Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1911-05-19

q Ing the night Of singular ad-
ventures the sun was shin
inr brightly n 1t ihe beds head win
e ~, 4 cheerful fire. was cracking on
tie hearth. and his father, n little
heavier. Z little Grayer. but with TIE
fame rugged fHoe and Kindly eyes.
was standing nj his bedside.
Evan, boy" and "Fatherw were
the only words Of greeting. but the
mighty hand grip that went with them
WAS for Evan renewal of his boy
hood and sufficient promise for the
future.
Followed Instantly rush Of mingled
emotions; Of astoundment that he had
recognized no familiar landmark In
the midnight faring through the hills
or on the approach to the home Of his
childhood; of something like Keen
regret that the old had given place 50
thoroughly and completely to the new;
of something bordering on chagria
that he had been surprised into &C
cepting the hOspitable advances of 3
woman whom he had been intending
to avoid and for whom he had cher
ished-and meant to cherish-a con
temptuous disregard.
But at the hand gripping moment
there was no time for n nice weighing
of emotions. He was In his fathers
house, the homecoming. some phases
Of which he had vaguely dreaded, was
fact accomplished. and the new life
the life that was TO be lived without
Patricia-was fairly begun. Also there
We're arrears to be brought up.
Did tie little-er-did Mrs Blount
tell you that | was here?"
"She did, but she couldn't tell ne
much more. How en- top of earth did
you happen to blow In at midnight
with Jack Barto fer your herd leader"
If; fairy tale. and you won't be-
lievp it-of a Bount." was the laugh
ing reply. II left Boston Monday and
should have reached the capital last
night. But my train was laid out be-
hind a freight wreck at Aretas just
before dark. and left 1t and took to
the hills-horseback. Don't ask me
why. The smell of the sagebrush was
IN my nostrils. and I had TO do 1t.
knew where l was, and 1 thought
could ride to Debbleby's. SO hired the
broncho and pitched out. / think
kept the general direction all right I'M
til got lost among the Lost river hog
backs, but after that was pretty Sue
cessfully lost"
and Barto found your" queried the
senator.
"Who is this ubiquitous BartO who
goes around playing the holdup one
minute and the good angel the nextT'
HE Is q sort Of general utility man
for Hathaway, the head pusher Of the
Twin Buttes Lumber company. He IS
supposed to be a timber cruiser and
log scaler, but guess he doesn't work
much at his trade. Down in the lower
wards of New York they'd call him n
heller maybe. But you don't mean to
tell me that Jack Barto robbed you,
SOM"
mo; he was merely discussing with
his two fellow holdups the ACCESSIBILITY
Of knocking me on the head and drop
ping me into Lost River canyon: that
was all. OF course l knew they had
fallen upon the wrong man, and after
awhile l succeeded In making BartO
accept that hypothesis. At least he ac-
cepted 1t sufficiently to bring me here
for Identification. Since lie wouldn't
talk and l didn't recognize the trail or
the place I hadn't the slightest notion
of my whereabouts-not the least In
the world"
The big man was leaning against
the foot rail Of the bed and frowning
thoughtfully. Talked about dropping
you into Lost river. did they? HIM.
Wen have to look into that a little.
guess. Who set them on, son? Got
any idea of that?"
Il have Il very good idea-a man
who came across in the Pullman with
me from Omaha; tall and rather slim
and with Il Ratchet face and owlish
eyes. didn't learn his name, but he
said he was interested IN mines and
timber"
That was Hathaway himself" was
The instant decision. His company
has been cutting timber in the Lost
river reserve. and he probably thought
you We're chasing him. You didn't
know Honoria?"
NO; wasn't expecting-I-you may
r.nnrrll.Dr fhaf 7 ha6 hn~
stammered the young man, who had
risen 10 his elbow among the pillows.
The father walked away TO the win
dow aud stood looking out upon the
distant mountains for q full minute
before he turned to say gently: I'VE
may as well run the boundary lines on
this one time as another. son. You
cont Ike H0noria. You've made I'D
your mind not 10 like her. I'm not
going TO make Il hard for either of
you If can help it. This is her home,
but 1t is also yours my boy DO you
reckon you could
Evan Blount made haste to stop the
half pathetic appeal
Don't lei that trouble YOU" he In
terposed. Mrs. Biount is q very
inherent person from the woman !
have been imagining. and If she were
not ! think We are both sufficiently
civilized not to quarrel" Then: Have
'ou breakfasted yet-you and Mrs.
Blount: But Of course you have long
ago"
"Breakfasted: Without you: Not
much. son. And that reminds me |
was TO come up and See II you were
awake. and II you were was TO send
Dafnabas up with your coffee"