Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1914-06-01

the Cascades reared against the tur
ouofse summer sky. Far down below
the turbulent white waters OF tbs
Rogue river foamed in their wild bed
and their muFmur rose to the mountain
crests.
Halfway between the two extremes
a fine roadway climbed by steady
grades along the giant hills.
Along this road for a matter OF
mile were scattered little groups OF
men still at work upon It They wore
overaIls and sateen shirts. and there
was nothing in their appearance to elf
ferentiate them from other men, yet
they were convicts.
Farther on the pine shanties ana
tents of the honor camp struggled
along the road, hugging 1t 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, a single man work
ing a wash from a 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 Ia
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 a
strong contralto voice that carried
splendidly in the clear air.
He Strengthened and looked up with
q smile.
Not on your nfer' he said. Haven't
I told you I'm where belong?'
'Nixr' 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. |
gray eyes.
You're an impostor. You're not one |
IF the boys at heart"
mop? he said courteously at this |
,lunt opening of the tacitly Stunned
subject of the camp. You're wide
lstray."
She shook her brown head.
II know a man." she said simply.
from a criminal"
He smiled trif1e grimly.
Not in this case" he said. you
ont know what's in my heart"
She did not speak, but under her
reath she said to herself sharply:
"Pity / don'tr'
She was McConnel's daughter, and
er parole was more important than I
he governors in the honor camp
II might be meditating escape right
ow," he said. Ticking his eyes up
Yard at her face as he bent to his In
errupted work again.
Its a mighty Gala mighty call
nat of the open woods and the
treams."
He stopped again and looked down
yer the whispering pine tops to the
pairing river.
ITO you more than to those others"
lie said, nodding her head toward the
end ahead which hid the scattered
,oups, land a common man might an
yer it. You are of better fiber"
ii |
Jared and the little winds played in
lie pine tops.
He did not look up again. and she
atched his broad shoulders and 1.-THE
ps give and take with the motion OF
e pick for a long time.
Her gray eyes were speculative and
cry tender, while tense line of anx-
ty drew in around her lips. Pres
lily she shifted her position a trife.
5 she did so tiny stone under her
OF became disIodged. starting to roll /
'wn the sharp decline. Watching. she .
w it suddenly disappear in narrow
ack in the worn rock OF the hillside.
moment later there came a tiny
I'd as it struck bottom, a thud that
verberated with strangely hollow
und.
The man did not seem to notice II {
ID looked up as she rose after awhile
go on her way.
'Goodby," he said gently, but she G
1 not speak. G
at supper time the men came ssrag-
ing in, some weary and hopeless. 9TH
5 singing. pathetic file In the high
lie shadow of the mountains. and I
DIVIDED about the basins and the I
wells. q
The girl hung upon the outskirts of
2 crowd, busy at some task, but COW
-ly watching for the figure that was
{ like those others.
And she knew-long before her IA. ;
n stood at the cook shack door and .
ecked them of by number as they
ID In to the evening meal-she knew.
'he did not need the sudden halt in
: roll call. the repetition of his mum.
:. its iteration, the Glances OF In. -