The Washington herald., 1912-06-23
STEELE.


ship a little over a month previously
He remembered that the date on the
letter from the girl was SIX weeks old
At the time It was written, Col Becker
and his wife were either in London OF
Liverpool, or crossing the Atlantic Nc
matter how similar the two letters ap-
peared 10 him, he realized that, under
! the circumstances, the same person
could not have written them both. FoI
many mintues he sat back in his chair
with his eyes half closed, absorbing the
comforting heat Of the FIRE. Again the
old vision returned to him. In sub
conscious sort of way he found him.
self fighting against it, as he had strug-
gled a score Of times to throw off its
presence, since the girls letter had
come to him. And this time, as before,
his effort was futile. He saw her
again-and always as on that night OF
the Hawkins ball, eyes and lips smiling
at him, the light shining gloriously in
te deep red gold of er hair.
With an effort Steele aroused himself
and looked at his watch. II was a quar-
ter of FIVE He stopped to close the
stove door, and stopped suddenly, his
hand reaching out, head and shoulders
hunched over. Across his knee, shining
in the freight, like thread Of spun
gold, lay single filament of a woman's
hair.
He rose slowly, holding the hair be-
tween him and the light. His fingers
rtrembled, his breath came quickly. The
hair had fallen upon his knee from the
letter-or the envelope. and it was Won
derfully like her hair!
From the direction of the factors
quarters came the deep believing of
Breeds moose-horn, calling him to sup
per. Before he responded to it, Steele
wound the silken thread of gold about
his finger, then placed it carefully
among the papers and cards which he
carried in his leather wallet His face
was flushed when he joined the factor.
Not since the night at the Hawkins
ball, when he had felt the touch of a
beautiful woman's hands, the warmth
of her breath, the soft sweep of her
hair against his lips as he had leaned
over her in his half-surrender, had
thought of woman stirred him as he
felt himself stirred now. He was glad
that Breed was too much absorbed in
his own troubles to observe any posi-
blN NAAaAlBE III AAAAAAoGAA VI " daN HAN9-
tions about the letter.
Il tell you, it may mean the short
birch for me, sSteele," said the factor
gloomily. Lac Balm is just now the
emptiest, most fallen-to-pieces, unbusi-
ness-like post between the Athabasca
and the bay. We've had two bad sea-
sons running, and everything has gone
wrong. Col. Becker is a big one with
the company. Amt no doubt about
that, and ten to one he'll think it's
new man that's wanted here"
Nonsense exclaimed Steele. A
sudden fash shot into his face as he
looked hard at Breed. See here, how
would you like to have me go out to
meet them?" he asked. Sort Of a well
coming committee of one, you know.
Before they got here I could casually
give EN- to understand what Lac Balm
has been up against during the last two
seasons"
Breeds face frightened in an in
slant
That might save US, Steele. Will
you do it,"
With pleasure"
Philip was conscious of an increasing
warmth in his face as he bent over his
plate. You're sure-they're elderly
people?" he asked.
That is what MacVeigh wrote me
from Churchill; at least he said the
colonel was an old man"
And his wife,
Has got her nerve" growled Breed
1T wouldn't be so bad if
it was only the colonel But an old
What he doesn't think
Of she'll remind him of. you can depend
on that"
Steele thought of his mother, who
looked at things through magnifying