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

4
| course.
you can handle that kitchen with
katy rs well us man." he snid to her
Mt last. "And 1t will give you some
thing to occupy your time. Ia have to
pay cook $40 month. Katy draws
20 You can credit yourself with the
balance and I'll ply Off when the con-
tract money comes IN. We might rs
wol keep the coin in the family. I'll
feel easier, because you won't get drunk
and jump the job in II 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 Stcwing meat and veg
| ctablcS Sckcncd her. Her hands were
| growing rough and rcd from dabbling
In water, punching bread dough, han
| ding the vnricd articles Of food that go
to make up meal. Upon hands and
forcarms there stung continually GER
experience over hot range inevitably
inflicted upon her. Whereas time had
promised to hang heavy on her hands,
| now nn hour of idlcncss In the day be-
| came Il precious boon.
| Yet in her own way she was us full
of determination as her brother. She
. saw plainly enough that she must leave
the dronc stage behind. She perceived
| That to he fed and clothed and housed
and to have her wishes readily gratilicd
| was not IN Inherent right; that some
one must foot the bin; that now 70.
all she received she must return cNuita-
able value. At home she had never
| thought Of it in that light; in fact, she
| had never thought OF it ut all. Now
that she was beginning to get glim-
| mcring of her true economic relation to
| the world ut large she had no wish to
| emulate the clmging vine, even if there
| by she could have secured II contin-
uaicc o. that silk lined existence which
hal been her fortunate lot. Her pride
reroitcd against parasitism. 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 litrrally-Shc earn.
ell her bread ana Il compensation be-
| sides. But there were times when that
Solacc seemed scarcely TO weigh against
| her growing drtrS, FOR the endless rou-
tine OF her task, the cNaspcrating phys
| ical WEAKNESS and irritatiunS that il
brought upon her.
! For 10 prepare three times daily food
for dozen hungry men is no mean I'M
! dcrtaktnG. One cannot have in II log
| ging camp the convrnirnccS of "A hotel
| Kitchen. The water must be carried i'm
| buckets from the creek near 10y and
! wood brought IN armfulS from thc pile
OF sHwn blocks outside. The low roof |
ed Kitchen Shanty was always like IN
oven she flies Swarmcd in their tens
| OF thousands AS the mon Swcalru with
! aX and saw in the woods, SO she sweat
| ed in thc Kitchen. And her work began
| two hours before their days labor and
| continued twt hours after they were
! HU%t 81" S,"", IKE one ryhnns,cd md
| rose full Of sleep hcavincss, full of bod
lily soreness and spiritual protest when
the alarm clock raised its din in the
cool morning.
For Il week thereafter Benton de.
'el"prd mcuaS of sourncSS. periods of
scoW!ing Thought. He tried 10 speed
up his Gang. and, having all spring
driven Them nj top speed the added
straw broke the back Of their patience. |
and Stella heard some sharp inter |
changes OF words. lie uurllcd one i'll
cipirnt muiiny through sheer domi- |
mace, but il left him more short of
temper, more crnbhcdly moody than
ever. Eventually his i'll nature broke |
out against Stella over some tribe, and
she, being herself an Aggricvcd party ,
to his transactions, surprised her own
sense of the fitness OF things by re-
taliatmg In kind.
I'm shaving away in your old camp !
from daylight till dark at work de- !
SpiSc, and You can't even speak de- |
Gently to me-" she narcd up. "You
| act like IL perfect brute lately. What's
the matter with you?"
Benton gnawcd mt finger nail In 81 !
lcncc.
Hang it, | guess you're right" he J
admitted mt last. but | can't help
having Crouch. I'm going to fall be- !
hind on 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 it out
on mc?'
II don't particularly" he answered. I
"Only-can't YOU sabe? \ 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.
lie sat minute or two longer, again
prcoccupicd with his problems.
'Wcl," he said ut last, "I've got to
get action somehow. If | could get
| about thirty men and another donkey ,
for three weeks I'd make it."
lie went outside. Up in the near :,
woods the whine OF the saws and the ,
sounds of choppinS Ecpt measured beat !
1T was latp i'm tho fornpoo op6 Stollo |