Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1916-02-03
CHAPTER xvii-continued.

The Preacher" she sasped aloud
-oh. father! What have | done!
have shut my ears to the winds o.
God"
When. an hour later. she came ur
on the cook-shack porch and stood
leaning in the doorway. spent with
her wild passion, Ma Daily grimly fed
the fire in the range. setting abou,
the supper for the men left at camp
Mother" said Siletz DULY. "she
lied"
"Yes-I know it. But what you goin
to do. child? You love him an you're
rfght-so would ef was thirty year
Younger. for he's man, East Of no
East"
The general turned to her work and
sigh heaved her ample breast.
It's all in the days work. sshe
thought. an you had to take your
chanel. Johnny-but you're strong. my
son. you're strong man-iike yer
daddy"
So began strange time in camp.
Daily came home in three days. eager
and Agrim-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 scaler's
report. receiving the payment which
had been ready in the hands OF a
thin. gray man who leaned from the
steamers rail to exchange few curt
words
Ma Daily cornered him in 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 want
TO give you warnin'. though | know
youll take it standin'. Johnny as yer
daddy took all o his. an I've seen
him take some corkers.
i know what you've always thought
Q S'letz. son. sence she was a teensy
chap-lve 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 nothin
sence Sandry come among us? Hain't
ye read the. signs?" The foreman had
stopped at the sink and lifted a tin
dipper of water for drink. At the
last words he put the vessel SLOWLY
down untouched and turned an amazed
lace toward the old lady. His blue
eyes were wide. and the mother glo
ried like girl in the good man
strength of him-tlie broad shoulders
tie musc'cd arms. bare to the elbow
We shapely back and the straight hips
~ the hiIl-climber
What you talkin of. MAJ" he asked
Jest this. Sletz laid out her hear,
Ter all to see when they brought Sandry
home an that-that Jezebel woman
sliamed 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 Iied-but Sletz is breaK,n
her heart fer the Fastener"
Here. without another word. Ma
l,aily opened door behind her and
creaked through. closing it softir.
OF sucn inherep. 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 lie met Siletz in the morning
he iookei at her with eyes q little
more haggard-there was a deeper
line at the corners of his mouth.
The girl bore traces of the first an
Euish she had ever known In the pal
sGr of her face. the dull look OF smoi
1sTfng fame under the dage OF help
tessness
There VAS no one in the eating room
bsatdes thcmselyes Collins was oul
n the hills with the crew. for at the
1tss sight of Sandry still alive, Daily
~ Dvsp sr<sss to W on With the