The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-08-04

1OW uAAScAA lo uWcu UpUu LuAL 1LuHOb- sibility. Instead his spirit ranged ahead to a hopeful, more or less in definite and not too distant date when his absence might not seem to threat en too great a cost to those whose mat ters lay in his trust.
 Steve had had little chance for con- versation in those days with Garry, now an employee of the company as an assistant to Fat Joe, except for a word or two over hastily snatched breakfast r perhaps at supper at night, and at night he was usually too tired to talk. But the others growing restlessness had not escaped his no tice. For awhile Garry had seemed to accept his continuance there at camp as a matter of course, and for that very reason neither Fat Joe nor Steve had dignifled the thought of his pos sible departure by so much as a single spoken word. Garry's own actions first began to indicate how necessarily he was debating that question within his own brain. And one night toward the end of the week he finally reached the point of voicing a decision which was old in anticipation to Steve and Joe. They were on the point of going to, bed. Garry had risen and then paused. He hesitated and crooked his arms and yawned . trine too careless ly that evening.
 "Well, this finishes another day." he remarked, nor did he realize how soul full were the words. And cleaned up the lsst of the stockroom today. Joe. A swift but accurate workman, eh? I'll leave behind record unblem- ished by oversight or sloth. And now now it's about time, suppose, was going back to town"
 It was out, nor could the yawn con ceal his eagerness. His back was turn ed, but Steve knew what light was in bis eyes. Steve's carelessness was . far heater thing than Garry's had been.
 "What's your hurry?" he inquired easily. "why rush away? And if you think your industry has betrayed you into tdleness you're reasoning poorly tonight. Want another jobr'
 Bantering indifference was the key note of that reply. Mutually they had adopted it from the very first It smack ed of the freemasonry which always marked Steve's conversations with Fat Joe were they earnest or frivolous beneath the surface. It is always rec ognizable in the speech of friends such as they, differentiated from actual in- difference by an intimacy of inference between the lines which makes such discourse almost foreign to uninitiated ears. But Garry's answer was not in kind. Steve was caught so far on his guard by tho question which came dinging back at him that he was glad Garry had not turned.
 What else is there could dor
 No man save one who was very, very tire4 could have spoken in such tone; no man except one who has tried him. self in the highest of courts-h.s own opinion of himself could have put such a degree of contempt into so sim pie query.
 "Why-why"- Steve faltered. and then he took command of his own wits again. There's work enough, don't doubt that" he exclaimed, and laughed q little. "Joe here will be another week or ten days finishing with the fill up yonder He'll do well if he manages 1t by then and that, too, with every available hand we have I don't want to rob him of single m;>l if can help it, but I've got to go ahead with the line to the south. To put it concretely, I'm in need of rodman. Do you think you'd care to oblige?'
 Again the hint of banter persisted, but Garry's jaw was tight when he faced suddenly around.
 q willr' he flashed back hoarsely. 'T will if it's . mans job. But I'm done with filling dinky pad with rows of figures all day long. I'm fln- ished with this dry tallying of cans, of beans and soap and yards of rope. Do you understand? What work would I have to do"
 Out of the corners of bis eyes Steve saw consternaticn overspread Fat Joe's face. His own was only amused.
 You'll have to swing an ax," he slowly, land you'll have to lug a rod and tripod. You'll wade through bog and fight your way through underbrush. And then, for variety, swing an ax some more. If you've never learned yet what it is to be really tired. Garry; if you've nev- CT known what it is to go to bed wish- ing morning would never come, you'll find out what that's like too''
 As soon as it was spoken Steve rec oenized the slip. Watching Garry's eyes widen, he knew that Garry had caught it also. For a moment tor rent Of words trembled on the latter's lips, and then he swallowed and nod ded shortly. The vague dreariness of his acceptance was fully as electrical as the threatened outburst might have been.
 "I'll try it," Garry said very simply. "I'l have a try at it tomorrow"
 And he pivoted on his heel and pass ed out.
 Some minutes after he had gone Fat Joe, still little dazed, rose softly and unostentatiously, crossed to shelf shoulder high on the wall and reached