The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1916-04-22
CHAPTER XIV.


. A black cloud of smoke was
rolling up from the funnel Of the
Stanley ID. as Bill Wagstaff pilot
Cd Hazel from the grimy Bella
Coda hotel to the wharf.
There aren't many passen
gers he told her. They're most.
ly cannery men. But you'll have
the captains wife to chapron you
She happens to be making the
trip"
When they were aboard ant
thescabin boy had shown them to
what was dignified by the name
of stateroom. Bill drew lone
envelope from his pocket.
Here" he said, lis a little
money. hope you won't let any
foolish pride stand In the way Of
using it freely. II came easy to
me. Seeing that | deprived you
Of access to your own money and
ell your personal belongings, you
are entitled to this any way you
look at 1t. And want TO throw
In q bit of gratuitous advice
In case you should conclude to go
back to the Meadows. They prob
ably looked high and low for you.
But there 10 no chance for them
to learn where you actually did
get to unless you yourself tel
them. The most plausible ex'
planation-and IL you go there
you must make some explana-
tion-would be for you to say
that you got lost-which is true
euough-and that you eventual
" fell in with q party of Indians
and later on connected up with Q
party of white people who were
travelling eastward. That yor
wintered with them, and they put
you on steamer and sent you
to Vancouver when spring open.
Cd.
THAT, l guess. is ALL" he con.
cluded slowly. "Only wish
he caught her by the shoulders
and shook her gently sure dc
wish ii could have been different
little person. Maybe you'll have
Q kindlier feeling for this big OLD
North when you get back int
your cities and towns, with theiI
smoke and smells and business
sharks, where it's everybody fol
himself and the devil take the
hipdermost. /. Oh, yes-when you
set to Vancouver go to the Lady
smith. It's a nice, quiet hotel
In the West End. Any hack driv-
Or knows the place"
He dropped his hands, and
looked steadily at her for a few
seconds. steadily and longingly
"Goodby!" he said abruptly
and walked out and down the
gangplank that was already being
cast loose, and away up the
wharf without backward glance
Hazel sat down on the berth
Presently she opened the envelope
he had left in her hand. There
was a thick fold of bills, her
ticket, and both were wrapped in
o sheet of paper penciled with
dots and crooked lines. She laid
II aside and counted the money.
Heavens" she whispered. al
wish he hadn't given me so much.
l didn't need all that"
For Roaring Bill had tucked a
dozen 800 notes In the envelope.
And, curiously enough, she was
not offended. only wishful that
he had been less generous. She
sat a long time with the money
In her lap. thinking. Then she
took up the map, recognizing Il
- the sheet of paper Bill had
worked over SO long their last
night at the cabin.
It made the North more clear
"a great deal more clear--to
hsr, for he had marked Cariboo
Meadows. the location of his
cabin. and Bella Coda, and
drawn dotted lines to indicate
the way he had taken her in and
brought her out. The Fraser and
IT. tributaries. some OF the cross
ings that she remem bered were
sketched In, the mountains and
the lakes by which his trail had
wound.
II wonder II that's a challenge
70 my vindictive Disposition
she murmured. II told him 80