Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-09-14

make any foolish break like that.
That's tIat"
From this position she failed to
bulge him. Once angered, partly by
her expressed intention and partly
by the outspoken protest against
the mountain of work imposed on
her, Charlie refused point blank to
give her either the $50 he had
taken out of her purse or the three
months wages due. Having made
her request and having met with
this, TO her, amazing refusal Stella
sat dumb. There was too fine a
streak in her to break out in re-
crimination. She was too proud to
cry.
So that she went to bed in fer
mont of helpless rage. Virtually
she was a prisoner, as much so as
if Charlie had kidnapped her and
held her so by brute force. The
economic restraint was all potent
Without money she could not even
leave the camp. And when she
contemplated the daily treadmll
before her she shuddered.
At least she could go on strike.
Her round cheek flushed with the
bitterest anger she had ever known.
She sat with eyes burning into the
dark of her sordid room and vowed
that the thirty loggers should die
of slow starvation if they did not eat
until she cooked another meal for
them.
She was still hot with the spirit
of mutiny when morning came, but
she cooked breakfast. 1t was not
in her to act like petulant child.
Morning also brought a different as
pect to things for Charlie told her
while he helped prepare breakfast
that he was going to take his crew
and repay in labor the help Jack
F'yfe had given him.
while we're there Jacks cook
will feed all hands," said he. And
by the time we're through there I'll
have things fixed so it won't be such
hard going for you here. Do you
want to go along to Jacks camp ?"
NO" she answered shortly, II
don't. I would much prefer to get
away from this lake altogether, as
told you last night"
you might as we'll forget that no.
ton" he said stubbornly. I've got
a little pride in the matter. 1 don't
want my sister drudging at the only
kind of work she'd be able to earn a
living at"
You're perfectly willing to have
me drudge here" she flashed back.
That's different" he defended.
And it's only temporary. I'll be
making real money before long.
You'll get your share if you'll have
little patience and put your shoul-
der to the wheel. Lord, I'm doing
the best I can"
Yes, fol- yourself" she returned.
You don't seem to consider that
I'm entitled to as much fair play as
you'd have to accord one of your
men. I don't want you to hand me
an easy living on a silver salver.
All I want of you is what is mine
and the privilege OF using my own
| judgment. I'm quite capable of TAX
ing care of myself"
If there had been opportunity to
enlarge on that theme they might
have come to another verbal clash,
but Benton never lost sight of his
primary object The getting of
breakfast and putting his men about
their work promptly was of more
Importance to him than Stella's
grievance. So the incipient storm
dwindled to sullen mood on
her part. Breakfast over Benton
loaded men and tools aboard a scow
IillAlltu DtSlut the DOdl. he re-
peated his invitation, and Stella re-
fused, with a sarcastic reflection on
the company she would be com.
PEELED to keep there.
The Chichamin, with her tow
drew off, and she was alone again
"Marooned once more" Stella said
to herself when the little steamboat
slipped behind the first jutting point
"Oh, If I could just be a man for
awhile!"
Some time during the next fore
noon she went southerly along the
lake shore on foot without object or
destination, merely to satisfy in
some measure the restless craving
for action. When she returned To
camp at o'clock, driven in by hun
ger Jack Fyfe sat on the doorstep
How de do? I've come to bring
you over to my place." he announced
quite casually
Thanks, I've already declined
one pressing invitation to that ef-
feet" Stella returned dryly. His
matter of fact assurance rather
nettled her.
"A woman always has the priv
ilege of changing her mind" Fyfe
smiled. Charlie is going to be al
! my camp for at least three weeks
It'll rain soon, and the days'll be
pretty gray and dreary and lone
some. You might as well pack your
war bag and come along"
She stood uncertainty. Her tongue
held ready a blunt refusal, but she
did not utter it, and she did not
know why
ct haven't had any lunch" she
temporized. "Have you?
He shook his head.
"I rowed over here before IL
Thought I'd get you back to camr
in time for dinner. You know" he
said. with a twinkle in his blue eyes
"a logger never eats anything but q
meal. A lunch to us is a snack
that you put in your pocket.
guess we lack tone out here. We
haven't got past the breakfast din
ner-supper stage vet. Too busy max
ing the country 1t TO live in"
| H., hea C0nffnuo1