The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-06-29
STAKED
copyright 1912. by Associated Literary
praSSl

tCopyright. 1912. by Associated Literary
Press.)
"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, Id like to know" calculated
the driver, hoarsely. She's bound
fer 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 good fellow. and help me
get her or"
Nohody's hcme but me"
Then you're boss, amt YOU And
What you say goes" lie grinned up
AZ her comfortably. Jets temper was
familiar to him. shes got to rest
up some place. and it's thirty miles
back TO Double Forks"
why didn't she come bcfore?"
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 little from her own bit
terness when she saw how young and
sick she was II 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 zane"
Jet turned around. What baby?"
W ~, wa - 'liilit anu Jim ..
4 pause jet looked as II some.
body had most swiftly and surely
slapped her in her pretty. aggressive
face.
You knew had baby. didn't
your | wrote 10 Jim. lie 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-thc baby asked ], slowly.
"Not right away. lie wrote back
he'd try to send for MS both, and to
name it after him If It was boy"
maybe he meant to-" 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 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 It. They said
no 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 righ; to be In at the
finish"
The other woman was OF tho bed
before the words were fairly out Of
Jets mouth. swaying slightly. she
caught Jets willing hand for sup
port.
but no isn't dead. Is hc?"
"What do you carc?" Jet looked
at her curiously. You were married
to him about two months. wasn't
you? And then he left you. ] al
ways liked Jim, and 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.
Il want you to know everything
first" Jet rose slowly. and crossed
tho floor Of the tworoom shack.
lies In yonder. They brought him
up here because it's his place. He's
alive but he'll never get well again.
Tho company's given him a pension.
SO he won't starve."
She took n hat from nall. put 1t
on her head with 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"
And named JIM" she said, care
lessly. There's some money in his
room there, in Il little buckskin sack
under the pillow. rs his, so you
can use it. Goodby. wouldn't tell
him | sent after yon. Men don't have
TO know everything, you know.
listen. you mother Of Jim's baby.
meant to jump yeur claim. And |
couldn't. IT was all nicely stakcd out
and guarded ~. even told me you
made bette ies than mine. Your
pictures In ;he inside pocket Of that
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