Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1916-01-20

4
he quoted to himself +" for she's your
woman And an odd sensation
prickled 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
! sIeeplessness. tense and taut as sing
ing wire. to meet Mics 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 hystericaI"
Il believe 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
each other suddenly for place. he
looked uneasily for Siletz.
Let's go up to the old roliway it's
deserted and have things to tell
you-oh, many things!"
She laughed. her little ripping
laugh that was SO soft and rich and it
sootbed the mans strained nerves like
a narcotic.
Miss Ordway sat down. or rather
climbed up. on 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.
"Whe-ew! I'll be thankful when this
strain is over. that raft headed out to
sea and my contract fulfilled! 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's great"
/ "Yes-but for how much of II can
thank myself? Hampden has me in
a 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 /
where I'd have been"
"S'h!" 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. In fact, when
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.
q have right here copies of filings
on sixteen claims, all duly put through
by cash entry by as many different
men-and know that Hampden owns
/ all these numbers. that he furnished
the money for building the cabins, for
I filing fees. for advertising, for final
proofs at the land office and for the
government price of the land. In re-
I
men-your drifting gentry of the
| spiked boots and the turkey in most
/ cases-received four hundred dollars
each for the breaking of their faith
with the government No wonder
Hampden is rich."
| For a long moment Sandry sat in
a silence so deep that he ceased to
breathe. He was grasping the magni
tude Of the mans daring-the gigantic
risk he ran with his safety in the un-
certain hands of sixteen men,
And also he was beginning to com
| prehend, wonderingly, the daring OF
! this woman. her fnesse. her clever
ness and her success
Wonderful" he said at last; "it is
past belief! And how. for the love Of
heaven, did you ever wind up 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
| that in her narrowed. smiling eyes
which. had Sandry seen. would have
shocked him from her.
ne uioH Si'e' sue Salu ouuly, l
took"
And something in the speech 81
fenced the man.
Sometimes" went on this clever
woman. ''one will take providing
there is q 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 hand. laid It
against his cheek and drew his face
| toward her.
Boy" she said in a curiously
choked tone. as ii emotion dominated
her. ''oh. boy! With your youth and