Gilpin observer., 1916-06-15


head, set his feet and came to a splen-
did stop.
Siletz leaned forward and dropped
her burden in Sandry's lap. showering
him, with the blood of the bleeding
hearts. She did not look at him. Then
they trotted away around the corner
to the shed and Sandry's lips tight
ened pitifully as he gathered up each
smallest spray of the woods-treasures
Where she stood back against the
wall, one hand at her pulsing throat,
Miss Ordway saw that tightening Of
the lips, the droop that came into the
mans whole face, and. her eyes mar
rowed and hardened like a cats.
That night she came to him in the
eating room.
Walter" she said. I'm stuck in
the middle of chapter. VIII you go
over few pages with me and give me
the benefit of a mans ideas?"
He smiled
I'm afraid mine will not be of much
account. but such as they are you are
welcome to them"
"They will answer" said Miss Ord
way, "a woman cannot write from her.
self for men-she must write from
man to man. I'll bring my manuscript
out here"
And turning. she went from him to
the sanctuary of the little south room
When she returned she carried a hand.
ful of closely typewriter pages
They drew up one of the pine
benches. spread out the manuscript be-
tween the catchup bottles and sat down
together
Instantly with the touch of the shift
ing sheets in her fingers Miss Ordway
seemed to drift away from the per-
sonal She became detached, absorbed,
|, swallowed up in the thrall OF work
and Sandry had a feeling of what such
work must mean to one.
Nov see." she said. half excitedly.
here is the point about which am
trifie in doubt But will have to
sketch the situation for you so you
can get grip on it."
She turned toward him, spreading
out fiat on the paper one exquisite
hand. Among her other hidden vani-
ties, Poppy Ordway cherished an inor-
dinate pride in these hands of hers
and she knew their value and their po-
tency to the last atom.
With an unconscious appreciation
Sandry now looked down at 1t where
1t spread across the page Uncon.
sciously. too, his mind caught shad-
owy comparison-the memory of the
olive-colored, slim hands of the girl
Siletz But she was speaking and he
looked again.
Now suppose my hero is confront.
ed with a man-his friend, 1t hap
pens-who, in the plausible and un.
impeachable methods of modern busi-
ness, has calmly become possessed OF
my heros wealth. There is no pos.
| sible way of touching the swindler. for
| 1t has been done in a manner that
gives It the seeming OF legality. Yet
the victim knows in his heart that the
other is a thief. Now here is my
| point"
! Miss Ordway was talking slowly as
If thinking carefully and no one listen.
ing would have suspected that the
words she uttered were purely me.
chanical. having been written out and
memorized that afternoon. and that
her mind was busy with different set
| of ideas. In fact. this was what she
was thinking. tabulating rapidly a set
of items.
Widening eyes-aroused interest.
abnormal. Fingers tapping the table
startled nerves. No suspicion. but as
tonishment at SO unique a coinci-
dence."
Aloud she was going on: Suppose
| my hero to be a modern man Of aver.
age good principles, could he bring
himself to steal back deliberately an
amount equal to. or compensating for.
the amount stolen from him. and not
consider himself a criminal? Could he
go out among men with his head up,
not deeming himself a thief? And
would the modern man of average
honor do such a thing?"
Miss Ordway was leaning forward.
seemingly absorbed in her problem,
her eyes on Sandry's face. where con.
iicting expressions were struggling
for the mastery.
In momentl" she was saying to
herself. eager as a hound; "in mo-
ment he will commit himself" for the
bright. blue glance Of the young owner
wavered Bit he opened his lips. shut
his hand upon the oilcloth and his Jaw
hardened with tautened muscles.
NO! He wouldn't be thief-that
would be the right law"
Every nerve in Miss Ordways body
jumped. though there was no outward
sign. as the tension that had been
growing between them snapped with
the voice of Siletz.
The girl had stopped on the far side
of the room, unnoticed by either. and
now she stood leaning forward with
her hands upon the table. her braids
hanging beside them. The shadow of
a 4.