The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-03-21
THE EVENING STORY
Staked.
by Louise Merrifield.l

| SHACK, Hall way up odWIOOIn mountain
she stared out at the shabby yellow
carryall, with it's team of lean, shaggy
horses.
Then where is she goin' ter stay
I'd like to know?" calculated the dri-
yer, hoarsely. shes bound for here,
and she's paid her way here, and she s
sick, too. and she tells me Jim sen;
for her. You lend a 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
up some place, and it's 30 miles back
| to Double Forks"
why didn't she come before?'
| ASK her. said Wilkins.
| Most begrudglngly Jet did the nom
ors of her home to the half-unconscious
stranger. She helped carry her into
| the kitchen, and loosened her maI.y
wraps. She made strong coffee, and
WINGED a little from her own bitterness
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 wo-
man lay on the bed and watched her.
The warmth and food had brought 1
ed weary and drowsy. Fever showed
in the bright dark eyes that took i'll
every detail of the rough cabin. Most
of all, her gaze fingered on a mans
coat that hung in a corner, with sew
eral old hats grouped around it. But
she said nothing.
Finally Jet spoke.
well, you got here, didn't your
Il came as soon as ever 1 could
Yes, you did,
Il did. I started the day after baby
came
Jet turned around What baby?"
why, ours; mine and Jim's.'
A pause. Jet looked as if somebody
had most swiftly and surely slapped
her in her pretty, aggressive face.
You knew L had a baby, didn't
you? 1 wrote to Jim. He might have
told you that much. / guess he didn
care, anyhow
mo, he didn't tell me- Jet sat
down opposite the bed, and leaned her
elbows comfortably on the table. He
never said anything to me about there
being a baby. He told me he had
wife down in New Jersey that he'd
married sort of sudden, and he guess
ed by now she'd be tired waiting for
luck to come his way because he had
MT written or sent her any money"
That's right enough" put in the
girl on the bed. But I understood.
He always did hate to write bad news.
1 didn't get tired waiting one bit
Just knew he'd win some day."
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. year and
a half she had lived down at Double
Forks, running miners boarding
1lr- a n 10
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. She had meant to be his
wife from the first time she saw him,
until one day he had told her of the
girl back in New Jersey. She went
on speaking deliberately:
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 I 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 a 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 hep
What do you care?" Jet looked at
her curiously. You were married to
him about two months, wasn't you?
And then he left you. 1 always. liked
Jim. and 1 hoped Il along something
might happen so we could get married.
and swing up further north into some
of the provinces and start all fresh
again I'VE got money saved up. I've
boarded a lot of the boys from the
Kay-AlIan works. 1 was willing to do
anything to make him happy, and a
winner But when your letter came,
and I found out you was just waiting
and waiting down there for him to turn
UP. why Il Jet faltered and set her
teeth Even she realized that she had
been guilty of a sentimental weakness.
Il sent you the money to come out west
before he died And if he got well, I
thought you'd make trouble for him,
and it would serve him right"
I'D never make any trouble for him.
Did he die?" said the girl eagerly.
why don't you tell me?"
ct 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 be-
cause it's his place. He's alive, but
he'll never get we'll again. The COM
pany's given him a pension, so he won't
starve. They brought him up yester-
Some of the men were coming today to
stay"
She took a, hat from a nail, put II on
her head with yank forward. Go on