The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1916-12-14

meuthuA tudt DuSlueSS WIS DuSlDcSS
contract or no contract"
"Of course you wouldw Steve agreed
instantly, and he might have been com
plimenting first primer favorite 81
pleased was his tone. "Of course you
would. I'm afraid that was too easy
for you, wasn't 1t, Joe? But now sup.
pose you We're bent on proving to
everybody, and particularly to those
who had fathered it, what an unfor.
tunate weakling this immature. un.
named child of constructive silence
really was. In that event how do you
figure you'd conduct yourself?"
Joe smiled oddly, little balefully
1t was magic quick, that change in his
expression. as swift as was the
thought behind it.
I'D have my logs all cut and ready
to haul as an excuse. wouldn't l."
he inquired, with simulated anxiety
Gould tell folks. through the news
papers, for instance. that wasn't
strong for letting my timber lie for
the grubs to lunch OH If had to square
myself?"
"Quite naturally" Until then Steves
face had kept its preternatural gravi-
ty. He grinned ever so family now
Very naturally you'd want to save
your winter cut"
"Then I'd like to have 'em build u
bridge somewheres along the river !
aimed to drive-a bridge and a nice
dirt embankment, all dressed up with
rails and ties and things ON top. I'm
allowed to suppose I've got an awful
long standin' score, amt l, along with
all this timber? Well, that's what I'd
like to have 'em do then. And when
| opened her up few miles up river
and she began to roar, when that frs,
head Of water hit the bridge and the
sticks begun to grind. suppose I'd
take up my position on the bank
where I could watch real we'll. I'd
light me long, black cigar and muir
muir sort of languid and sympathetic
"There goes your railroad, gents!'
"Such move In itself would be out
side the letter of the contract" Steve
expostulated. "Why, they wouldn't
dare do anything. They wouldn't dare
to begin driving the river before your
time was up, much less do damage to
your completed work. What excuse
what legal excuse-could they give,
even though they were morally certain
that you were bound to fail?"
Very slowly. almost pityingly, Joe
turned toward him.
"Legalv he droned. "Moral?" And
then he laughed his clear tenor out
burst which barely escaped being a
giggle. Dear child. judiciously speak
ing, law and lumber and morals and
mill feet don't mix. They don't mix
at all in this section of the country
II they wanted to bother their heads
with an alibi they could say it was top
of flood and they weren't eager to be
hung up just because brass buttoned
conductor promised 'em through ex
press in the morning. They could
say But what good would explana-
lions do us, huh, If they sent half
million logs sky hootin' into our bridge?
1t wouldn't save our construction.
would it,"
He wheeled back to Steve. his man
ner brisk.
"DO we leave that stretch open?" he
asked. us that the way you have 1t
fgured?"
I'm afraid we'd better" Steve said.
That was as close as they came to
anything resembling a discussion Of
the change which was growing more
and more noticeable in the bearing Of
the men at Thirty Mile. AS far as all
outward evidence was concerned. Steve
seemed to ignore 1t utterly, to retreat
Oftener and oftener behind his habit
of silence which even Fat Joe, after
several unsuccessful garrulous at
tempts. gave over trying to penetrate
1t was not the hunger of his own
heart; it was neither intolerance of re-
straint nor mental rebellion against
the duties which were holding him so
close upriver that had caused the chief
engineer of the East Coast work to
withdraw so completely within HIM
self, although many times each day
his eyes did wander toward the south
and Morrison. During that bleak Pc
Rod Steve's thoughts were often Of
Barbara, but they were not somber
thoughts. The very hardness of his
life schooling had taught him too well
how little of wisdom there is in fret
ting against the day of action when
that day cannot be hurried nor con
trolled. Steadfastly he refused to let
himself brood. If he could not go
to her he would not, nevertheless, al
low himself to dwell upon that impos
sibility. Instead his spirit ranged
ahead to a hopeful, more or less IN
definite and not too distant date when
his absence might not seem to threat
en- too great a cost to those whose mat
fore law ", he frIYct