The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1911-02-22

hope you enjoyed your ride"
ITS up to you. madam" he replied.
pocketing the gold. Good dayw
'sTn be down again in a day or
two" called Redleld.
The machine began to pur and spit
and the wheels to spin, and Lee vir-
ginia was left to face her mothers OBJ
stinate resistance alone. She felt sud-
denly very desolate, very weak and
very poor. What II mother should
die?" she asked herself
Gregg was standing before the coun-
ter talking with Lie as Lee returned.
just been saying I'd take this hotel
off your mothers hands provided you
| went with IT,
In the mouths of some men these
words would have been harmless
enough, but coming from the tongue
Of one whose life could only be OBJ
scurely limited at the Jest was an in
suit. The girl shuddered with repul-
sion, and Lie spoke out:
"Now, see here, Bullfrog, I'm dead
| on the hoof and all thnt, but neither
you nor any other citizen like you can
be funny with my girl. She's not for
you. Now, that's final! She amt your
kind"
F., She turned to Lee. Pm hungry.
Where's that grub chart Of miner
! Lee brought the doctors page Of
notes and read it through, while her
| mother snorted at intervals: "Hah!
Dry toast, weak tea. no coffee, no al
cohol. Huh! l might as well starve!
Eggs-fish-milk! Why didn't he say
boiled live Holsters and champagne?
tell you right now I'm not going to
go into that kind Of a game. II die
I'm going to die eating what blame
pleased!
The struggle had begun. With des-
! perate courage Lee fought standing
squarely in the rut Of her mothers
daily habit. "You must not hive up
here any longer" she insisted. You
must get out and walk and ride. l
can take care Of the house, at least
till we can sell it"
It was like breaking the pride Of an
athlete, but little by little she forced
upon her mother a realization Of her
true condition, and at last Lie con-
scented to offer the business for sale.
! Lee longed for the presence Of Ross
Cavanagh at this moment, when all
her little world seemed tumbling into
ruin, and almost In answer to her word
less prayer came q messenger from the
little telephone Office, Some one wants
to talk to you"
thinking at first that it must be Mrs.
Redheld. The booth was In the little
sitting room of a private cottage, and
the mistress Of the place. a shrewd
little woman with inQuisitiye eyes.
said, sounds to me like Ross Cava-
nagh's voice"
Lee was thankful for the booths pri.
remark, and when she took up the re.
ceiver her heart was beating 80 loud
It seemed as If the person at the other
end of the wire must hear 1t. "Who
II 1t, pleasew she asked. with breath
less intensity.
A mans voice came back over the
wire SO clear, so distinct, SO intimate
it seemed as If he were speaking into
her ear. 1T Is l. Ross Cavanagh. !
want to ask how your mother Is"
"She Is terribly disheartened by what
the doctor has said, but she is in no
immediate danger"
He perceived her agitation and was
Instantly sympathetic. Can / be of
use? Do you need met II you do III
come down."
"Where are your
II am at the sawmill, the nearest
telephone station"
"How far away are your
"About thirty miles"
"Ohw She expressed In this little
sound her disappointment, and as 1t
uembled over the wire he spoke quick
~: please tell me! Do you want me
to come down? Never mind the dis
lance. can ride it in a few hours"
She was tempted. but bravely said
mo; I'd like to see you, Of course, bul
the doctor said mother was in no dan
ger. You must not come on our &C.
count"
He felt the wonder Of the moments
intercourse over the wilderness sleeps
and said So "You can't imagine how
strangely sweet and civilized your voice
sounds to me here in this savage place
It makes me hope that some day you
and Mrs. Redfield viii come up and
visit me in person"
II should like to come"
perhaps it would do your mother
good to camp for awhile. Can't you
persuade her to do eo7''
Pm trying to do that-I mean, to
stop workout she says. What can
we do to earn q Hvingr"
III nothing happens I hope to spend
an hour or two at the Fork next Sun.
day. hope to ind your mother bet.
ter"
Their words were Of this unemotion.
al sort. but In their voices something
subtier than the electrical current VI
brated. He called to her in wordless
fashion. and she answered In the same
mysterious code, and when she said