The Southern herald., 1912-05-03
STAKED

little log shack, hall way up Saw.
tooth mountain, she stared out at tba
shabby yellow carryall, with its tsam
Of lean. shaggy horses.
Then where is she gola' tr
stay, I'd like 10 know o. CALCULATED
the driver, hoarsely. "She's bound
for here, and she's paid her way here
and she's sick, too, and she tells ne
Jim sent for her You lend hand
here, like a good fellow, and help ne
get her out"
"Nobody's home but me"
Then you're boss, amt you? And
what you. say goes" He grinned IN
at her comfortably. Jets temper was
familiar to him. shes got to Test
up some place. and it's thirty miles
back to Double Forks"
why didn't she come before?"
"Ask her" said Wilkins.
Most begrudgingly Jet did the hon.
ors Of her home to the halfuneon-
scious stranger, She helped carry her
into the kitchen. and loosened her
many wraps She made strong coffee,
and WINGED a little from her own BIT.
terness when she saw how young and
sick she was 1t is not the game to
fight an enemy who is already down
After the man from Double Forks
had driven away, she went silently
about her work, while the other WON
an lay on the bed and watched her.
Finally Jet spoke.
"Well. you got here, didn't you?"
81 came as soon as ever | could"
Eyes, you did"
81 did. | started the day after ba-
by came"
Jet turned around what baby?'
"Why. ours; mine and Jims."
A pause. Jet looked as II some
body had most swiftly and surely
slapped her in her pretty, aggressive
face.
"You knew l had a baby, didn't
you? wrote to Jim. He might have
told you that much. guess he didnt
care, anyhow"
"No, he didn't tell me-" Jet sat
down opposite the bed
"When did you tell him about the
other-the baby?" asked Jet slowly.
"Not right away, He wrote back
he'd try to send for us both, and to
name it after him if it was boy"
Maybe he meant t." Jet walked
to the open cabin door and leaned
her back against the casing. A year
and half she had lived down at
Double Forks, running a miners
boarding house She was thirty, and
amply able to look after herself. Her
pies and cornbread had followed gold
strikes in Nevada for years. And she
trod her way heartwhole until jim
Barclay showed up.
"He got hurt last month. They had
to take him up to Trent where the
company's doctor is. He works for
the Kay-Allan outfit, foreman. Your
letter came here while he was gone,
so | opened and read 1t. They said
, he might die, and l sent you the
q money to come on quick, to get here
a and see him. So long as you was his
: wife, you had right to be in at the
q finish"
+ The other woman was off the bed
y before the words were fairly out oil
+ Jets mouth, swaying slightly, she
g caught Jets willing hand for sup
p port.
t But he isn't dead, is hep
g "What do you care?" Jet looked
q at her euriously. you were married
t to him about two months; wasn't
}, you? And then he left you. | al
J. ways liked Jim, and ! hoped all along
e something might happen so we could
o get married, and swing up furthel
d north into some of the provinces ant
l. start all fresh again.
It "I want you to know everything
g first" Jet rose slowly, and crossed
Q the floor Of the two-room shack
h Hes in yonder. They brought hin
{. up here because it's his place. Hei
IS alive but he'll never get we'll again
u The companys given him a pension
q SO he won't starve."
u She took a hat from a nail put
y on her head with yank forward
70 "Go on in and say hello. I'm goin
. away now. Where's the baby?"
- - with my mother-home. It's
- :. boy"
!. "And named Jim?' she said, cart
" lessly. There's some money in hi
room there, in little buckskin sac
il, under the pillow. It's his, so yo
"A can use it. Goodby. | wouldn't te
n him sent after you. Men don't haV
"a to know everything, you know.
ID Listen, you mother of Jim's baby
e. meant to jump your claim. And
IL. couldn't. 1t was all nicely staked Oh
ne and guarded He even told me yo
%. made better pies than mine. YoI
pictures in the inside pocket of thi
he coat, and long curl of hair arour
ic it. Don't you worry. You send +
us the baby quick and call this home.
70 long"
ed She stopped at sound from II
Dir other room, the sound Of some OF
IN. waking, stretching tiredly on