The circle banner. [volume] (Circle, Mont.) 1914-1939, 1916-05-26

6iOW blOuIcI duu stronger every year
and became more and more the stu
pidest blockhead that ever thumbed q
schoolbook. / was fourteen to a day
when / squeezed through the final
grammar grade; think Of it-fourteen
years old and still with the woman
teachers! 1 found out afterward that
I got my obviously given passport to
the high school chiefly because my
father was one of the best-known and
bestowed men in the old home town
Perhaps it wasn't the magic seven that
built me all over new that summer
perhaps it was only the change in
schools and teachers. But from that
year on all the hard things were too
easy. 1t was as if somebody or some
thing had suddenly opened closed
door in my brain and let the daylight
into all the dark corners at once"
Grislow sat up and finished for him.
Eyes; and since that time you have
STAYED your way through the univer-
sity, and butted into the reclamation
service, and played skittles with every
other mans chances Of promotion I'm.
til you have come out at the top of
the heap in the construction division,
all of which you're much too modest
to brag about But, say; we've
skipped one of the seven-year flag sta.
tions. What happened when you were
twenty-one-or were you too busy just
then chasing the elusive engineering
degree to take notice?"
Brouillard was staring out over the
loom of the dozen campfres-out and
across the valley at the massive bulk
of Mount Chigringo rising like huge
barrier dark to the skyline save for a
single pinprick of yellow light fixing
the position Of solitary miners
cabin half way between the valley
level and the summit. When he spoke
again the photographer had been given
time to shave another pipe charge of
tobacco from his pocket plug and to
fill and light the brier
when I was twenty-one my father
died, and"-he stopped short and then
went on in a tone which was more
than half apologetic-I don't mind
telling, Grislow; you're not the kind
to pass it on where it would hurt At
twenty-one / was left with back load
that / am carrying to this good day;
that 1 will probably go on carrying
through life"
Grislow walked around the fire,
kicked two or three of the charred log
ends into the blaze, and growled when
the resulting smoke rose up to choke
and blind him.
Forget it, Victor" he said. "In less
than a hundredth part of that time
you'll be at the top Of the reclamation
service pay roll-won't that help out?"
mo; not appreciably."
Grislow gave it up at that and went
back to the original contention.
Were lodging the main ISSUE" he
said. What Is the active principle
If your 'sevens'-or haven't you fig
lred it out?"
Change" was the prompt rejoin-
Ter; always something different
,adically different"
And what started you off into the
memory woods, particularly tonight?"
Condolences. 1t began with that
lopelessly unreliable little clock that
Arson persists in carrying around
With him wherever he goes. While you
we're up on the hill cutting your spruce
fps Arson went over to his tent and
lighted up, and few minutes after
ward heard the clock strike-seven.
lust as l was comfortably forgetting
he significant reminder the clock
vent off again, striking slowly, as If
he mechanism were nearly run
own"
Another severn" queried Grislow.
mo; 1t struck four
"Well?" was the bantering comment, |
suppose Arson was tinkering with |
is little tin god of a timepiece. It's |
habit of his"
Il was curious enough to go and |
ook. When lifted the flap the tent |
yas empty. The clock was ticking
way on Anson's soap-box dressing