The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-02-03
PAGE EIGHT

~ dA III LILO Ody . WOiht Div
thought, AN you had to take your
chanel, J~ohnny-but you're strong, my
son, you're a strong man-like yer
daddy"
So began a strange time in camp.
Daily came home in three days, eager
and grim-lipped, and in the pocket of
his flannel shirt he carried the big
check for which Sandry had worked
and struggled. He had delivered the
raft in safety, along with the scalers
report. receiving the payment which
had been ready in the hands Of a
thin, gray man who leaned from the
steamers rail to exchange a few curt
words.
Ma Daily cornered him III the kitch>
en- late in the night as he finished
his careful rounds OF the camp
Son" she said gently, "theys a
hard knock comm to you an | van
to give you w%arnin', though | know
you'll take it standin', Johnny, as yer
daddy took all O. his, an I've seen
him take some cOrkers.
Il know what you've always thought
o. Slet2, son, sence she was a teensy
chap-I've watched her quiet ways
open yer heart an seen her walk in,
an I've hoped myself some day it'd
all work out, fer she's always turned
to you in trouble. It's instinct. But
son-son, haven't you seen pothin'
scnce Sandry come among US? Hain't
go, - Al. ,.... % VNb, T,rgy,og haI
stopped at the sink and lifted a tin
dipper CT water for a drink. At the
last words he put the vessel slowly
down untouched and turned an amazed
face toward the old lady. His blue
eyes were wide, and the mother glo-
ried like a girl in the good man
strength Of him-the broad shoulders,
the muscled arms, bare to the elbow,
the shapely back and the straight hips
of the hill-climber.
what you talkin' of, MAJ" he asked.
Jest this. SIetz laid out her heart
fer all to sec when they brought Sandry
home an that-that JeZebel
shamed her before us all. She said,
on the heels o tn child's cry Of love,
that she was Sandry's promised wife.
/ think she lied-but Sletz is breakin'
her heart fer the Fastener"
Here, without another word, Ma
Daily opened a door behind her and
creaked through, closing it softly.
OF such inherent tact was she, she
did not wish even his mother to see
big John Daily take his hard knock,
even though he took it standin'," with
only a tremor of the hand that held
the dipper.
When he met Siletz in the morning
he looked at her with eyes a little
more haggard-there was a deeper
line at the corners of his mouth.
The girl bore traces of the first an
guish she had ever known in the pal
Tor of her face, the dull look of smol-
dering flame under the daze of help
~lessness.
There was no n in the eating room
besides themselves. Collins was out
in the hills with the crew, for at the
first sight of Sandry still alive, Daily
had given orders to 60 on with the
work and Siletz had stopped between
the tables at supper time.
"Will the Siletz stay?" she had
asked simply and it had taken no more
than that. The camp went ahead in.
definitely.
Now Daily stopped her with a great
hand on her shoulder and looked nun
grily into her face.
"Sletz." he said softly, is it true?"
She raised her eyes to his and n
swered as simply, Yes"
There was no need Of many words
among these people Of strong lives.
Of straightforward principles.
The big man Strengthened up a bit
and shut his lips hard, as If he bit
Upon pain, looked after the vanishing
Pigments OF all his dreams that had
peopled the hills of the future. His
mother had seen that look in the eyes
of John Daily the first-who had
took his hard knocks standin that
look Of patient strength. For it she
had followed him into the hard life
of a lumber camp and never regret
ted 1t.
Now 1t spent itself on the rising
hill, visible through the open door
across Siletz' dark head, and John
Daily the Second was ready to face
his loss.
TO BE CONTINUED