Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-09-08

| course.
"You can handle that kitchen with
Katy as we'll us II man." lie said to her
Mt last. "And it will give YOU BONE
thing to occupy your time. I'd have to
pay cook $40 month. Katy draws
$40 You can credit yourself with the
balance and III pay Off when the con-
tract money comes IN. We might as
wal keep tho coin in tho family. I'll
| feel easier, because you won't get drunk
| and jump the job in Il pinch. What do
| you say?"
She said the only possible thing to
say under the circumstances. But she
did not say it with pleasure nor with
| any feeling Of gratitude. 1t was hard
| work, and she and hard work were ut
ter strangers. Her feet achcd from
| continual standing OH them. The heat
and the smell of stewing meat and veg
| etablcs sickcncd her. Her hands were
growing rough and rcd from dabbling
| IN water, punching bread dough, han
ding the varied articles OF food that 20
| to make up meal. Upon hands and
forcarms there stung continually GER
! tain small cuts and burns that lack Of
! experience over Il hot range inevitably
inflicted upon her. Whereas time had
promised to hang heavy on her hands,
| now nn hour Of idlencss In the day be-
| came precious boon.
Yet In her own way sho was as full
| of determination as her brother. She
saw. plainly enough TINT she must leave
the dronc stage behind. She perceived
| that to he fed and clothed and housed
| and to have her wishes readily gratitied
| was not an Inherent right; that some
one must foot the bin; that now for
| all she received she must return cQuita-
| able value. at home she had never
| thought of it in that light in fact, she
| hau never thought of 1t at all. Now
| that she was beginning to get glim-
mcring of her true economic relation to
| tho world at large she had no wish to
emulate the clinging vine, even If there
by She could have secured contin-
uance OF that silk lined existence which
had been her fortunate lot. Her pride
revoltcd against parnsitisin. 1t was
therefore certain personal satisfac-
ton to have achieved self support ut
stroke, in so far as that in the sweat
OF her brow all too litcrally-shc e,Tn-
eli her bread ana compensation be-
sides. But there were times when TINT
solacc seemed scarcely to weigh against
her growing dctcSt for the endless rou-
tine OF her task, the cNaspcrating phys
lcal WEAKNESS and irritations that it
brought upon her.
For to prepare three times daily food
for II dozen hungry men Is no mean I'M
dcrtaking. One cannot have in II log
cling camp the convcnicnccs of Il hotel
kitchen. The water must he carried in
buckets from the creek near by and
wood brought in nrmfuls from the pile
| of sawn blocks outside. The low roof
cd kitchen shanty was always like an
oven The dies swarmcd in their tens
OF thousands. AS the men swcatcd with
AK and saw in the woods, so she sweat
ed in the kitchen. And her work began
two hours before their days labor and
continued two hours after they were
done She slept Ike one eShnustcd md
rose full OF sleep htaviness, full OF bod
lily soreness and spiritual protest when
the alarm clock raised it's din in the
cool morning.
For Il week thereafter Benton de.
velcprd moods of SourncsS. periods OF
scowlinS thought. He tried to speed
up his gang. and, having all spring
driven them ut top speed the added
straw broke The back OF their patience.
and Stella heard some sharp inter-
changes of words. lie uurllcd one in
cipicnt mutiny through sheer domi-
nace, but it left him more short OF
temper, more crabbcdly moody than
ever. Eventually his i'll nature broke
out against Stella over some tritlc, and
she, being herself an nggricvcd party
to his transactions, surprised her own
sense Of the fitness OF things by re-
taliating in kind.
I'm slnving away In your old camp
from daylight till dark at work | de-
SpiSe, and you can't even speak de-
Gently to me-" she fared up. "You
act like perfect brute lately. What's
the matter with you?"
Benton gnawed at n finger nail in ST.
lence.
Hang it, l guess you're right" he
admitted at last. "But I can't help
having crouch. Pm going to fall be-
hind Oh this contract. the best I
can do"
"Well," she replied tartly, "I'm not
to blame for that. I'm not responsible
for your failure. Why take 1t out
OH me?"
Il don't particularly" he answered.
"Only-can't you sabe? 4 man gets
on edge when he works and sweats for
months and sees it all about to come
to nothing"
$50 does woman" she made point
cd retort.
Benton chose to ignore the inference.
He sat minute or two longer, again
preoccupicd with his problems
"Well," he said at last, ave got to
get action somehow. If l could get
about thirty men and another donkey
for three weeks I'd make It,"
He went outside. Up in the near
woods the whine Of the saws and the
sounds OF choppng Ecpt measured beat
1t was late in the forenoon, and Stella
was hard about her dinner prepare