The Yale expositor., 1916-03-16
COoNNIG>HT SY DO0G MEAD /HD cOTzH4NY

tiers from Hampden.
He slumped in his chair, drumming
with senseless fingers on it's arm.
He saw black bars across the win
dow with the waving trees beyond,
and knew himself for that weakest
among men, a woman's tool.
So, filled with excited determine.
tion to beat Sandry with the Hamp-
den case and forestall his sending for
Farnsworth. which was the last thing
she wanted, Poppy Ordway again
rode up the valley. The mighty hills
were silent in the deadlock of an
Oregon summer. No breath of wind
found it's way into the sheltered val.
legs and the pines were still.
The tidewater slough was gray
with the inland brine.
"Glorious!" she said to herself, lift.
ing her gaze to the hazy mountains.
"And I'll save 1t for him-even
against his will"
She was sure she had succeeded
in her mission, and, happy in the
knowledge, was eager to be out of
the hired rig.
And Sandry, as he assisted her out,
thought simply that she was the
most beautiful woman in the world,
for all the joy of triumph lent sparkle
to her lovely features, deepened the
slumbrous blue Of her eyes.
No word had ever been spoken
about that night at the rollway and
Sandry bore a sense Of guilt that he
had taken her avowal without open
reciprocation. But the face of Siletz
held him back He scorned himself
and yet he knew he was blameless.
save for that unguarded kiss in the
glade.
But did he wish to reciprocate? He
did not know.
Daily's camp droned on-getting
out its logs. flooding them down the
slough, binding them slowly into the
now familiar ocean-going raft.
The foreman himself was un.
changed. though the world had
changed for him since that miser-
able Yes" of Siletz in the darkened
room when he laid n gentle hand on
her shoulder. To Sandry he was the
same. for he had come, through the
slow processes of the simple nature.
to be his friend. The elusive fine.
ness that had shown plain to Sandry
from the first in John Daily's heart
was solid as a rock. a foundation. an
abutment
They watched Hampdens trail
grow toward the East Belt with an
exaggerated slowness. a Haunting OF
security.
And then. two days after Miss Ord
ways return. the young commission
er and the Portland lawyer got of
the train at Toledo and were driven
out TO the Yellow Pines. They bore
for Hampden the widest agony OF
his strong life in the revelation of his
goddess.
They were closeted together the
whole OF the night in the Yellow
Pines Office and il was a strenuous
night for the two strangers, for
Hampden was a man to fear in his
RACES.
At first they held him by main
force. and later by argument and rea-
son.
Fight" said the lawyer in the pink
dawn, fight like hell! And bluff.
It's your only chance"
'Fight?" snarled Hampden hoarse
ly, what for? This damned driv.
eler has let her get the originals of
these letters of mine about the three
timber claims in 7-10, and they
alone'd put me behind barsl You're
the damnedest ass l ever scent"
And the mans small. red eyes
glared at his accomplice with the
murder.lust But the commissioner
had some spirit himself and came
back with defense.
Fools? We're two together. It
was from you she got her first knowl-
edge of the game. She fooled her
first suspicious out of you in her
horseback rides. She told me So
that's how you took her in on the
deals. she said"
Hampden groaned and flung his
head in his arms on the pine table.
"All right" he said at last. IN
| fight"
But with the last sight of the buck
board bouncing down the hill road
with his visitors to catch the early
train back to Salem. a light grew up
in his heavy face that would have
puzzled that astute man, the Portland
lawyer.
YES, by Cod" he said in a voice
thick with menace. "I'll fight! And
hin make a fight that'll be remem-
bered all along the COAST"
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