Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-12-17
CHAPTER III.
The wondrous Hills at Dawn.

of cooking was in the air and the
crack under his door showed lamp
light.
The rain was still dripping softly
from the caves. AS Sandry came into
the eating room the old woman of the
kitchen was looking over the crowd
of men as impersonally as he himself
had done the night before. with a
poise as assured and subtle force as
strongly indicated.
Her bright, old eyes, blue as his
own, met his lifted glance as he hest
tated.
Set down in the place you had last
nights Mr.. Sandry," she said in a rich
voice, Its yours now. Johnll move
down notch"
She went back into the mysterious
region of pies and doughnuts, and
Sandry was conscious of a slight feel
ing of wonder. He was already taken
in as one of the family in a subtle
way, and it did not quite suit him to
be so. If he missed certain lifelong
attributes of service and surrounding,
if he took his place among these
rough men with an inward tremor of
rebellion, he made no sign.
Again the girl he had met on the
farther side of the mountain tended
in silence, trifie more aloof She
was clad in the same sort of blue fan
mel shirt the men wore, with a red
tie under the rundown collar and a
rather short blue skirt showing her
feet laced trinity into miniature boots.
The latter were even full of small
steel scaulks.
1t was still dark when the loggers
trooped out into the fine rain.
John Daily came to him.
Now, what would you like. Mr.. San
dry?" he asked. will you come into
the hills with us, or would you rather
rest around camp? You come a long
ways, guess"
Yes. From New York"
Il was thinkin' yesterday mebhy
you'd rather just loaf around"
Yesterday? Did you expect me?"
"Oh, yes. / got letter from Mr.
Frazer last week He said the com
pany had made change and | might
look for visit
Il think III go about said Sandry.
Outside it was fresh and slightly
cold. A thick, white fog struck him in
the face with an almost palpable
touch. 1t lay close to the earth,
sluggish monster spread down in the
valleys as if for warmth Through
it's enshrouding wilderness a lantern
cleaned family across the slough.
Already the little locomotive was
getting up steam and the donkey
showed a red throat for an instant as
Mcdonald showed in more wood
From ahead came shouts and
laugh or two as the men struggled up
to the rollway.
There were five cabins set around
on the edge of the small sloping
mountain meadow which gave back
ground for Dailys camp; and in all
the windows lights were cleaning In
one cabin a door opened and a man
came out, stopping a moment on the
sill to reach up and kiss a woman
who stood silhouetted against the
light, when the door closed and San
dry could not see the man. though he
could hear his footsteps. The fore
man swung ahead in the path.
"They's foot-log here" he said.
"tidewater slough. 'Tain't deep"
They stopped at the foot of the
ridge where the donkey, the rollway
and the track terminal huddled
against the bold uplift, and Daily in
troduced him to Hastings and Murphy
the latter of whom hung out of the
window of his diminutive cab and
| peered at the stranger out of laugh
ing eyes whose forbears had twinkled
on Donegal's blue bay and Erin's red
checked daughters with impartial Joy
"Ah, Misther Dillingworth," he said
heartily, AN plat dye t'ink av the
West Coast now"
"Sandry, Murphy" caught up Daily
easily, yet with warning note.
"Shure! Sandry tbs! Excuse me-
Misther Sandry, but amt tn scenery
foine?"
What I've seen. yes, Murphy" an
swered Sandry after a slight pause
AS he turned after Daily the freshman
stuck his tongue in the corner of his
| lips and drummed a minute on the
SILL the broad smile lessening on his
reckless face.
AN phat dye know about thot 2"
he asked retrospectively of the fog.
(TO BE CONTINUED