The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1910-01-27

bend of her head.
$50 you're back at last. are you.
Jack?" drawled Jane in her lazy. good
natured way. "Come and meet Miss
Bishop. Carroll, want to present Mr..
Orde."
Orde bowed tremendously. The girl
inclined gracefully her small head
with the glossy hair. The Incubus.
his sallow face twisted in a wry
smile. held to the edge of his chair
with characteristic pertinacity.
SWELL. Walter" Orde addressed him
genially, 'are you having good
time!'
"Yes, indeed"
His chair was planted squarely to
exclude all others. Orde surveyed the
situation with good humor.
"GOing to keep the other fellow from
getting chance. l see.'
"Yes. indeed!"
Orde bent over and. with great ease.
lifted Incubus. chair and all. and set
him facing Mignonne Smith and the
eroquet ball
1ele, MlSuOuue. Sdlu lie. VIC
brought you another assistant"
He returned to the lamp to find the
girl. her dark eyes alight with amuse-
ment. watching him intently
walter is a very bright man in his
own line" said Orde. swinging for
ward Il chair. but he mustn't be al
lowed any monopolies."
How do you know l want him so
summary removed?' the girl asked
him.
swell" argued Orde. 81 got him to
say all he ever says to any girl, Yes.
indeedv so you couldn't have any more
conversation from him. Besides, /
want to talk to you myself"
do you always get what you want"
inquired the girl.
Orde laughed.
ANY one can get anything he wants
If only he wants it bad enough" he
asserted.
ever. l forgive you. 1 will even fiat
ter you by saying am glad you came.
You look to have reached the age of
discretion. venture to say that these
boys idea of a lively evening is to
throw bread about the table"
Orde flushed little. The last time
he had supped at Jane Hubbard's that
was exactly what they did do.
'"They are young. of course" he said,
"and you and are very old and wise"
snow, tell me. what do you do"
"What do l do?" asked Orde. puz-
zled.
eyes. Everybody does something
out west here"
"I'm river driver just now"
"a river driver?' she repeated.
''Why, I've just been hearing a great
deal about you from Mrs. Baggs."
'Ohv' said Orde. "Then you know
what a drunken. swearing. worthless
lot of toughs we are, don't you?"
"There is Helrs Half Mile" she re-
minded him.
"Oh, yes" said Orde bitterly. there's
Hells Half Mile. Whose fault is that?
My rivermen's-my boys? Look here!
suppose you couldn't understand it If
you tried a month. But suppose you
were working out in the woods nine
months Of the year. Suppose you slept
In rough blankets on the ground or in
hunks, ate rough food, never saw
woman or a book. undertook work to
scare your city men up tree, risked
your life a dozen times a week in
tangle of logs. with the big river roar
I'M hoh inS N
you; saw nothing but woods and river,
were cold and hungry and wet and so
tired you couldn't wiggle. And then
suppose you hit town, where there
were all the things you hadn't had.
and the first thing you struck was
Hell's Half Mile. Say. you've seen wa
ter behind jam, haven't you? Water
powers good thing in mill course,
where it has wheels to turn, but be-
hind jam it just rips things. Oh,
what's the use talking? A girl doesn't
know what it means. She couldn't I'M
derStand."
Il think begin to understand lit
tle." said she softly. But they are a
heartless class in spite of all their
courage, aren't they?"
"Heartlessw exploded Orde. There's
no kinder lot of men on earth. There
isn't a man on that river who doesn't
chip in five or ten dollars when man
Is hurt or killed. and that means three
or four days hard work for him. And
he may not know or like the injured
man at all. Why
whats all the excitement? drawi-
ed Jane Hubbard behind them. Cant
you make it to be continued in our
next? We're most starved"
Eyes, indeed" chimed the Incubus.
The company trooped out to the din
Ing room, where the table. spread with
all the good things. awaited them.
TO Orde's relief no one threw any
bread. although the whole hearted fun
grew boisterous enough before the
close Of the meal.
In spite Of her half scornful refer
ences to dread throwing Miss Bishop
Joined with evident pleasure in the
badinage.
After the meal was finished Orde.
with determination, made his way to
Miss Bishops side. She turned to
tho piapO SfruoE a foxv chords and