Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-10


and to cleanse themselves when the days
work was done. Yet, he thought, that same
body of water had been an 1mpregnable bar
rier to their advance, and under it was gold
that he and Hardpan, by efforts untiring and
faith unfaltering, would make their own.
TWO days passed without his seeing Eve
Waters, and SO he again took the ia
miliar trail on the night following, and went
half bashfully over to Hans Ritter's hotel.
TO his surprise and qualification, he found
her alone
al have had nothing to do" she declared,
"since saw you last but-well, thought
perhaps you would get tired of being inter
rupted, and that you were not running
boarding house up here in the mountains, SO
/ stayed away.
Compelling me to come here to see you,
he blurted forth, and she looked away at the
distant moonlit hills while he watched her
hungrily.
lack left on the morning following your
last visit, she observed hastily, as if avoid
ing unpleasant ground. "He babe me good
by through my closed door, by shouting
over the transom. His horrible employer is
still here He passes his time in bullying his
man servant, drinking champagne, and
pacing up and down the veranda. | doubt
if he has spoken a word to anyone in the
hotel. 1t takes special bag to bring his
mail. He reads countless newspapers, and
has presmpted the end of the south porch
for his Individual needs. He cursed the
boatman the other day, and think is max
ing gratutous enemies all round. Jack ex
pected to be gone a week or ten days. Aside
from that nothing has happened. My aunt
is improving, thank YOU
Jim sat thoughtfully for a moment, and
~ g hro for
cise does he?'
ayes, he does that much. The boatman,
| believe, has rowed him entirely round the
lake several times Sort of tour of in
spection, presume, or else he sleeps on the
way
The girl discovered that Jim did not prove
avery good conversationalist on this visit but
appeared to be thinking quite intently of
something that made him absentminded.
She surmised that he was worried, and told
him SO, as he babe her goodnight after an
unusually short visit.
Il shall have to walk over there and in
spect the claim tomorrow she called to him
as he left her. IL begin to fear that you and
Hardpan will get into trouble without my
superintendent
And Jim, assuring her that he was positive
that they would go to ruin without her
watchful care, trudged off to the lakefront.
THE boatman was calmly sleeping on the
bench under his little landing shed, and
got up yawning. The yawn changed to a
smile when he recognized his regular passen-
ger; for he accepted Jim as being one of his
own people, dweller in the mountains, en-
tirely distinct and superior to those who only
visited the high hills.
You're going across early this evening, it
seems to me-" he said, as he swung boat
round to the side and held it for Jim to
step in.
aYes.' Jim replied, 4out of pity for you.
l understand you have had hard days
work
The boatman spat in the water as if to
cleanse his mouth of a bad taste. He thrust
the boat outward and dropped the oars into
their oarlocks; then, as he gave the first long
sweep, grinned at Jim and said, "I've had
some queer customers one time and another,
in other summer places and here; but that
old cuss Harjeins, or Harjes, IS about the
worst I've ever met.
He took two or more pulls at the oars, and
Jim led him still further.
Sleeps all the time, presumeo'
asleep? Him sleep? Nav! Just the OPP
posite. The old son of gun never sleeps.
If he was dynamo. he could run light
plant. The trouble with him is just the OPP
posite. He wants to see and know too much.
IT = ~, 1,1-a f1,o1 l.,