Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1916-04-05

gftimately!"
This was as the sun. a soft. golden
0ohlsn sun of early spring, dropped
user tne western ridge. sending long.
Diue shadows across the narrow val.
icy. AS the shadows darkened into
twilight Ma Daily, bearing some
STRENGTHENING brew. doomed hugely In
the Office door.
III take watch now" she said,
you Den on guard long while. Bet.
ter go get some rest"
but Poppy Ordway, who was bend
Ing closely over the cot. sprang sud-
denly erect. Her cheeks were flushed.
ana IN her face was strange excite
inent. NO." she said firmly, 81 shall
stay the night out. He ia delirious
sui and | cannot leave him."
Ma Daily, that shrewd old general
OF men and meals, took keen note of
every small thing in the hushed room,
set down the broth and turned away.
her whole kindly heart filled with sus-
picion.
Outside in the darkness Siletz stood
little later and looked through the
open window at the figure on the
white cot, and the watcher beside it..
Her hands were clasped tightly to-
gether and her dark eyes were heavy
with unshed tears.
IF he-dies." she gasped dryly be-
tween her parted lips, "Pll kill her and
go with him to hell. for he has no
God!"
But Sandry did not die. For a week
he travelled on strange paths of mem
DRY, calling on Ruth to come out of
the cleaning Of far land, standing
aside to watch Naomi send back the
ones she loved, and sometimes crying
out sharply. "Oh, Absalom! My son,
my son!" Again he laughed bitterly
and spoke Of lost faith in men.
Throughout the week Poppy Ordway
stood such vigil as only a woman
who loves, be she good or bad, can
stand. With clever jealousy she kept
everything under her own capable
hands, only giving grudging place to
Ma Daily when she could no longer
command her overtaxed strength.
One night she refused to leave San
dry at all, firmly dismissing Ma, who
ragged inwardly but was no match for
her in the open ways of bluff. At mid
night the owner of the Dillingworth
suddenly opened his eyes, weak and
hI,f 81
background of faint light from shad-
ed candle, the TRANSPORTED face Of
the watcher, and with a feeble smile
of utter content dropped back to OBJ
livion-this time the oblivion of heal
ing sleep.
With that look, that weak smile, the
woman knew that he had turned his
face toward life and would journey
back to it, and the surge and sway
of passionate Joy rocked her soul in
storm of emotion.
She stepped lightly and restlessly
about, Strengthening cloth on table,
tipping the candle shade at better
angle, for she felt imperatively the
need of action. She picked up an
empty pitcher and in the starlit dark.
ness went up the path to the cook
shack, still with that bounding, light
step of victory, and entered the porch
where the pump stood.
There, alone in the night. leaning
against a post of the porch, a slim
little figure kept also midnight vigil.
The woman looked at her and all the
danger that lay that way arose sud
denly before her, rousing her hatred
swiftly, and something ugly and cat
like prompted her to strike.
She laughed, little, low, musical
laugh, and spoke in a caressing tone
Congratulate me-" she said softly.
"the fever has left him. I'll have him
I'D before the first flowers bloom in the
valleys. Dear boy-dear Waltz"
Siletz, a moment before dropping,
whirled upon her like a fury. Even
In the dusk Miss Ordway saw the hid
den fire leap mp uncovered in her eyes
and heard primal danger whimper in
her voice
"Walt!" she cried, springing toward
her and lifting a hand whose slim fin
gers threatened her throat, "say San
dry!"
Miss Ordway in her broadcloth
sprang back against the rough planks
of the cook-shack wall. her face gone
| white in the shadows and sudden. grip
ping, choking fear in her throat. She
| put I'D a useless hand-a trembling
hand, palm outward-and strove to
speak-once, twice.
Then, "Sandry," she faltered like a
craven. She was whipped. scared. her
power gone.
But the wild thing died in Siletz as
1t had lived, on the turn of moment.
and she let out great breath and
covered her face with her hands after
a fashion she had.
NO" she whispered in her palms,
he kissed me and | am his woman!
Oh, am unworthy! What would |
have done?" And she shuddered, as II
in fear.
So the camp went forward. John
and his silent crew cut steadily into
the timber at the north and sent the
logs down to the backwater. Here he
lont ouard for although there was