The Huttig news., 1916-02-12

They were a godsond to Sandry fn the pressing days and he came to look upCn them with wide tolerance
 "' In serving you we serve Sletz, |" he quoted to himself, for she's your woman. And an odd sensation pricSled his skin, tingled at the roots of his hair. Some way somehow, these were Siletz' people-these silent, shiftless, well-taught creatures, who made no use of their talents, yet who did hard, unnecessary labor at the call of the blood
 That night with the raft and even the two engines under guard and all the length of track patrolled, he came in tired, worn to a thin edge with sleeplessness, tense and taut as a sing ing wire, to meet Miss Ordway.
 She slipped her hand into his arm with a little. familiar gesture and turned him about.
 Come along and relax she said, you're almost hysterical
 T believe 1 am, said Sandry wea- rily, though as he stepped out into the night, soft already with the breath of spring as is the way with the coast country, where the seasons shoulder each other suddenly for place, he looked uueasily for Siletz
 Let's go up to the old rollway It's deserted and I have things to tell you-oh, many things."
 She laughed, her little rippling laugh that was so soft and rich and it soothed the mans strained nerves like a narcotic.
 Miss Ordway sat down, or rather climbed up, on a log that lay beside the rollway and drew her gray broad cloth aside.
 Sandry settled himself beside her and took off his hat The soft. changed breath of the night air was grateful to him.
 "Wheewi I'll be thankful when this strain is over, that raft headed out to sea and my contract fulfilled! 1 never knew business was so strenuous"
 Miss Ordway looked at him through the dusk with admiring eyes.
 But look how you're succeeding! Why, It great!
 ''Yes-but for how much of it can I thank myself? Hampden has me in bad hole about my great East Belt the best timber in the region and the base, practically, Of the Dillingworth s future-and but for these Indians would be now-well l hate to think where Ed have been'
 "Sh!" said Miss Ordway; mot so fast about that bad hole. Instead, Mr Walter Sandry, we've got your friend Hampden in the deepest hole he was ever in in all his life. Ill fact, when we say the word hell turn over the East Belt with both hands,.
 Sandry held out hand and Miss Ordway took it, not after her usual manner of hail-fellow, but with a gentle, proprietary motion. She tapped the breast of her princess gown. : T have right here copies of filings on sixteen claims, all duly put througl by cash entry by as many differen men-and know that Hampuen owns . all these numbers, that he furnished the money for building the cabins. for filing fees, for advertising for finai proofs at the land office and for the government price of the land. In re- turn for all this these bogus entry. men-your drifting gentry of the spiked boots and the turkey in mos cases-received four hundred dollars eacn tor the breaking ot their faith with the government No wonder Hampden is richi''
 For long moment Sandry sat in silence so deep that he ceased to breathe. He was grasping the magni- tude Of the mans daring-the gigantic FISK he ran with his safety 1n the un- certain hands ot sixteen men.
 And also he was beginning to con- prehend wonderlngly, the daring of this woman, her finesse, her clever ness and her success.
 Wonderful" he said at last; 'it is past beliefi And how, for the lore of heaven, did you ever wind UT that commissioner to put his own head in the moose by giving you those proofs ?"
 Miss Ordway looked away down the fast darkening slough, and there was tlisit III llcI OWou, oliillDS eyes which, had Sandry seen, would have shocked him from her.
 He didn't give" she said oddly; q took"
 And something in the speech si- fenced the man.
 Sometimes" went on this clever woman, "one will take - providing there is great enough incentive. had great incentive"
 She ceased, waiting, and against his will Sandry supplied the question.
 ''What?"
 You" said Miss ordway in whis per.
 With her pretty, inimitable gesture of daring she put up a hand, laid 1t against his cheek and drew his face toward her.
 Boy" she said in curiously choked tone, as if emotion dominated ger, oh, boy, With your youth and vour 1-O,1r in barart S+r !,