The Richmond climax. (Richmond, Ky.) 1897-1914, 1912-04-24
STAKED
Copyright. 1912. by Associated LITERARY
Press-)

Copyright. 1912. by Associated Literary
"She can't stay here"
Jets eyes flashed ominously.
Standing In the low doorway Of the
little log shack, half way up Saw
tooth mountain, she stared out at the
/ shabby yellow carryall, with its team
of lean, shaggy horses
Then where is she goin' ter
stay. I'd like to know?" calculated
the driver, hoarsely. shes bound
for here. and she's paid her way here,
and she's sick. too, and she tells me
Jim sent for her. You lend hand
here, like a good fellow, and help me
get her out"
''Nobody's home but me-"
Then you're boss, amt you? And
what you say goes" He grinned up
at her comfortably. Jets temper was
familiar to him. "She's got to rest
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 half-uncon-
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 wom-
an lay on the bed and watched her.
Finally Jet spoke.
well, you got here, didn't your"
81 came as soon as ever l could"
Eyes, you did"
81 did. started the day after ba-
by came"
Jet turned around. what baby?''
'Why, ours; mine and Jim's."
A pause. Jet looked as if some
body had most swiftly and surely
slapped her in her pretty, aggressive
face.
You knew I had a baby, didn't
you? l wrote to Jim. Ee might have
told you that much. guess he didn't
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 a boy"
Maybe he meant to-" Jet walked
to the open cabin door and leaned
her back against the casing. A year
and a 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 l opened and read it. They said
he might die, and sent you the
money to come on quick. to get here
and see him. So long as you was his
wife. you had right to be in at the
finish"
The other woman was off the bed
before the words were fairly out of
Jets mouth, swaying slightly, she
caught Jets willing hand for sup
port.
But he isn't dead, is he?"
what do you carer" Jet looked
at her curiously. you were married
to him about two months, wasn't
you? And then he left you. l al
ways liked Jim. and I hoped all along
something might happen so We could
get married, and swing up further
north into some of the provinces and
start all fresh again.
81 want you to know everything
first" Jet rose slowly, and crossed
the floor Of the two-room shack.
He's in yonder. They brought him
up here because it's his place He's
alive, but he'll never get well again.
The company's given him a pension,
so he won't starve."
She took a hat from a nail, put It
on her head with a yank forward.
Go on in and say hello. I'm going
away now. Where's the baby?"
with my mother-home. It's a
boy.p
"And named Jim?" she said, care
lessly. There's some money in his
room there, in a little buckskin sack
under the pillow. It's his, so you
can use it. Goodby. I wouldn't tell
him I sent after you. Men don't have
to know everything, you know,
Listen, you mother of Jim's baby!
I meant to jump your claim. And
couldn't. 1t was all nicely staked out
and guarded. He even told me you
made better pies than mine. Your
pictures in the inside pocket of that
coat, and a long curl of hair around
it. Don't you worry. You send for
the baby quick and call this home. So
long"
She stopped at a sound from the
other room, the sound Of some one
waking, stretching tiredly on a
creaky bed, signing, and cursing soft
~ to himself at pain. Then they
heard him call peevishly, longingly:
Anybody out there?"
Jet shrugged her shoulders, and
smiled, and walked out of the shack.
shutting the door after her softly.
She could hear Jim's laugh as she
went down after her pony. The
staked claim was proved up now.