The Huttig news., 1916-01-15

Into the ample heart of white-haired Ma Daily Sandry had stepped that first night, wholly without intent
 He speaks like a man." she opined decisively, "an ycu mark my words he'll prove himself so, if his hands arc white"
 Of the girl siletz he had scarcely taken 8 moments notice. He did not even know that when she served him silently at the oilcloth covered table the two long braids were tied togeth- CT at the nape of her neck so that by no chance could they fall against his hand. Neither did he know that the dog Coosnah watched him always with pale eyes. Of these two he knew less than of any others in camp with whom he had as much to do. As for the girl herself. she kept away from his vicin- ity. Oftener they two, the girl and the dog, silent with a common consent like wild things of the woods, sought the wind-swept top of the great stump oa..the western ridge. Here Siletz looked down on the dropping slope and wondered of the cities and the sea. He had come from them both She had never seen a man like him. His clothes were different His speech was unlike. So were his hands, white and fine grained
 Also there was another of his pcs. sessions that sine knew ill every line and turn, Black Bolt, the splendid horse that stamped and whinnied with impatience in the lean-to behind the filing shed, She could no more let him alone than she could refrain from lying down to drink from a mountain Till He called to her blood with irresist- ible force. Day after day she crept shyly to the lean-to and dreamed, watching the slope and the log,trail
 "Oh, you beautv!" she whispered with soft hand on the arching neck oh, you beauty of the world! God made you strong to serve and beauti- full to be foved!"
 And at that moment, on that par tieular day Walter Sandry stepped into the doorway of the lean-to. At his feot on the sill the girl whirled upon him, her dark eyes wide with fright and confusion.
 H." she stammered like a child.
 Sandry looked at her for the first time keenly.
 You are fond ef the horse?g he asked
 But her tongue c'ove suddenly to the root Of her mouth and one ot tbc inherent sitences that sometimes fell upon her shut her lips
 She dropped her eyes, twisted her fingers H Black Bolt s mane, and then with a gliding motion, seft footed and swift, went past nim, running toward she cook shack.
 The Inc1den. was nothing in 1tSelt but ii set the man thinking of her. He had seen adoration in the eyes she bent on the splendid animal, heard it in the words suited and ineongruous.
 Queer youngster,'' said Sandry to himself
 That night after supper he came ont, contrary to his custom, from the little south room with it's patchwork quilts, it's crocheted mat and it's antique Bible, into the big eating room
 He found Ma Daily rocking in the little chair her tired old hands lying comfortably on the Portland Weekly spread out on her slanting lap. The wall lamps in their tin refectors sil- vered her white hair eXquistely and brought out softly the thousand kindly creases on her ruddy face.
 On the end of the bench drawn up to the stand Siletz was sitting. weav- ing mat of long grasses and her fingers were delft as an lndians
 Behino her on the bench lay Coos nah, head on paws, eyes blinking sleepily.
 Come in, MT Sandry," said the old lady in her rich voice. Draw up chair. We're restin'.''
 He sat down and bent smile as brilliant as his blue eyes on this hardy old mother of the wilderness From the first he had felt her personality, though he had no time to pay more than passing attention to it.
 ''l should think you'd need it." he said. How do you manage to keep up the stroke?'
 Law bless you!" she laughed cas- ily, q ben trained to it. I've cooked in camp, young man, for forty-two year straight ahead"
 Then you've seen the growth of the country. the coming of railroads, the making of towns"
 Right from the bottom up. Seen 'em grow from three cabins an GOV cred wagon
 You've witnessed the inroads of the world on this fine timber. too
 "Yes, an it hain't teched yet. I've seen it cut up over the Range an down this side, an theys double stumpage for every acre that's ben cut, between here'n the coast"
 Sandry was enjoying her succinct precision of knowledge and expres- sion.
 And you've spent all these years in the midst of this wet-blanket eli mate?" he smiled, How in the world