The evening world., 1915-03-18
THE WOLF-MAN.
a Mystery-R Romance of the Frozen North
BY 9. CARLETON

old story Of Bernstein's you may -
well stop nowl I saw rust q plain,
common wolf. told Miss Rideeway
not to 80 out for fear It might scare
her. and of course she did" He
caught Riders angry eye and laugh
Cd. II did Hazard good, but the oth-
ers grin was crooked.
II rus.s she wasn't looking for It."
10 said slowly.
All Hazard vouohsafed was mo"
In spite OF his laugh he was angry
with the girl, and angrler stili that
the old scare should have boon re.
vived In Rider. which was the only
thing to account for his perturbed
bearing. II he had to shoot the thing
and make tho men eat Il they should
know their former bugbear was only
plain wolf.
He meant to keep away from sophy.
out as he sat working In the office che
called to him.
The snow had stopped and faint
stars were shining as he went over 10
her, wrathful still, and inside her door
stood disarmed. His blanket had bean
made into irreproachable leggin9s. Ms
Iur coat hung mended on the wall.
man thought he had never seen any.
thing so sweet as her face over the
whiteness OF her old washed Jersey.
Il didn't mean to be q bother "a.
day." she said quickly.
wen, you were," returned Hazard
badly. you'd no right to 70 out
alone. You're your own mistress, Of
course; but there are some thinTs I
know better than you about, and one
OF them's your own safety. / might
as well die as be scared to death ali
th
II don't think l did" she corrected
gently. II felt as IL I had to 70
Please don't be angry"
I'm not. Only you might have
stayed out forever, II you'd got lost
and strayed on that hungry wolf"
Grandmother, grandmother, what
big eyes you have" she quoted sweet
ly. What about your"
mel"
.Sophy looked at him curiously. a. II
she meant to say something and
changed her mind. mo-" she An.
think he would now" And long after.
Hazard remembered 1t.
You don't mean you shot him." he
exclaimed.
"Me! I never shot anything. I
never saw him. l toll you truly. I
don't know what should have done
IL l had: think I'd have lain down
and screamed. But / didn't. And
your coat was 50 comfortable, Mr..
Hazard"
.oh. Lord" groaned Hazard; In an
other minute he would DO telling her
the whole camp might DO eaten by
wolves II she would only believe he
adored the very snow she walked on.
But he was to all appearance totally
unmoved. You must have looked
very fashionable In it," he commented.
but I'm glad you had that much
sense and were 1t. Was that why you
wanted to sec me?"
~ wanted to tell you I was sorry
you were worried" she answered
quietly, and. this time Hazard turned
ought not to be put to. alone In the
wilderness. Surprising he said things
and found she did not care to hear
them.
II always think whatever you do IL
right, and you know It," he said
roughly. Take day off in the
morning; We won't be sending down
gold, anyhow; there's a lot of digging
and clearing TO be done. You stay
indoors. Good night"
But she put out her hand. detain.
II don't think ever was" His
voice was hard. and most women
would not have looked at his eyes. IT
was pretty frightened was more like
it,
80 was l." with a queer little
laugh. But Hazard had had enough
for one evening; he hurried out OF
doors.
ats been near. for that matter. all
day. I've got to keep away from
her, or I'll be telling her to take mo
for doormat. and all the rest that
she's got no one else to turn to.
Meanwhile, I'd give half tho mine
to get her something decent to eat.
and so would Rider"
But Rider was thinking OF anything
but Miss Ridgeway's food: he had
even forgotten about his miraculously
renewed stores as he watched Hazard
In and out OF Sophy's house. Who
ever she had gone to meet. II was
not Hazard.
Rider turned acrimoniously on the
only man in the gang whom 1t pos
sibly could be, that young West who
had been kicked out OF Yale. and hRr-
ried him for something committed
when In response West merely
grinned.
"All the Same he'll grin on the
other side Of his mouth II catch him
with any red handkerchief" reflect
ed the foreman. II didn't think She d
have looked at q worthless young
devil like him." And in voioe there
was no gainsaying he ordered the
whole clubhouse to bed.