The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-08-20

where, uo unelr utter aston1snment, they seemed to step out of the frontier and into the heart of civilization. They found tiny dining room perfectly ap- pointed, in the center of which, won- der of wonders, was a round table gleaming like a deep mahogany pool, upon the surface of which foated gauzy hand worked napery, glinting silver and sparkling crystal. the dark polish of the wood refecting the light from shaded candles. It held a deli cately figured service of blue and gold, while the selection of thin stemmed acter of the entertainment that await ed them. The mems eyes were too busy with the unaccustomed sight to note details carefully, but they felt soft carpet beneath their feet and observed that the walls were smooth and har- moniously papered. z
 "This is m-marvelous," murmured Emerson "Pm afraid we're not in keeping"
 Indeed you are" said the girl, "and am delighted to have somebody to I
 ''This Is certainly swell tepee," Fra ser remarked. "How did you do it?"
 "I brought my things with me from Nome"
 'Nomew ejaculated Emerson quickly.
 "Yes."
 "why, I've been in Nome ever since the camp was discovered It's strange we never met"
 'I didn't stay there very long; went back to Dawson"
 Again he fancied the girls eyes held . vague challenge, but he could not be sure, for she seated him and then gave some instructions to the Aleut girl. Boyd, becoming absorbed in his own thoughts, grew more silent as the signs of refinement and civilization about him revived memories long stifled This was not the effect for which the girl had striven. Her younger guests taciturnity, which grew as the dinner progressed, piqued her. % at the first opportunity she bent her efforts toward rallying him. He an- gwered politely, but she was powerless to shake on his mood.
 At last he spoke: N Structions not to harber travellers. Why is that?"
 "It Is the policy of the companies. They are afraid somebody will discov- sr gold around here. You see, this is the greatest salmon river in the world The rum is tremendous and seems to ; be unfailing; hence the cannery people wish to keep it all to themselves" 'sI don't quite understand'- ''It is simple enough. Kalvik is so isolated and the fishing season is so short that the companies have to send their. crews in from the States and take them out again every summer, Now, if gold were discovered here abouts the fishermen would all quit and follow the strike which would mean the ruin of the years catch and the loss of many hundreds of thou sands of dollars. Why, this village would become city in no time if such thing were to happen. The whole region would fill up with miners, and not only would labor conditions be en- l t1rely upset for years. but the eyes of the world, being turned this way, oth- CT people might go into the fishing business and create a competition which would hoth influence prices and deplete the supply of fish in the Kal- vik river. So, you see, the-e are many reasons why this region is forbidden to miners. You couldn't buy pound of food nor get af nights lodging here for kings ransom. The watchmen's jobs depend upon their unbroken bond of inhospitality, and the Indians dare not sell you anything, not even dog hsh, under penalty of starvation, for they are dependent upon the compa- nies' stores"
 80 that is why you have establish ed trading post of your own?" | "Oh, dear, no. This isn't a store This food is for my men,"
 "Your menw
 'TYes. l have crew out in the hills on grub stake. This is our cache While they prospect for gold I stand guard over the provisions"
 Fraser chuckled softly. Then you | 0Te DuCkIdS the SdlnOQ CruStE'
 After a fashion. yes. I knew this country had never been gone over. SC l staked six men, chartered a schoon CT and came down here from Nome ir the early spring. We stood off the watchman. and when the supply ships arrived we had these houses complet ed. and my men were out in the hills where it was hard to follow them. stayed behind and stood the brunt o1 things"
 But surely they didn't undertake tt | fnjure youT' said Emerson. now thcr oughly interested in this extraordinary young woman.
 "Oh. didn't theyr' she answered with peculiar laugh. You don't ap preciate the character of these people There is no real code of financial mo rality, and the battle for dollars is tn, bitterest of all contests Of course being a woman. they couldn't very wei attack E1e personally. but they tried
 everything except physical violence and don't know how long they vii refrain from that. These plants ar, owned separately. but they operate un der an agreement with one man at tn,
 head. His name is Marsh-Wilii Marsh-and of course he's not n,,