The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1914-06-19
THE HONOR
MAN
How He Made Good.
By VINGIE E. ROE
By VINGIE E. ROE
Copyright by Frank A. Munsey Co.

the Cascades reared against the tur
quoise summer sky. Far down below
the turbulent white waters of the
Rogue river foamed In their wild bed
and their murmur rose to the mountain
crests.
Halfway between the two extremes
fine roadway climbed by steady
grades along the giant hills.
Along this road for q matter OF a
mile were scattered little groups of
men still at work upon it. They wore
overalls and sateen shirts, and there
was nothing in their appearance to diff
ferentiate them from other men, yet
they were convicts.
Farther on the pine shanties and
tents of the honor camp struggled
along the road, hugging it close by rea-
son Of the steepness Of the hills.
Here there was a cook shack where
the life Of the camp centered. There
was no sign of authority anywhere,
and Mcconnell, the superintendent,
went about unarmed as far as any one
knew.
A quarter mile from the camp, just
below the roadbed. single man work
ed alone with pick and shovel deepen
ing wash from culvert pipe.
He was about thirty, dark eyed and
haired though the short curls at his
temples were busted with gray. He
was slim and agile, with the sugges-
ton of football and the track meet in
every line of his body.
He looked out of place as he la
bored, stopping from time to time to
gaze off over the feathery, whispering
slopes dropping so swiftly to the river
below.
Heavens" he said aloud-"the good
green earthp'
Presently, as he worked, holding his
eyes to the prosaic task under his
hand with an effort. a girl came along
around the bend on the road above
him.
Hello, impostor!" she called in
strong contralto voice that carried
splendidly in the clear air.
He Strengthened and looked up with
a smile.
mot on your life" he said. Haven't
told you I'm where belong?"
Nix" said the girl shortly. and. sit
ting down on the fill, she dropped her
length to the sloping surface little
above him, where she sat down, drew
up her knees. clasped them in her
arms and smiled at him with clear,
womanly gray eyes.
you're an impostor. You're not one
of the boys at heart"
"No?' he said courteously at this
blunt opening of the tacitly Stunned
subject of the camp. You're wide
astray."
She shook her brown head.
II know man." she said simply,
from criminal"
He smiled trife grimly.
mot in this case," he said. "You
don't know what's in my heart"
She did not speak. but under her
breath she said to herself sharply:
"Pity don'tp'
She was McConnels daughter, and
her parole was more important than
the governors in the honor camp.
II might be meditating escape right
now" he said, Ticking his eyes up
ward at her face as he bent to his in
terrupted work again.
Its q mighty Gala mighty call
that of the open woods and the
streams"
He stopped again and looked down
over the whispering pine tops to the
roaring river
ITO you more than to those Others"
she said, nodding her head toward the
bend ahead which hid the scattered
groups, land common man might an
swer it. You are Of better fiber"
They both fell silent, while the river
roared and the little winds played in
the pine tops.
He did not look up again, and she
watched his broad shoulders and 1.-THE
hips give and take with the motion of
the pick for long time.
Her gray eyes were speculative and
very tender, while tense line Of anx-
iety drew in around her lips. Pres
emily she shifted her position trifle
AS she did so a tiny stone under her
foot became dislodged. starting to roll
down the sharp decline. Watching, she
saw it suddenly disappear in narrow
crack in the worn rock Of the hillside.
A moment later there came tiny
thud as it struck bottom, thud that
reverberated with strangely hollow
sound.
The man did not seem to notice 1t
md looked up as she rose after awhile
10 go on her way.
"Goodby," he said gently, but she
lid not speak.
At supper time the men came strag-
Cling in, some weary and hopeless, 9th
IT'S singing. pathetic file in the high
blue shadow Of the mountains. and
crowded about the basins and the
.owels.
The girl hung upon the outskirts Of
he crowd, busy at some task, but COW
,rtly watching for the figure that was
lot like those others.
And she knew-long before her ia |
her stood at the cook shack door and |
checked them of by number as they |
He'd In TO the evening meal-she knew. |
She did not need the sudden halt in |
he roll call. the repetition Of his num- |