Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-09-11

brown hair.
"Weil, sis" he blurted out at last, IL
suppose you know what you're doing"
Il think So" Stell returned compos-
e1ly.
but why all this mad haste?" he
asked. II you're going to get married
why didn't You let me know SO | could
give you some sort Of decent send OFF,
oh thanks :" she returned dryly. II
don't think that's necessary Not at
this stage Of the game, as you occasion.
ally remark"
He Illuminated upon this minute
flushing slightly,
"Well, I wish you luck" he said sin.
cereIy enough, though I Gam hardly
realize this sudden move You and Jack
Fyfe may get on all right. He's Y good
sort in his way"
His way suits me-" she said, spurred
to the defensive by what she deemed
u note Of disparagement in his utter
ance IF you have any objections or
criticisms you can save your breath
or address them direct to Mr.. Fyfe."
ono, thank YOU he grinned. Il don't
care to get into any argument with him
especially as he's going to be my broth
c.in-law. Fyfe's all right. l didn't
I.lagine he was the sort Of man you'd
/ fancy, that's all"
Stella refrained from any comment
on this. She had no intention of ad-
Jack Fyfe commended itself to her
/ chiefly as an avenue of escape from
well nigh intolerable condition which
he himself had inflicted upon her. Her
/ pride rose In arms against any such
beittling admission. She admitted it
frankly to herself and TO Fyfe, he
cause Fyfe understood and was con
/ tent with that understanding. She de-
sired to forget that phase of the trans
/ action. She told herself that she
meant honestly TO make the best of it.
Benton turned again to his papers.
He did not breach the subject again
until in the distance the squat huh OF
the Panther began to show on her re.
/ turn from the Springs; then he came
to where Stella was putting the last
of her things into her trunk. He had
some banknotes In one hand and a
cle.i:.
Heres that ninety borrowed, Stell,
he said, land check for your back
pay Things have been sort of lean
around here. maybe, but still think
it's pity you couldn't have stuck II
out till 1t came smoother. l hate tC
see you going away with a chronic
crouch against me-
She sat on the closed lid of hel
trunk, looking at the check and mon
ey, three hundred and sixty dollars, al
told. \ month ago that would have
spelled freedom, a chance to try hel
luck In less desolatc fields. Well SHE
tried to consider the thing phiosoph
ically. 1t was no use to bewail wha
might have been. In her hands now
lay the sinews Of war she had foregont
all need Of waging. 1t did not Occur
to her to repudiate her bargain wifi
Jack Fyfe. She had given her prom
lse. and she considered she was bOunt
irrevocably. Indeed, for the momen
she was glad of that She was worI
out, all weary with unaccustomet
stress Of body and mind. To her JUS
then rest seemed the sweetest boon ii
the world. Any port in storm, ex
pressed her mood What came afte
was to be met as 1t came. She was to-
tired to anticipate.
~ 1t was pale, weary eyed yOunl
woman. dressed in the same plain tai
lored suit she had worn into the coun
try. who was cuddled to Mrs. Howe
plump bosom when she went aboar,
the Panther for the first stage of he
journey
A slaty bank Of cloud spread som
her film across the sky. When tn
Panther laid her ice shenthcd guard
rail against the Hot Springs wharf tn
sun was down. The lake spread era,
and lifeless under II gray sky, and Stel
In Bentons spirits were stepped Ia tina
same dour color.
CHAPTER WI.
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