moth CT; the letter he sent to me by you 1t didn't reach me-"
 Involuntarily he glanced toward a cleft in log over the fireplace. then looked hastily away, moistening his dry lips. She went on unheeding.
 Why should I talk? You know it all-how the old hags about the noun tains jeered and gossiped over their pipes because he'd left me almost on the weddin'-day." She broke into a mirthless laugh. "But you were will in enough to take what they said he'd flung away. You devil, you've ruined my life"
 Don't say 1t, Lal!" he cried. en- treatingly. God knows I've loved you | always. You'd never give me any hope-sometimes you seemed to hate me; and then at last when you'd grown little kinder and I thought maybe you'd learn to care for me Dave came and I saw 1t was all up with me-"
 The woman's face darkened and she broke in with fierce heat "Alrs up with you now. Don't you see 1t? If you were half man you would"
 "Lal." he said. at last, q don't deny I've wronged you"
 You don't dare," she interrupted, sneeringly.
 But I've done my best since, to make you happy"
 Your best! you've done your worst. You've parted me from the only man in the world could have cared for. Any other woman would have done for you"
 He started up with . gesture of pro- test, but she went on. Why couldn't you've let me alone? Any of tho girls on the Flat would've married you for the askin'. Why must you pick out the only one who didn't carer" She flung up her arms despairingly. "I can't breathe in the same house with you -I II leave.
 Oliver caught her arm. ''Lal, you'd never leave me-You're my wife-I-"
 You count on that?" she cried. What do care for few words said over us-lies, lies all! I love Dave. I'm no wife of yours."
 She flung him off and ran out of the cabin.
 The smoke of the forest fire had settled low over the clearing, but he was hardly conscious of it or of the smell of burning wood filling the air. The stirring of the shallows in his weak and easy-going nature had re- vealed hitherto unsuspected depths, and his whole being was convulsively resisting the new order of things as he strode along. In few moments he had reached the little opening in the timber where his partners were already at work. splitting stakes. At
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