Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1916-04-05
CHAPTER XV7l-Continued.

The Preacher!" she gasped aloud.
N, father! What have / done!
re shut my ears to the winds of
Cod"
When, an hour later, she came up
on the cook-shack porch and stood
leaning in the doorway, spent with
jher wild passion, Ma Daily grimly fed
the fire in the range. setting about
the supper for the men left at camp
Mother said Siletz duly, "she
led"
"Yes-I know 1t. But what you goin'
% do, child? You love him an you're
Tight-so would / eff | was thirty year
younger, for he's man, East or no
East"
The general turned to her work and
sigh heaved her ample breast.
It's all in the days work." she
thought, IAN you had to take your
chanel, Johnny-but you're strong, my
ann, you're a strong man-like yer
daddy"
So began a strange time in camp
Daily came home IN three days, eager
and grim-lipped, aud in the pocket of
his flannel shirt ne carried the big
check for which Eandry had worked
and struggled. He had delivered the
raft in safety, along with the scaler's
report, receiving the payment which
had been ready IN the hands of a
thin, gray man who leaned from the
steamers rail to exchange a few curt
words.
Ma Daily cornered him in the kitch-
60 on late in the night as he finished
his careful rounds of the camp
SON. she said gently, "theys a
hard knock comm to you an l want
TO give you warnin, though | know
you'll take it standin, Johnny, as yer
daddy took all O. his. an I've seen
him take some corkers
Il know what you've always thought
o S'letz, son, sence she was a teensy
chap-I'ye watched her quiet ways
open yer heart an seen her walk in,
an I've hoped myself some day it'd
all work out, fer she's always turned
to you in trouble. It's instinct. But
son~-son, haven't you seen nothin'
sence Sandry come among US? Hain't
ye read the signs?" The foreman had
stopped at the sink and lifted tin
dipper of water for drink. At the
last words he put the vessel slowly
down untouched and turned an amazed
face toward the cid lady. His blue
eyes were wide. and the mother glo-
ried like a girl in the good man.
strength of him-the broad shoulders,
the muscled arms, bare to the elbow,
the shapeIy ssssk and the straight hips
Of the hill-climber.
What you talkin' of, maj" he asked.
Jest this. S1etz laid out her heart
fer all to see when they brought Sandry
home an that-that Jezebel woman
shamed her before us all She said,
on the heels o. tn child's cry of love,
that she was Sandry's promised wife.
/ think she lied-but S'letz is breakin'
aer heart fer the fastener"
Here, without another word. Ma
Daily opened door behind her and
ereaked through. closing it softly.
Of such inherent tact was she, she
did not wish even his mother to see
big John Daily take his hard knock.
even though he took it standin,," with
emily q tremor OF the hand that held
the dipper.
When he met Siletz in the morning
he looked at her with eyes q little
more haggard-there was a deeper
line at the corners of his mouth.
The girl bore traces of the first an
guish she had ever known in the pal
lor Of her face, the dull look of smol-
dering fame under the daze OF help
lessuess
There was no one In the eating room
besides themselves Collins was out
IN the hills with the crew, for at the
first SIGHT of Sandry still alive, Daliy
had given orders to go on with the