The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1916-09-14
90

8M NIL country. The valley road
that wound upward and still
upward from the town of Morrison
ran ribbon of puffy yellow dust be-
tween sun baked. brown sodded dunes;
ran north and north a tortuous series
Of loops on loops. to lose itself at last
In the cooler promise of the first bul
wark of the mountains.
Since early afternoon Caleb Hunter
had been sitting almost immobile in
the shade Of the trellis which fianked
the deep verandas OF bis huge white
thick pillared house on the hill above
the river. 1t WIS reminiscent Of an
other locality-the old Hunter place
on the valley road.
Morrison had changed since Caleb
Hunters father topped with the white
columned house that hill above the
river. In those days it had been lit
tie more than sleepy II conservative
ly prosperous and self sufficient com
munity. without industry of any sort
or, 1t might he added. ambition or
seeming need of one.
From the Hunter verandas half
dozen red rooted brown shingied
bungalows. half camps and half cas-
ties, We're visible across the land
stretches where the cattle had grazed
before. And just beyond Caleb Hun
ter's own high box hedge Dexter Al
ltson's enormous stucco and timber
summer lodge" spra wled amid a
round dozen acres Of green lawn and
landscape gardening. its front to the
river
The fishing was still far above re-
proach little farther back country,
and Dexter Allison owned the saw
mills that drOned in the valley. His
men drove his timber down from the
hills I'm the north: his men piled the
yellow planks upon his fat cars which
ran In over his spur line that had crept
up from the south. His hundreds ana
hundreds OF rivermen already trod the
sawduIt padded streets of the newer
Morrison that had sprung into peihs
beyond the bend: they swarmed In on
the drives. a hard faced. hard shout
dered horde. picturesque. proficient ana
profane. They brought with them col
or and care free prodigality and a ca
pacity for abandonment to pleasure
that ran the whole gamut or emotiohs'
from raucous roared chanties TO SUD
den. swift encounters which were as
silent as they were deadly. And they
spent their money without stopping to
count It.
The Younger generation OF the older
Morrison WAS quick to point out the
virtues Of this vice. And after time,
when the older generation found that
the riyermen preferred their own Sec
ton of the town. ignoring as thouen
they had never existed the staid anu
sleepy residential streets above, they
heaved a sigh Of partial relief ana triea
TO forget their proximity.
Ii was the hottest day OF the hottest
fortnight that the hill country had
known in years The very tempera-
ture gave color to Allison's statement
that the heat had driven them north
from the shore-him and his wife ana
Barbara their daughter Of ten. and
the half dozen or more guests "noso
trunks, coming on the next day maoe
an even more imposing sight thah hao
Allson's own. And yet as ne SAT
there I'm the shadow, methodically pull
ing upon his pipe. Caleb Hunter smiled
from time to time reminiscently.
He was nodding his head drowsils
when haze of dust to the north
caught his vagrant- attention oui'e
apparently II was raised by Ioo'
traveller, and the latter were not ire
Quent upon that road especially roo'
travellers who came from that dlree'
ton. Trivial rs it was, 1t piqued MS
interest, and he lay back and followed
II from laZily half closed eyes II
topped rise and disappeared the ous'
cloud. ard reapIeared In turn out ho'
until 1t had advanced TO within scah'
hundred yards Of him could he MAKE